Human Geography
The study of how people interact with places and environments, with a focus on cultural, economic, and social behaviors.
Geography
The study of Earth’s landscapes, environments, and places, and how people interact with their surroundings.
Overview
Geography explores the physical features of the planet, such as landforms, climates, ecosystems, and the human activities that shape our world, including culture and economic development. It also examines how people and environments influence each other over time and across different places.
Geologists study how the world’s layout quietly shapes human possibilities. Why are some regions wealthy and others struggling? Why do certain diseases spread in specific areas? Why do cities grow where they do? Geography reveals the physical and spatial logic behind these patterns.
More than 2,200 years ago, the ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth with remarkable accuracy—using only shadows, geometry, and the distance between two cities in Egypt. Learn More
Eratosthenes Teaching in Alexandria by Bernardo Strozzi (1635)
Geography FAQ
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the study of geology, along with links to resources that explain the discipline and what you can expect from majoring in the field.
What are the main fields of geographic study?
Geography is considered both a natural science and a social science, where geographers study the interactions between the physical aspects of a region and the human activities within it. The two main fields of geography are:
- Human geography
- Physical geography
What other subjects are important to geography?
Geography is a highly interdisciplinary field that draws on physical sciences such as geology, which examines Earth's processes and landforms; meteorology, which studies climate and weather patterns; and biology, which explores ecosystems and biogeography.
Geography also investigates how human interactions influence physical landscapes. As a result, geographers draw on disciplines like sociology, which analyzes demographics and urbanization; political science, which explores borders and geopolitics; economics, which examines trade and development; and anthropology, which studies cultural practices and migration.
Resources for new geography researchers?
- What You Need to Know About Becoming A Geography Major - U.S. News & World Report
- Major Geography - Big Future/College Board
Geography Subfields
While geology is typically classified as a natural science, many of its subfields intersect with the social sciences, particularly where human activity, policy, and societal interactions with Earth systems are involved. Here are the two main geology subfields that have strong social science connections.
Physical Geography
The study of the natural features and processes of the Earth, including landforms, climates, vegetation, and bodies of water.
Geography Reference
Atlases and Maps
Atlases are fundamentally concerned with geographic location across the globe. Traditional atlases depict physical geography such as mountains, rivers, and political borders.
Geography Encyclopedias
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General Databases
Academic libraries subscribe to a diverse range of research databases. EBSCO and ProQuest are two of the largest providers of research databases. Most colleges and universities offer access to one or both platforms. Here are some key insights about each:
- Both are multidisciplinary research databases covering multiple disciplines.
- Both provide access to dozens of subject databases with a single search interface, which allows users to search multiple databases simultaneously.
- Both provide a varied mix of e-books, scholarly journals, peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, images, and newspapers.
EBSCO
EBSCOhost is a major research database platform that allows users to search multiple EBSCO databases simultaneously. The difference between EBSCOhost and Academic Search is that Academic Search can be searched as part of the EBSCOhost platform or searched separately if your institution has a subscription. To check if your institution subscribes to EBSCOhost, use EBSCO’s Find your institution page.
ProQuest
ProQuest is a major database vendor and platform that provides access to hundreds of database collections. The ProQuest platform provides a multidisciplinary search with access to scholarly ebooks, journals, video and audio, newspapers, and more, all searchable simultaneously. ProQuest is unique for providing dissertations and theses, historical newspapers, and other primary sources.
Scholarly Research Databases
Scholarly research databases provide peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book reviews, and other scholarly resources authored by scholars, researchers, or academics who are experts in their fields. Unlike magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) that focus on current events, news, and general-interest stories written by journalists, articles in scholarly journals undergo rigorous review before publication.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of several of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that helps researchers and studentsfind scholarly literature across disciplines. It indexes journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, patents, and other resources from academic publishers, universities, and professional organizations.
- Unlike subscription databases, which publish lists of journals in their collections, Google Scholar does not provide a list of the journals, books, repositories, or conference proceedings it indexes.
- General databases such as EBSCO and ProQuest allow you to limit your results to peer-reviewed articles only. Google Scholar does not filter results for peer-reviewed articles.
- When off your school’s network, you must enable your institution’s Google Scholar library links (review process) to see full-text articles available in your institution. If Library Links are not enabled, you’ll only see paywalls, publisher links, and what’s available open-access in the public domain.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), compiled by the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, provides access to a vast collection of scholarly literature in the social sciences. Covering multiple disciplines, IBSS includes references to journal articles, books, newspapers, and dissertations, with records dating back to 1951.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an important scholarly research database for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It provides the full text of articles from thousands of influential academic journals. In addition to journal articles, users can access eBooks, book chapters, images, and primary source documents. JSTOR also provides an AI research tool that provides key points and arguments of articles.
JSTOR contains the full text of more than 2,000 journals from 1,000 publishers, with publication dates ranging from 1665 to 2015 (for certain titles). JSTOR also provides:
- Free access to Early Journal Content published before the last 95 years in the United States or before the last 143 years if initially published internationally.
- A collection of nearly 150 open-access journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- JSTOR allows anyone to register for a free personal JSTOR account and provides access to 100 free monthly articles.
Project Muse
Project MUSE offers online access to a vast collection of scholarly journals, books, and academic resources in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. As a leading provider of digital humanities content, it features high-quality, peer-reviewed publications from prestigious university presses, scholarly societies, and academic publishers.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses is a database of dissertations and theses from universities worldwide. It provides access to millions of full-text works across many disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, sciences, and business. Each dissertation includes an abstract or summary that provides a concise overview of the research, its methodology, and key findings.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is a leading full-text scholarly scientific database that provides journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. It covers over 24 major subjects in the physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Social Science Full Text
Social Sciences Full Text provides access to a wide range of scholarly literature in the social sciences. It covers many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, international relations, political science, anthropology, economics, and education.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research and citation index that provides access to a wide range of scientific, technical, social science, and humanities research. It maintains rigorous criteria for the journals and publications it indexes, ensuring that only high-quality, peer-reviewed content is included. Web of Science includes 98 million papers dating back to 1900.
Geography Databases
Below is a list of geography-focused subject databases that are highly recommended and used in academic geography research.
GeoBase
GEOBASE is an index research database for geography and environmental studies. Areas covered include ecology, geomechanics, human and physical geography, geology, international development studies/impacts, and oceanography. Access to GEOBASE in most academic libraries is provided through the Engineering Village platform.
GeoRef
GeoRef is a database for geoscience research, produced by the American Geosciences Institute. It indexes millions of references to journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, and reports covering geology and related fields from the 17th century to today. Topics span everything from earthquakes, volcanoes, and fossils to environmental geology, hydrogeology, and planetary science. GeoRef is available through several different vendors and platforms, including: EBSCO, Engineering Village, GeoScienceWorld, ProQuest, and Ovid.
Social Explorer
Social Explorer is an online mapping and data tool that turns complex data into easy-to-use tools so organizations can analyze trends, visualize patterns, and make better decisions across fields like government, business, urban planning, and healthcare. It helps people explore demographic, social, and economic information through interactive maps and reports, bringing together U.S. Census and other public datasets in one place, allowing users to compare communities, track changes over time, and visualize patterns such as population, income, education, housing, and more.
Geography Journals
New geography researchers often wonder how to identify high-quality, peer-reviewed journals for their papers. Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is widely regarded as the leading subscription-based resource for assessing the impact, influence, and quality of scholarly journals across disciplines, including geography.
Most Cited Geography Journals
Journal Citation Reports rates Landscape and Urban Planning as the most cited geography journal. To review the JCR list of highly cited geography journals, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Geography. Here are the top ten cited geography journals.
Landscape and Urban Planning
Landscape and Urban Planning is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that publishes research about how landscapes and cities work and change. Authors write on subjects such as ecology, urban and regional planning, landscape architecture, and environmental engineering.
Global Environmental Change: Human and Policy Dimensions
Global Environmental Change is an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes theoretical and empirical research on the human and policy dimensions of environmental change on a global scale. Articles in areas such as climate systems, biodiversity and ecosystem services, land use and land cover, water and food systems, coastal and urban environments, and related policy processes.
Journal of Transport Geography
Journal of Transport Geography is a peer-reviewed academic journal that explores how transportation and movement shape places and people’s daily lives. It publishes research on topics like travel behavior, public transit, road networks, mobility access, and how transport systems affect cities, regions, and the environment.
Journal of Rural Studies 
GEOFORUM
Geoforum is a peer-reviewed academic journal that looks at how power, politics, and society shape places around the world. It publishes research on issues like inequality, development, environment, migration, and social change.
Applied Geography
Applied Geography is a peer-reviewed research journal that publishes studies using geographic methods, like mapping, spatial analysis, and place-based thinking, to tackle real-world problems involving space and place. It provides articles about human and physical geography, environmental science, and GIScience.
Environment and Planning A-Economy and Space
Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space is a peer-reviewed economic journal that studies how economic activity and social life are shaped by place. It publishes research on topics such as work, cities, housing, inequality, markets, and development, looking at how economic systems operate in real spaces and communities.
Regional Studies
Regional Studies is an international, peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes research about how and why regions and cities change over time. Articles come from economics, geography, planning, political science, environmental studies, and related fields to explain patterns of growth, decline, inequality, and policy within urban and subnational areas.
Progress in Human Geography
Progress in Human Geography is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes critical review articles and thought pieces summarizing the current state of research in human geography and related social sciences. The journal encourages debate about key theories and concepts that influence how researchers think about people, space, culture, economy, and society within geographic contexts.
International Journal of Geographical Information Science
International Journal of Geographical Information Science publishes research about how we collect, manage, analyze, and visualize geographic data using technology. Articles focus on subjects related to digital mapping tools like GIS, spatial modeling, remote sensing, and location-based data systems. Topics include urban planning, computer science, cartography, surveying, geography, engineering environmental monitoring, transportation systems, and disaster response.
Geography Methods
Research methods are systematic qualitative or quantitative approaches used to collect, analyze, and interpret data to answer a research question. When studying a social science, you will be required to take a research methods course that provides a basic introduction to the techniques of social science research. Listed below are resources that help you with various anthropological research techniques.
Sage Research Methods is a major subscription database that guides users in understanding research methodologies across different academic disciplines. It provides electronic access to reference books, journal articles, instructional videos, and other qualitative methods resources.
The following resources provide in-depth information on various research design concepts, methodologies, and techniques specific to geology.
