Comparing the International and the Hungarian Classification Methods of the Scientific Discipline of Geography

Abstract

In Hungary, social geography as an academic discipline is classified as an Earth science, which suggests that it is eventually considered to be a subfield of natural sciences. When submitting an application, applying for a PhD degree, Habilitation, or a DSc degree, (social) geographers are forced to take into account not only the requirements of social sciences but also those of natural sciences. This discrepancy makes it challenging for social geographers to climb the career ladder. In this paper I present how geography as a complex academic field is classified in Hungary and how it is classified by international organizations, universities, databases, and scientific publishers. Results show that the gap between the two classification methods is significant. Moreover, there is a difference between how social geography is positioned in the academic classification system of Hungary and that of foreign (primarily Anglo-American) countries.