AN OUTLINE OF KNOWLEDGE: THE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES

To be a good researcher, one must have a basic understanding of how the academic world organizes knowledge. Scholarly work is divided into areas of inquiry known as academic disciplines. These disciplines are grouped into larger categories called branches of knowledge. Given below are the main branches of knowledge and the primary disciplines within each branch:

BRANCH OF KNOWLEDGE	ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
MATHEMATICS	Arithmetic Geometry Algebra Trigonometry Statistics and Probability Applications of mathematics (computer science, etc.)
NATURAL SCIENCES	The Physical Sciences Astronomy Physics Chemistry The Earth Sciences Geology Geography Atmospheric sciences The Biological Sciences Molecular biology Cell biology Organismic biology Population biology Medicine
TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES	Engineering Agricultural Sciences
SOCIAL SCIENCES	Anthropology Sociology Economics Political Science Law Psychology Linguistics
HUMANITIES	History Philosophy & Religion Language and Literature Visual Arts Performing Arts

When doing research, it is important to know which academic discipline is likely to cover your topic. Having that awareness will help you choose the most appropriate information sources and access tools.

It’s possible that more than one discipline will cover your topic. For example, homelessness is a topic studied in sociology, psychology, political science, and economics. A topic that’s covered by two or more disciplines is called interdisciplinary.