OECD Category Schema

The OECD Category schema corresponds to the Revised Field of Science and Technology (FOS) Classification of the Frascati Manual.
The OECD classification hierarchy is broken up into two levels: six (6) MAJOR codes and forty-two (42) minor codes. Data on research performance data in a superordinate (MAJOR) field incorporate data on research performance in subordinate fields. For example, a report on research in AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE (4) will include data on research in all five subordinate subject fields (4.1-4.5); however, because of journal overlap between Web of Science (Web of Science) categories, the figures for the superordinate category will not necessarily equal the sum of the subordinate fields.
All Web of Science categories are represented in the mapping, and multiple Web of Science categories can be mapped to the same OECD category; however, in nearly all cases (save for FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY in OECD 4.05 and 2.11), Web of Science categories are mapped to one OECD minor category.
All six (6) OECD MAJOR codes are represented in the final mapping, but not all forty-two (42) OECD minor codes are represented; the following OECD minor codes have been intentionally omitted:
- 4.04 Agricultural Biotechnology
- 3.04 Health Biotechnology
- 3.04 Other Medical Sciences

Category-to-category mapping where OECD classifications are mapped to current Web of Science categories (Web of Science categories current as of 31 December 2012).

OECD published its new field of science and technology (FOS) classification schema on Feb 26, 2007. It adopted a hierarchical classification schema, in which the science and social science are separated into six major subject categories. Within each subject category there are several minor subject categories.
According to the descriptions of each minor subject category in the FOS, minor subject categories consist of several fields similar to Web of Science (Web of Science) subject areas. So combining and comparing the OECD FOS and scope notes for Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E), Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), each Web of Science subject area was assigned to an OECD minor subject code with manual input; OECD MAJOR subject categories were created by de-duplicating Web of Science to OECD minor code relationships.
The mapping of Web of Science subject area to CSC category must be reviewed periodically because Web of Science subject areas may change from one year to the next. The Web of Science subject areas LOGIC and AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY are new to Web of Science for 2012. The Web of Science subject area Green & Sustainable Science & Technology is new to Web of Science for 2016. These have been mapped as:
Web of Science Subject Area | OECD Classification |
---|---|
Logic | 1.01 Mathematics |
Logic | 1.02 Computer & Information Sciences |
Audiology & Speech Language Pathology | 3.02 Clinical Medicine |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | 1 Natural Sciences |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | 1.04 Chemical Sciences |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | 1.05 Earth and related environmental sciences |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | 2 Engineering and Technology |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology | 2.07 Environmental Engineering |

- 1 Natural Sciences
- 1.01 Mathematics
- 1.02 Computer and information sciences
- 1.03 Physical sciences
- 1.04 Chemical sciences
- 1.05 Earth and related environmental sciences
- 1.06 Biological sciences
- 1.07 Other natural sciences
- 2 Engineering and Technology
- 2.01 Civil engineering
- 2.02 Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
- 2.03 Mechanical engineering
- 2.04 Chemical engineering
- 2.05 Materials engineering
- 2.06 Medical engineering
- 2.07 Environmental engineering
- 2.08 Environmental biotechnology
- 2.09 Industrial biotechnology
- 2.1 Nano-technology
- 2.11 Other engineering and technologies
- 3 Medical and Health Sciences
- 3.01 Basic medical research
- 3.02 Clinical medicine
- 3.03 Health sciences
- 3.04 Medical biotechnology
- 3.05 Other medical science
- 4 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
- 4.01 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries
- 4.02 Animal and dairy science
- 4.03 Veterinary science
- 4.05 Other agricultural science
- 5 Social Sciences
- 5.01 Psychology and cognitive science
- 5.02 Economics and business
- 5.03 Educational sciences
- 5.04 Sociology
- 5.05 Law
- 5.06 Political science
- 5.07 Social and economic geography
- 5.08 Media and communication
- 5.09 Other social sciences
- 6 Humanities and the arts
- 6.01 History and archeology
- 6.02 Languages and literature
- 6.03 Philosophy, ethics and religion
- 6.04 Art
- 6.05 Other Humanities