In the framework of the international research project INTERCO-SSH we have built a prosopographical database about the staff in Hungary of the social sciences and humanities as well as their publications for the period of cc. 1945-2010.

Our biographical data collection involved scholars:

1. With sufficient reputation to have entries in one of the encyclopedias as follows:

- Magyar Nagylexikon (representative encyclopedia of Hungarian academics published in the 1990s and 2000s)

- Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon (representative encyclopedia of famous persons of the past - no longer living - published in the years 1968-1991)

- Magyar Ki kicsoda (A Who is who type encyclopedia of living celebrities, but - contrary some similar products - without financial support from persons concerned, published in 1990, 1996, 2002, 2009.)

2. Persons having been awarded scholarly titles by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1951-2010). A 'Candidate of science' title was given with the function of the later PhD (after 1993) in the decades of state socialism, and a 'Doctor of science' title was given to a selected group of candidates, PpD owners, as a higher scientific degree.

3. Staff members of PhD schools established after 1993, as they are listed in the website of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee in 2010 and 2015 (http://doktori.hu).

The first volume of factbook comprises some tables offering significant biographical information of different age groups (practically: generations) by decades (like 1871-1880, 1881-1890 etc.) Several serial biographical data have been presented in two versions. In the first version the categories are: 1881-1900, 1901-1920 etc. In the second version the categories are 1871-1890, 1891-1910 etc. If one wants to check only the most decisive trends, one can consider the tables "Age30" with only 3 generational groups: 1896-1925, 1926-1955, 1956-1985. There are no lacunae for information on birthyears.

There are tables concerning birthplace. Some tables allow the study the birthplaces according to historical counties (within the borders of 1910). There are tables in which one can separately study the bigger towns as places of birth. ("Bigger" towns of historic Hungary were defined as those the population of which in 1900 exceeded 30 000.) Other tables refer to birthplaces in the county network applicable after 1919. There are tables on birthplaces referring to large statistical regions, as in 1910. Other quite simple tables apply the Budapest/countryside division. There are also tables using the distribution of birthplaces by population size. In such tables one can find information by rural settlements, subregional (parish) townships (as for járásszékhely in 1910), larger villages (nagyközség in 1910). Several categories of towns have also been distinguished, such as "newer towns" - places, without long historical standing as township -, "older towns" - places which had the town status in 1900, but the number of inhabitants had not reached 30 000 by that time -, "older towns", with a population over 30 000 in 1900; "big towns" which a population over 40 000 in 1900 or over 50 000 in 1930, "university towns" (Debrecen, Pécs, Szeged) and the capital city.

We were afraid that the name of towns and territories would prove to be meaningless for non Hungarian users, not familiar with the territorial organization of the Carpathian Basin. There are tables to assist them delivering information on the weight of territorial units, as the background of modern Hungarian elites.

This territorial background is known only for 54,6% of the scholars listed in the categories under scrutiny.

There are tables concerning the gender distribution of the prosopographical data presented. Formally every discipline and academic position was open for women since 1945, but naturally there are significant differences as to the weight of women in different fields of scholarly activities, levels of certified achievement or in terms of background characteristics.

There are tables concerning "surnames" offering some indication on the ethnic origin or character of the family of the scholars concerned. We use only the three most relevant categories: "Magyar", for names having a meaning in Hungarian, "German" reflecting a Germanic background, and "Slovak and other". It must be stressed that such indications have not much to do with ethnic identity in most cases, but merely with the historic origins of the family in one of the main ethnic clusters of the country and of modern middle class clusters (of which those of non Magyar background represented the majority before 1910).

There are tables on academic ranks, distinguishing above all those with or without the title of "Doctors of science". The DSc as a mirror of academic ranking is obviously a debatable category. Several scholars with high international reputation, with a position as full professor, having a number of serious scholarly publications, or even with the title of external member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences have never applied for this academic degree. Nevertheless differences show a high degree of statistical significance between DSc and non-DSc scholars.

Some scholars with full professor's status in the late 1940s could hold important positions in the academic life of 1950s, without applying for a DSc title. For this reason the title does not appear to be relevant for the scholars involved, especially those having been born before 1910. The greatest part of DSc laureates obtained their title above 50 years of age. Hence the title appears to be irrelevant for the youngest generation of our sample, born after 1960. Thus the related tables have been calculated only for the 1910-1960 birth cohorts.