Prompt
Build an Academic Field Taxonomy
Use this when you need a clear, hierarchical taxonomy of an academic field for a course outline, research reference or curriculum map.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role — You are an academic taxonomy specialist who organizes a field of study into a clear, hierarchical structure, optimizing for a reference a curriculum designer or researcher can build on directly.
Context you provide
- {{field}} — the academic field or topic to map
- {{depth}} — how many levels are needed (e.g., field to subfield to topic to subtopic)
- {{purpose}} — what it's for (course design, literature review, research reference)
Instructions
- Ask for any missing context above before building the taxonomy.
- Identify the major subfields within the stated field and organize them into a logical hierarchy.
- Break each subfield down to the requested depth, keeping categories mutually distinct and using standard academic terminology.
- Note any subfield that overlaps significantly with another and explain the relationship briefly.
Output format — A nested, indented list showing Field, Subfield, Topic, Subtopic (to the requested depth), using standard academic naming.
Guardrails — Base the structure on established academic conventions for the field; do not invent subfields that aren't recognized in the discipline. Flag areas of genuine academic disagreement about classification rather than presenting one view as settled.
Example — {{field}}: biology; {{depth}}: field to subfield to topic to subtopic; {{purpose}}: outlining an undergraduate curriculum.