# How does the AAAS classify the sciences?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 11, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438 "2004-08-11T22:19:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438/1 "2004-08-11T22:19:03Z")
I’m a grad student in library sciences, and I’m working on a paper on the different ways in which the pure sciences are classified in the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress systems. By comparison, I would like to look at the classification system, if any, used by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. But I cannot find any such thing on the AAAS website ([www.aaas.org](http://www.aaas.org)[/ur]). Does anybody know if such a thing exists? Or whether there is any scheme for classifying the sciences which might be regarded by “definitive” by the scientific community?
I would expect AAAS to have some kind of scheme, or at any rate a **list** of sciences, because at times past the association has had to make policy decisions on whether certain fields of study are recognized as “sciences” or not – e.g., whether to extend AAAS membership to political scientists. (I forget whether they ruled yea or nay on that point, but it was a matter of some controversy a few years back.)
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438/2 "2004-08-11T22:21:06Z")
Sorry, here’s the link to the AAAS website: [www.aaas.org](http://www.aaas.org)
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438/3 "2004-08-12T22:32:21Z")
Nobody knows?
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### Author:  [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438/4 "2004-08-13T01:06:59Z")
Well, the AAAS does have a [list of membership sections](http://www.aaas.org/membership/m_sections/) that consist of various disciplines. I suppose that’s the closest thing to an official classification that you’ll get from them. The National Academy of Sciences has a similar listing [here](http://www4.nationalacademies.org/nas/naspub.nsf/Weblink/NASSections?OpenDocument&Count=50000). I don’t know that there is such a thing as a “definitive” list of disciplines per se.
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### Author:  [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-aaas-classify-the-sciences/259438/5 "2004-08-13T04:23:10Z")
The AAAS membership directory has members listed by discipline, which for some reason is a different breakdown from the one used for electorate sections as shown in **sunfish** ’s link. Here’s how it goes (in the order found in the search drop-down box at the members-only directory search page, including a mysteriously redundant number 13):
01 Not applicable/None
10 Life Sciences: Agric. Sciences
13 Life Sciences: Biochemistry
40 Life Sciences: Biotechnology
41 Life Sciences: Botany
42 Life Sciences: Cell Biology
18 Life Sciences: Ecology
43 Life Sciences: Endocrinology
44 Life Sciences: Genetics
45 Life Sciences: Immunology
46 Life Sciences: Marine Biology
22 Life Sciences: Medicine
24 Life Sciences: Microbiology
25 Life Sciences: Molecular Biology
47 Life Sciences: Neuroscience
48 Life Sciences: Pharmacology
49 Life Sciences: Physiology
50 Life Sciences: Zoology
66 Life Sciences: Other
11 Chemistry: Analytical
13 Chemistry: Biochemistry
20 Chemistry: Inorganic
26 Chemistry: Nuclear
28 Chemistry: Organic
29 Chemistry: Physical
67 Chemistry: Other
51 Earth Sciences: Atmospheric
19 Earth Sciences: Geology/Soil Science/Geography
52 Earth Sciences: Oceanography
68 Earth Sciences: Other
09 Engineering: Aeronautical
54 Engineering: Biomedical
15 Engineering: Chemical
16 Engineering: Electric/Electronic
74 Engineering: Mechanical
27 Engineering: Nuclear
69 Engineering: Other
36 Computer Sciences
35 Mathematics
55 Statistics
12 Physics, Astronomy: Astron./Astrophys.
71 Physics, Astronomy: Atomic/Molecular
60 Physics, Astronomy: Cond. Matter
17 Physics, Astronomy: Nuclear
57 Physics, Astronomy: Optics Laser
58 Physics, Astronomy: Particle
59 Physics, Astronomy: Plasma
70 Physics, Astronomy: Other
61 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Anthro./Sociology
62 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Econ./Poli. Sci.
63 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Education
73 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Hist. & Phil of Sci.
34 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Psychology
64 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Science Policy
65 Social & Behavioral Sci.: Other