The Growing Universe of Knowledge
Networking Scenarios
Dr. H. K. Kaul
Director, DELNET
hkkaul@gmail.com
Oxford English Dictionary defines knowledge as
Expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience or
education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject
What is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information
Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.
Philosophical debates in general start with Plato's formulation of knowledge
as ‘justified true belief’
Classification of Knowledge
Tacit Knowledge
Explicit Knowledge
Knowledge codified as information
Knowledge embodied in physical artifacts
Venzin, Krogh and Roos
Tacit Knowledge
Embodied Knowledge
Encoded Knowledge
Embedded Knowledge
Event Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
Networking of Knowledge
The five factors that matter
The Universe of Tacit Knowledge in the Minds of People/Experts
The Universe of Explicit Knowledge Already Available in All Forms
The Universe of Knowledge Required by People: Could be Unlimited
The Universe of Untapped Knowledge: Could be Infinite
Networking - The Universe of Complex Interactions Between Tacit,
Explicit and the Unlimited Knowledge Needs of People
The Universe of
Tacit
Knowledge
The Universe
of Explicit
Knowledge
Already
Available in All
Forms : Codified/
Encapsulated
Knowledge
The Universe
of Complex
Interactions
Between
Tacit, Explicit
and the
Unlimited
Knowledge
Needs of
People
The Universe of Untapped Knowledge
The Universe
of Knowledge
Required by
People: Could be
Unlimited
The Universe of Tacit Knowledge
Knowledge which is stored in the minds of people
Beliefs, culture, experience, habits, heuristics and norms and practices
No limit to the imagination of an individual.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) said: “Imagination is everything. It is the
preview of life’s coming attractions.”
The Universe of Explicit Knowledge
The Universe of Knowledge Requirements of People
The Universe of Untapped Knowledge
Components of the Universe of Knowledge
 Characteristics of the Universe of Knowledge
 Characteristics of segments in the Universe of Knowledge
 Characteristics of subjects
 Interaction within the subjects
Characteristics of the Universe of Knowledge
 Universe of knowledge is composed of segements which are separated
by space
 This universe is continuous, ‘infinite, multidimensional, dynamic and
expanding in all directions.’
 Action is its important component. As a result, segments go on
expanding;Speed will vary from segment to segment
 Some segments may split into more segments, some may unite together
to create new segments, thus creating clusters
Characteristics of Segments
Singular segments
Unifocal
Bifocal
Multifocal
One subject
Parts of two subjects
Several subjects
e.g.
Physics
e.g. Bioengineering
e.g. Medical biochemistry
Binary segment
Closely linked subjects
e.g. Science and Technology
Cluster segment
Different subjects
e.g. Physical Sciences
Cyclopaedic segment
All subjects
e.g. Encyclopaedia
Affinitive segment
Affinities with other subjects
e.g. Librarianship
Comprehensive segment
All aspects
e.g. Dictionary of a subject
Form-based segment
Form based tendencies
e.g.textbooks, monographs
Invention-based segment
Spectroscope / Spectroscopy
Characteristics of a Subject
 ‘A matter or topic that forms the basis of a conversation, train of
thought, investigation etc’
 ‘An orgnised boy of ideas, whose extension and intension are likely to
fall coherently within the field of interests and comfortably within
the intellectual competence and the field of inevitable
specialization of a normal person’
 A subject is an organised and systematized body of ideas…
Examples of Binary Subject Systems
Object – Object networking
Science and Technology
Object – Action networking
Processing of Food
Object-Space networking
Apples of Kashmir
Object-time networking
Libraries in the 19th century
Action–Action networking
Cutting and Polishing
Action-Space networking
Explosion in the Galaxies
Action-Time networking
Bombings in the 1990s
Space-Space networking
India and USA
Space-Time networking
Delhi in the 21st century
Time-Time networking
A comparison of 2007 & 2009
Time
Time
Object
Object
Object
–
Action
Object
Space
Space
Time
Networking
Knowledge
Object
Time
Space
Space
Action
Time
Action
–
Action
Action
Space
Networking Knowledge
Complex interactions between tacit, explicit, knowledge being discovered
and the unlimited knowledge needs of people
ICT as a catalytic agent
David J. Skyrme depicts eleven characteristics of knowledge networking
Structural components: the network’s nodes and links
Links provide paths for communications, knowledge flows and
developing of personal relationships
Nodes in networks can be individuals or teams
The nodes are the focal points for activity or formal organizational
Processes
The pattern of nodes and links continually changes
Density of connections exhibits many forms – some may be more
circular with obvious hubs; others may be more diffuse
Individuals belong to several networks – in some they are more central
than in others
There is often no discernible boundary to a network
Networks connect to each other, links strengthen and weaken
One-to-one and multiple conversations take place: synchronously or
Synchronously
Knowledge flows in both deliberate and unanticipated ways
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The Alaska Native Knowledge Network (ANKN)
This network looks collects information on native knowledge systems in
order to help ‘to assist Native people, government agencies, educators and
the general public in gaining access to the knowledge base that Alaska
Natives have acquired through cumulative experience over millennia.’
http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/about.html
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
European Urban Knowledge Network
This network covers urban issues in which seventeen EU Member States,
EUROCITIES, the URBACT Programme and the European Commission
participate.” http://www.eukn.org/eukn/
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN)
This network covers trade, investment and sustainable development.
Collaborates with
research institutions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the
Americas. It ‘links network members, strengthens capacity in areas of
research, training and policy analysis, and also generates new research to
assess and address the impact of trade and investment policies on sustainable
development.’ http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net/about/
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network.
This network provides comprehensive information on elections and related
issues. Networks professionals in the field and offers capacity development
services. http://aceproject.org/about-en
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The Climate Change Knowledge Network
The network ‘brings together expertise, experience and perspectives from
research institutes in developing and developed countries active in the area
of climate change.’ Promotes research in the field and initiates dialogues
between the countries on the subject.
http://www.cckn.net/
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The Canadian Geoscience Knowledge Network (CGKN)
The network offers portal to the Canadian geoscience information. As a
result the ‘Canadian geoscience community is becoming a global leader in
providing rapid access to its knowledge assets. Through the CGKN web
site, clients are now able to discover, view, evaluate and obtain consistent
and standardized geoscience data, maps and publications.”
http://cgkn.net/cur/about/index_e.html
The Knowledge Networks: The Examples
The CILT Knowledge Network, or CILTKN (pronounced silt-kay-en)
The network develops a major resource on learning technology research
and development community. Gathers ‘information about researchers,
research institutions, and research projects; course syllabi; bibliographic
references; an email forwarding service; and a bulletin board for
collaborations
to
share
and
identify
research
collaborators’
http://www.cilt.org/resources/kn.html
Knowledge Centres
Features of a General Knowledge Centre
A General Knowledge Centre is an advanced public library. The subjects and topics
handled are varied in number
Knowledge is imparted to every individual in the public
Development of content by collecting from all kinds of sources and processing it is an
important activity
Collects all important local knowledge sources
It should bring in transformation in the society by disseminating such knowledge which
becomes the agent of transformation
Help of subject experts is taken to collect and validate content and solve queries of
users
ICT and its applications are used to collect, process, disseminate and archive
knowledge
New developments in the knowledge sector which get noticed every other day are
captured for the development of the Knowledge Centre
Additional Features of a Specialised Knowledge Centre
A specialized Knowledge Centre will collect all types of sources on a small
subject and maintain connections and online links with all important
centres in the world that work on such topic
Knowledge available on the topic in different languages is collected and got
translated through language experts before making them part of the
Knowledge Centre
Knowledge is generally disseminated to the specialists working on a
subject.
Conclusion
Networking
Knowledge
is
the inherent
characteristics of the Universe of
The universe of knowledge is continuous, multidimensional and
growing fast in a dynamic manner
There is a need to organise knowledge for the welfare of mankind
For that purpose knowledge networks and knowledge centres will
grow