Knowledge

Since the time of the earliest philosophers men and women have attempted to both understand and define the concept of knowledge. There is no generic form of words that can adequately express what we understand to be knowledge. However, the following definition [5] can be offered as one that meets the needs of this report: “Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. It originates in the minds of knowers. In organizations, it often becomes embedded not only in documents or repositories but also in organizational routines, processes, practices, and norms.” It is very difficult, in a publication about the management of radioactive waste knowledge, to use specific terminology in an absolutely accurate and consistent way where the subject (the knowledge) can be framed in so many ways. Figure 1 shows how knowledge is created.

FIG. 1. The relationship of information and knowledge.

Reference will be made in this report to ‘contextual information’. This is information that helps the reader to understand, to recognize value, relevance, constraints and trustworthiness of other information — particularly if that information is highly complex and specialized. It will, inter alia, help the reader to answer questions such as ‘why should I believe this information?’, ‘what value can I attribute to this information?’ and ‘can I use this information to create new knowledge?’ The International Council on Archives (ICA) has published guidance on the management of contextual information in the field of safety of radioactive waste disposal facilities [6]. The IAEA has compiled a glossary of knowledge management terms [7] that are particularly applicable in the nuclear sector. The following sections contain brief descriptions of the important terms, as used in this report. The aim here is achieve consistency within this report.