Typology of academic disciplines in the Modern China Biographical Database

This table presents the bilingual typology of academic disciplines used in the Modern China Biographical Database. It is based mainly on the typology created by Yuan T'ung-li in his three bibliographical volumes about the doctoral dissertations by Chinese students in the United States, the United Kingdom, and continental Europe. We adapted this typology to include other disciplines that were present in historical sources. Dataset Description: Typology of Disciplines (Level 2) Overview: This dataset provides a bilingual typology of academic disciplines, specifically focusing on Level 2 classifications. The terms are extracted from various Chinese sources, with English translations provided. It is structured hierarchically, connecting each Level 2 discipline to broader categories (Level 1 and Level 0), facilitating multilingual academic classification. Structure: The dataset consists of the following key columns: Level 2 Discipline (English & Chinese): The specific sub-discipline classification. Level 1 Discipline (English & Chinese): A broader category that groups multiple Level 2 disciplines. Level 0 Discipline (English & Chinese): The highest-level classification representing major academic domains. Level 1 Code: A numerical or coded identifier for Level 1 disciplines, supporting structured data processing. Purpose & Applications: Hierarchical Classification: Enables structured categorization of academic fields across multiple levels. Multilingual Standardization: Supports bilingual terminology consistency in academic and research contexts. Main sources: Yuan, T’ung-li. A Guide to Doctoral Dissertations by Chinese Students in America, 1905-1960. Washington, D.C.: Published under the auspices of the Sino-American Cultural Society, 1961. ———. A Guide to Doctoral Dissertations by Chinese Students in Continental Europe, 1907-1962. S.l., 1964. ———. Doctoral dissertations by Chinese students in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1916-1961. Uden sted og forlag, 1963.