tieteidenalat

Tieteidenalat, or branches of science, are the broad disciplinary categories into which scientific research and higher education are organized in Finnish institutions. The term is used to describe major domains of inquiry and to structure studies, curricula, research funding, and the reporting of scientific outputs. While the exact classification can vary by country and institution, tieteidenalat generally group disciplines that share methods, theoretical traditions, and research questions.

In Finland, common broad tieteidenalat include luonnontieteet (natural sciences), yhteiskuntatieteet (social sciences), humanistiset tieteet (humanities), and terveystieteet (health sciences). Examples within natural sciences are matematiikka, fysiikka, kemia and biologia. Within social sciences one finds sosiologia, psykologia, taloustiede and politiikan tutkimus. Within humanities are filosofia, historia, kielitieteet and kirjallisuustieteet. Health sciences encompass lääketiede and various health-related disciplines. These categories help universities organize degree programs, research agendas, and institutional reporting, and they are often used by funding bodies and national statistics to analyze the research landscape.

Borders between tieteidenalat are not rigid; interdisciplinarity is common and new research areas frequently span several groups. Fields such as data science, environmental studies, and cognitive science illustrate how modern inquiry crosses traditional boundaries and integrates methods from multiple disciplines. The concept thus provides a practical framework for organizing knowledge while remaining adaptable to evolving scientific practice.