{{Multiple issues, {{context, date=March 2018 {{unreferenced, date=August 2009 The principle of abstraction is a grouping principle, whereby a

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

is adhered to with higher levels of abstraction placed near the top with more specific concepts underneath.

Example

For the teaching (not personnel) organization of a

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

the levels of abstraction would go something like this: University :→ ''Faculty of Science'' ::— ''Department of Physics'' :::– Subject: Physics 101 ::::• Topic: Fluid dynamics ::— ''Department of Earth Sciences'' ::''— Department of Biology'' :→ ''Faculty of Arts'' ::— ''Department of History'' :::– Subject: Australian History ::::• Topic: 1850-1854 Victorian Gold rush ::''— Department of Philosophy'' ::''— Department of Literature'' :→ ''Faculty of Medicine'' ::''— Department of Immunology'' ::''— Department of Neurosurgery'' ::''— Department of Endocrinology'' Grouping Hierarchy