Basics of Knowledge Management ICOM5047 – Design Project in Computer Engineering ECE Department J. Fernando Vega Riveros, Ph.D.

What is knowledge? Merriam-Webster Dictionary - a (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique b (1) : the fact or condition of being aware of something (2) : the range of one's information or understanding c : the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : COGNITION d : the fact or condition of having information or of being learned Merriam-Webster Dictionary - a (1) : the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique b (1) : the fact or condition of being aware of something (2) : the range of one's information or understanding c : the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : COGNITION d : the fact or condition of having information or of being learned knowingCOGNITIONknowingCOGNITION

What is knowledge? Knowledge is a key organizational asset that creates and adds value to the organization’s products and services. It is composed of those insights and understandings that give meaning to the information and data at the organization’s disposal. Knowledge originates in the minds of knowing subjects, who evaluate and interpret it in the light of the framework provided by their experiences, values, culture and learning. In the organizational context, knowledge takes a range of explicit forms and formats, including processes, procedures and documents, as well as more tacit forms, including values, beliefs, emotions, judgments and prejudices. If properly applied, all forms of knowledge can provide the driving force for action. Edward Sallis and Gary Jones, Knowledge Management in Education

Types of Knowledge n Tacit knowledge n Explicit knowledge n Critical knowledge n Embedded knowledge n Formal knowledge n Informal knowledge

What is Knowledge Management? n Knowledge is our most important engine of production – Alfred Marshal n Knowledge the key resource of the 21 st -century n Problem today is not how to find information but how to handle it!

What is Knowledge Management? n Set of strategies, practices and supporting technologies that helps to improve the use and sharing of data, information and knowledge in decision- making. n Learning to know what we know n Know what we do not know Data Knowledge Information

A model of a Knowledge Management System Knowledge Resources CoP/CoI Data & Information Sources Repositories Repositories Network

Goal of this presentation n Practice and develop a taxonomy for documents, data and information used in the project n Use the taxonomy to organize the directory structure for the document repository of the project

Taxonomies and ontologies n Taxonomy is the classification of information entities in the form of a hierarchy, according to the presumed relationships of the real-world entities they represent. n Ontology defines the common words and concepts (the meaning) used to describe and represent an area of knowledge. It is an engineering product consisting of a specific vocabulary used to describe reality, plus a set of explicit assumptions regarding the intended meaning of that vocabulary

What will we obtain from using a taxonomy in this course? n Organization of information in the project repository n Easy finding of information n Order in the storage of information n Facilitate collaboration of team members through information sharing

The ontology spectrum (from Daconta et-al. The Semantic Web, Wiley 2003) Taxonomy Thesaurus Conceptual Model Local Domain Theory Relational Model ER Schema ER Schema RDF/S XTM Extended ER RDF/S XTM Extended ER Description logic DAML+OIL, OWL UML Description logic DAML+OIL, OWL UML Modal Logic First Order Logic Modal Logic First Order Logic Is subclassification of Has narrower meaning than Is subclass of Is disjoint subclass of + transitivity property

Steps in the development of the project taxonomy n Establish information requirements for the project n Data requirements and purpose (project assessment – metrics and indicators of achievement, costs, quality control, etc) n Information and document requirements (internal and external communication (with customer, providers, management, team members, etc), design and implementation documentation, customer feedback, contingencies and solutions, decisions, legal issues, user manuals, etc.) n Brain storming – terms in knowledge domain of project n Discuss and organize hierarchy of terms n Implement directory in document repository n Appoint responsible for information management in project n Agree on taxonomy and repository maintenance n Agree on information policy and management processes

Issues in information management n Metadata: naming, subject, author, manager, company, category, keywords and terms, comments n Document naming (optional) n Confidentiality, disclosure and security

Let’s get to work!