Fachkategorie

Fachkategorie is a German term used to describe a subject category within a taxonomy or classification system. It identifies the topic or discipline to which a resource belongs, supporting search, retrieval, and navigation. The concept appears in libraries, archives, publishing, and digital platforms, and is often organized hierarchically with parent categories and subcategories.

In libraries and bibliographic databases, Fachkategorien function as metadata fields that group materials by subject area, such as Medizin, Informatik, or Umweltwissenschaften. In academic journals, articles are tagged with Fachkategorien to aid indexing in subject databases and to help readers locate relevant work. In content management and e-commerce, Fachkategorien classify content or products by topic, for example Technik > Elektronik or Kunst > Malerei, enabling targeted filtering and discovery.

Fachkategorie is related to, but distinct from, terms like Fachgebiet (field of study) or Schlagwort/Keyword. While Fachgebiet denotes a broad domain of knowledge, Fachkategorie typically refers to a navigational or organizational element within a defined taxonomy. Effective use relies on controlled vocabularies, well-defined hierarchies, and consistent application across systems. Where multiple taxonomies exist, mappings or crosswalks may be used to align Fachkategorien with international standards and to support multilingual labeling.