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Table 1 Definitions of field by different classifications

From: Quantifying the economic impact of government and charity funding of medical research on private research and development funding in the United Kingdom

Field

Medical Research Council

HRCS a

Thomson Reuters JSC b

Blood

Blood: red cells (erythrocytes); white cells and reticuloendothelial system (including bone-marrow); platelets and coagulation (thrombosis); serum proteins (antibody, etc.); and inflammatory systems (allergy, histamine, oxytocin, vasoactive agents)

Blood: Diseases caused by pathogens, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted infections, and studies of infection and infectious agents

Haematology covers resources that deal with blood and blood-forming tissues, as well as the functions, diseases, and treatments of these systems. Topics included are haemophilia, neoplastic disorders of the blood or lymphoid tissues, and mechanisms and disorders of thrombosis

Cancer

Cancer: Carcinogenesis (chemical and physical substances, ionising radiation, asbestos, mutagens, occupational medicine); incidence/epidemiology; detection/diagnosis, tumour biology, radiotherapy (radiobiology, adjuvants); chemotherapy (drugs, therapeutics techniques – side effects); and immunotherapy (immunotherapy)

Cancer: All types of cancers (includes leukaemia)

Oncology covers resources on the mechanisms, causes, and treatments of cancer including environmental and genetic risk factors, and cellular and molecular carcinogenesis. Aspects of clinical oncology covered include surgical, radiological, chemical, and palliative care; this category is also concerned with resources on cancers of specific systems and organs

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular: heart (electrophysiology); veins (vasoactive agents); arteries (cerebrovascular, arteriosclerosis, vasoactive agents); lymphatics (white cells); hormonal and metabolic systems (metabolism, electrolytes, hormones, oxytocin, steroids, vasoactive agents)

Cardiovascular c: Coronary heart disease, diseases of the vasculature and circulation system including the lymphatic system, and normal development and function of the cardiovascular system

Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems covers resources dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease; coverage focuses on cardiac disease prevention, pharmacology, surgery, transplantation, and research. This category also includes cardiac testing, pacemakers, and medical devices. Resources focusing on circulation, hypertension, arterial disease, and stroke are placed in the peripheral vascular disease category

Central Nervous System

Central Nervous System: Mental health and mental disorders; electro-physiology; epilepsy, head, Huntington’s chorea, migraine, multiple sclerosis, rabies, and transmitters

Neurological d: Dementias, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and studies of the normal brain and nervous system

Neurosciences covers resources on all areas of basic research on the brain, neural physiology, and function in health and disease. The areas of focus include neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, neurochemistry, neural development, and neural behaviour. Coverage also includes resources in neuro-endocrine and neuro-immune systems, somatosensory system, motor system and sensory motor integration, autonomic system as well as diseases of the nervous system

Gastroenterology

Gastrointestinal: Mouth and pharynx (salivary gland, tonsils and adenoids); oesophagus and stomach (foodstuffs (hazards and constituents)); small intestine (coeliac disease); colon and rectum (incontinence); hepatobiliary system (metabolism – lipids, hepatitis), and exocrine pancreas (cystic fibrosis)

Oral and Gastrointestinal: Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, diseases of the mouth, teeth, oesophagus, digestive system including liver and colon, and normal oral and gastrointestinal development and function

Gastroenterology and Hepatology covers resources on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology of the digestive system. This category includes specific resources on the prognosis and treatment of digestive diseases, stomach ulcers, metabolic, genetic, infectious and chemically induced diseases of the liver, colitis, diseases of the pancreas and diseases of the rectum

Infection

Infections: Viral and mycoplasmal (phage and virus, common cold, cross-infection, hepatitis, herpes, influenza, interferon, measles, poliomyelitis, rabies, rubella); bacterial and rickettsial (bacterial cells, antibiotics, cross-infection, drug resistance, venereal diseases, whooping cough); mycobacterial, fungal leprosy, tropical and overseas, tuberculosis); yeast, protozoal (malaria, tropical and overseas, vectors); Helminth diseases (molluscs, tropical and overseas, vectors)

Infection: Diseases caused by pathogens, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted infections, and studies of infection and infectious agents

Infectious Diseases covers resources on all aspects of the pathogenesis of clinically significant viral or bacterial diseases including HIV, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases; this category is also concerned with resources on host-pathogen interactions, as well as the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of infectious disease

Respiratory

Respiratory: Upper respiratory tract (including epiglottis and larynx) (common cold, influenza); airways and lungs (allergy, asbestos, asthma, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, tuberculosis, whooping cough)

Respiratory: Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory diseases, and normal development and function of the respiratory system

Respiratory System covers resources on all aspects of respiratory and lung diseases, including their relation to cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and diseases

Skin

Skin: Allergy, leprosy, psoriasis, and venereal diseases

Skin: Dermatological conditions and normal skin development and function

Dermatology covers resources on the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the skin. It contains resources on investigative and experimental dermatology, contact dermatitis, dermatologic surgery, dermatologic pathology, and dermatologic oncology; tis category also includes specific resources on burns, wounds and leprosy

Vision

Vision: Electrophysiology, eye, retinitis pigmentosa

Eye: Diseases of the eye and normal eye development and function

Ophthalmology covers resources on the eye, its diseases, and refractive errors; coverage includes research on the cornea, retina, and eye diseases. This category also includes resources on physiological optics and optometry as well as reconstructive surgery

  1. a Health Research Classification System (http://www.hrcsonline.net/hc/view)
  2. b Thomson Reuters Journal Subject Classifications http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/mjl/scope/scope_scie/
  3. c There is a Stroke classification: Ischaemic and haemorrhagic
  4. d There is a Mental Health classification: Depression, schizophrenia, psychosis and personality disorders, addiction, suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders and studies of normal psychology, cognitive function and behaviour