Difference between revisions of "Knowledge"

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==Definition==
 
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Knowledge is a mix of experiences, values, contextual information and expert insight for acquiring, understanding and interpreting information. Together with attitudes and skills, it forms a capacity for effective action.
 
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==Description==
 
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Since the time of the earliest philosophers men and women have attempted to both understand and define the concept of knowledge. Knowledge is often used to refer to a body of facts and principles accumulated by humankind over the course of time. However, no single definition of knowledge exists that has been generally agreed upon.
 
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Table 1 shows some of the definitions:
 
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[[File:Definitions of knowledge.PNG|thumb|right|500px|Table 1. Definitions of knowledge]]
 
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For our purpose, the following definition will be used:
 
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Knowledge is a mix of experiences, values, contextual information and expert insight for acquiring, understanding and interpreting information. Together with attitudes and skills, it forms a capacity for effective action.
 
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It is important to recognize the distinction between knowledge, [[Information | information]] and [[Data | data]]. Raw data become information in the context of creation, information becomes knowledge in the context of use. Knowledge may eventually lead to wisdom. The figure below shows  these relationships.
 
  
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[[File:Information-knowledge.PNG|thumb|right|500px|Fig 1. The relationship of data, information and knowledge]]
 
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Knowledge is considered an asset to be managed, it could be an input, it may be embedded in work methods (i.e. part of a process) or it can be a product (i.e. an output). Knowledge may often be time dependent or contextual, and must be maintained and renewed.
 
  
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Knowledge is not static, it goes through different stages of a [[Knowledge lifecycle | lifecycle]] (i.e. creating, using, sharing, preserving)
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:''For the HR paradigm definition of Knowledge see [[Knowledge (HR)]]''
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In the concept of knowledge, different dimensions should be considered: types, holders, levels, usage, etc.
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==Definition==
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{{ {{PAGENAME}} }}
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===Types of knowledge===
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In [[Knowledge management | knowledge management]] it is important to recognize three types of knowledge — [[Explicit knowledge |explicit]], [[Implicit knowledge |implicit]] and [[Tacit knowledge |tacit]] — as depicted in the diamond model in Fig. 2,. The top half of the diamond represents explicit knowledge — or conscious level knowledge — which has either already been codified or could be codified. The bottom half of the diamond represents unconscious knowledge — both implicit knowledge and tacit knowledge. The former can be codified if brought to the conscious level. However, the latter cannot be codified directly because it is at the deep-unconscious level.
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[[File:ExplicitImplicitTacit.PNG|thumb|right|500px|Fig 2. Explicit, implicit and tacit knowledge]]
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<i>Note1:</i> Knowledge is a combination of ‘knowing facts’ about and ‘knowing how’ to do something. It refers to a body of facts and principles accumulated by humankind over the course of time. It is distinct from information as knowledge is information that has a purpose or use. Data leads to information and information leads to knowledge. Knowledge confers a capacity for effective action.
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===Knowledge holders ===
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Knowledge exists in different forms and at different levels: individual (link), group, [[Organizational knowledge | organization]], sector (e.g. [[Nuclear knowledge]]). Although it originates in the minds of individuals, in organizations it often becomes embedded not only in documents or repositories but also in organizational routines, processes, practices, and norms.
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== References ==
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<i>Note2:</i> The draft version of ISO 9001E 2014 defines knowledge as available collection of information (3.50) being a justified belief and having a high certainty to be true.
  
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[2] This discussion of the three different types of knowledge derives from a presentation developed by KURONEN T. of the
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==Description==
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BIT Research Center, Helsinki University of Technology entitled “What is tacit knowledge in NPP maintenance and what are
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[[File:Definitions of knowledge.PNG|thumb|right|500px|Table 1. Definitions of knowledge]]
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the prerequisites for sharing it?” It was presented to the CSNI International Workshop, Ottawa, Canada, 3-5 October 2005.
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Since the time of the earliest philosophers men and women have attempted to both understand and define the concept of knowledge, however, no single definition of knowledge exists that has been generally agreed upon.
  
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[5] DAVENPORT, T.H., PRUSAK, L., Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA (2000).
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The many aspects of this fundamental topic are well covered in the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge).
  
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[6] INTERNATION COUNCIL ON ARCHIVES, Radioactive Waste Information: Meeting Our Obligations to Future Generations with Regard to Safety of Waste Disposal Facilities, ICA Study 18, ICA, Paris (2006).
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Table 1 shows some of the definitions:
  
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[7] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Planning and Execution of Knowledge Management Assist missions for Nuclear Organizations, IAEA-TECDOC-1586, IAEA, Vienna (2008).
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For example from this table we can see that Davenport and Prusak define knowledge as, "a fluid mix of framed experience, contextual information, values and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information." Knowledge by this definition therefore includes skills [1]. In the HR paradigm, there is a different definition of knowledge used by HR professionals that excludes skills from the definition of knowledge.
  
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[8] INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Knowledge Management for Nuclear Industry Operating Organizations, IAEA-TECDOC-1510, IAEA, Vienna (2006).
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Knowledge has many dimensions:
  
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==Related articles==
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In the same way that an automotive vehicle may be described in terms of many dimensions such as:
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# Materials: Metal, Rubber, Glass etc.
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# Components: Wheels, Engine, Passenger compartment, etc.
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# Colours : Black, Red, Grey etc.
  
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[[Nuclear knowledge]]
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So also can Knowledge be described in terms of a number of different dimensions such as:
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# Domains – technical, organisational, societal etc.
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# States – Explicit, implicit, tacit etc.
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# Levels – Know-why, know-how, know-what etc.
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# Representations – Documents, models, pictures etc.
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# Categories – Good practices, lessons, standards etc.
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# Artefacts – Buildings, tools, equipment, etc.
  
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[[Tacit knowledge]]
 
  
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[[Implicit knowledge]]
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'''Knowledge models:'''
  
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[[Explicit knowledge]]
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Many knowledge exist that refer to these different dimensions. Knowledge models are described in [[Knowledge model | this article]].
  
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[[Knowledge as power]]
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<!--  content integrated into the articel "Knowledge Model"
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====Know-why,know-how,know-what knowledge model====
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=====Description=====
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[[File:WWW.png|thumb|right|500px|Fig. 1. Know-why,know-how,know-what knowledge model]]
  
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[[Knowledge base]]
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[[Know-how]] usually refers to {{Know-how}}This means {{Skill}}[[Know-what]] is {{Know-what}} [[Know-why]] refers to {{Know-why}}.
  
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[[Knowledge loss]]
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=====Example=====
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A simple example to illustrate this is the need for different types of knowledge when jumping into deep water. Know-how is the ability to swim, know-what is knowing what arm and leg actions are required as they may be presented in a written instruction manual on swimming. Know-why may include an understanding of Archimede's principle and Newton's third law.
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=====Practical application in KM=====
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This model can be extended to include other aspects of knowledge. As well as know-how, know-why, know-what, we can add know-who, know-when, know-where. This is a useful model for knowledge [[Retention|retention]] and [[Transfer|transfer]] leading to the employment of practical tools for [[Elicit|eliciting]] and [[Capture|capturing]] knowledge. For example a [[Personal network map]] is one example of a tool used for transfering know-who, know-when and know-where.
  
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[[Latent knowledge]]
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====Proficiency, codification, diffusion model====
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=====Description=====
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Knowledge has three attributes whose values can be managed by knowledge management. These three attributes are:
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# level of proficiency (P)
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# level of codification (C)
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# level of diffusion (D)
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[[Proficiency]] refers to how much of a particular [[Capability|capability]] a person or team has. It is the degree of mastery of a [[Skill|skill]] or area of knowledge.
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[[Codification]] refers to the transformation of knowledge into a human-readable format.
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[[Diffusion]] refers to the number of people who hold knowledge in any given area and the means to spread that knowledge.
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=====Example=====
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=====Practical application in KM=====
  
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[[Latent legacy knowledge]]
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====Domains knowledge model====
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=====Description=====
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[[File:KD.png|thumb|right|500px|Fig. 2. Domains knowledge model]]
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All knowledge can be subdivided onto knowledge domains. Each is the content of a particular field  or area of knowledge. In knowledge management domains are often defined by the scope of [[Communities of practice]], [[Taxonomy|taxonomies]] or [[Educational courses]] and are useful subdivisions of knowledge into which to organise knowledge repositories.
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=====Example=====
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At a macro scale, examples of domains might be Chemistry, Physics, Biology or at a smaller scale the domain of Physics may be subdivided into many more domains such as Classical Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Modern Physics, Optics, Thermodynamics etc. A list of nuclear knowledge domains can be found in [[List of nuclear knowledge domains]].
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=====Practical application in KM=====
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Practical tools for managing domains include [[Ontology|ontolgies]] which describe knowledge of a specific domain through concepts in their relation to other concepts.
  
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[[Radioactive waste knowledge]]
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===Explicit,implicit,tacit knowledge model===
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=====Description=====
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[[File:Knowledge-Iceberg-Model.jpg|thumb|right|500px|Fig 3. The Iceberg model of tacit and explicit knowledge]]
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It is useful to identify three types of knowledge: [[Explicit knowledge |Explicit]], [[Tacit knowledge |tacit]] and [[Implicit knowledge |implicit]]. Each requires different approaches to its management. The model is often illustrated with reference to an iceberg (Fig. 3.)
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* [[Explicit knowledge |Explicit]] is {{Explicit knowledge}}
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* [[Implicit knowledge |Implicit]] is {{Implicit knowledge}}
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* [[Tacit knowledge |Tacit]] is {{Tacit knowledge}}
  
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[[Undocumented knowledge]]
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=====Example=====
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Much of what can be descirbe for the swimming example above under the "know-why,know-how,know-what" model can also be said of this model, where Tacit knowledge is broadly equivalent to know-how and explicit knowledge is equivalent to know-what.
  
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[[Knowledge processes]]
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=====Practical application in KM=====
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A corollary to the model is that usually only part of the explicit knowledge is codified and thus represents an opportunity for knowledge [[Capture|capture]].
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-->
  
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[[Critical knowledge]]
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== References ==
  
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[[Contextual information]]
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[1] DAVENPORT, T.H., PRUSAK, L., Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA (2000).
  
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[[Information]]
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==Related articles==
  
 
[[Data]]
 
[[Data]]
  
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[[Knowledge asset]]
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[[Information]]
  
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[[Human assets]]
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[[Tacit knowledge]]
  
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[[Intellectual property]]
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[[Implicit knowledge]]
  
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[[Intellectual capital]]
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[[Explicit knowledge]]
  
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[[Intangible assets]]
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[[Knowledge lifecycle]]
  
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[[Development of nuclear knowledge]]
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[[Template:Know-why |Know-why]]
  
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[[Historical development of nuclear knowledge]]
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[[Template:Know-how |Know-how]]
  
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[[Current status of nuclear knowledge]]
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[[Template:Know-what |Know-what]]
  
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[[Nuclear organizations and nuclear knowledge]]
 
  
 
[[Category:Knowledge]]
 
[[Category:Knowledge]]
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[[Category:Knowledge processes]]
 
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[[Category:Exemplar]]
 

Latest revision as of 13:53, 7 March 2016


Definition

A mix of experiences, values, contextual information and expert insight for acquiring, understanding and interpreting information. Together with attitudes and skills, it forms a capacity for effective actions.

Note1: Knowledge is a combination of ‘knowing facts’ about and ‘knowing how’ to do something. It refers to a body of facts and principles accumulated by humankind over the course of time. It is distinct from information as knowledge is information that has a purpose or use. Data leads to information and information leads to knowledge. Knowledge confers a capacity for effective action.

Note2: The draft version of ISO 9001E 2014 defines knowledge as available collection of information (3.50) being a justified belief and having a high certainty to be true.

Description

Table 1. Definitions of knowledge

Since the time of the earliest philosophers men and women have attempted to both understand and define the concept of knowledge, however, no single definition of knowledge exists that has been generally agreed upon.

The many aspects of this fundamental topic are well covered in the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge).

Table 1 shows some of the definitions:

For example from this table we can see that Davenport and Prusak define knowledge as, "a fluid mix of framed experience, contextual information, values and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information." Knowledge by this definition therefore includes skills [1]. In the HR paradigm, there is a different definition of knowledge used by HR professionals that excludes skills from the definition of knowledge.

Knowledge has many dimensions:

In the same way that an automotive vehicle may be described in terms of many dimensions such as:

  1. Materials: Metal, Rubber, Glass etc.
  2. Components: Wheels, Engine, Passenger compartment, etc.
  3. Colours : Black, Red, Grey etc.

So also can Knowledge be described in terms of a number of different dimensions such as:

  1. Domains – technical, organisational, societal etc.
  2. States – Explicit, implicit, tacit etc.
  3. Levels – Know-why, know-how, know-what etc.
  4. Representations – Documents, models, pictures etc.
  5. Categories – Good practices, lessons, standards etc.
  6. Artefacts – Buildings, tools, equipment, etc.


Knowledge models:

Many knowledge exist that refer to these different dimensions. Knowledge models are described in this article.


References

[1] DAVENPORT, T.H., PRUSAK, L., Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA (2000).


Related articles

Data

Information

Tacit knowledge

Implicit knowledge

Explicit knowledge

Knowledge lifecycle

Know-why

Know-how

Know-what

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