Defining Knowledge, Information, Data

Before one can begin to talk about knowledge management (KM), one must start by clearly
defining the meaning of the word "knowledge". It is important to understand what constitutes
knowledge and what falls under the category of information or data. nfortunately, this is a
more difficult task than may be apparent at first. !ithin e"eryday language, within specific
fields, and e"en within the same disciplines, the word "knowledge" often takes on a "ariety of
meanings.
Perspectives on Knowledge, Information, Data
In e"eryday language we use knowledge all the time. #ometimes we mean know$how, while
other times we are talking about wisdom. %n many occasions we e"en use it to refer to
information. &art of the difficulty of defining knowledge arises from its relationship to two
other concepts, namely data and information. 'hese two terms are often regarded as lower
denominations of knowledge, but the e(act relationship "aries greatly from one e(ample to
another.
!ithin more technologically oriented disciplines$ particularly in"ol"ing information systems$
knowledge is often treated "ery similarly to information. It is seen as something one can
codify and transmit, and where I' plays a pi"otal role in knowledge sharing. )or instance, the
encyclopedia at fact$archi"e.com defines it as* "information that has a purpose or use."
'his kind of simplistic "iew of knowledge was particularly widespread during the +,s when
information technology became increasingly more common. -owe"er e"en today, some KM
systems are little more than information management systems using knowledge as a "irtual
synonym for information.
'o illustrate, 'heirauf (.+++) defines the three components as follows* data is the lowest
point, an unstructured collection of facts and figures/ information is the ne(t le"el, and it is
regarded as structured data/ finally knowledge is defined as "information about information".
-owe"er, increasingly one sees definitions that treat knowledge as a more comple( and
personal concept that incorporate more than 0ust information. 'he 1ongman online dictionary
has one definition that begins to approach the way that knowledge is usually regarded within
KM. It states "the information, skills, and understanding that you ha"e gained through
learning or e(perience." 2lthough still closely associated with information, concepts like
skills, understanding, and e(perience begin to surface.
Defining Data, Information, and Knowledge
Below, I ha"e included the definitions that will be used throughout this site.
Data: )acts and figures which relay something specific, but which are not organi3ed in any
way and which pro"ide no further information regarding patterns, conte(t, etc. I will use the
definition for data presented by 'hierauf (.+++)* "unstructured facts and figures that ha"e the
least impact on the typical manager."
Information: )or data to become information, it must be conte(tuali3ed, categori3ed,
calculated and condensed (4a"enport 5 &rusak 6,,,). Information thus paints a bigger
picture/ it is data with rele"ance and purpose (Bali et al 6,,+). It may con"ey a trend in the
en"ironment, or perhaps indicate a pattern of sales for a gi"en period of time. 7ssentially
information is found "in answers to 8uestions that begin with such words as who, what,
where, when, and how many" (2ckoff .+++).
I' is usually in"aluable in the capacity of turning data into information, particularly in larger
firms that generate large amounts of data across multiple departments and functions. 'he
human brain is mainly needed to assist in conte(tuali3ation.
Knowledge: Knowledge is closely linked to doing and implies know$how and understanding.
'he knowledge possessed by each indi"idual is a product of his e(perience, and
encompasses the norms by which he e"aluates new inputs from his surroundings
(4a"enport 5 &rusak 6,,,). I will use the definition presented by 9amble and Blackwell
(6,,.), based closely on a pre"ious definition by 4a"enport 5 &rusak*
"Knowledge is a fluid mi( of framed e(perience, "alues, conte(tual information, e(pert
insight, and grounded intuition that pro"ides an en"ironment and framework for e"aluating
and incorporating new e(periences and information. It originates and is applied in the mind
of the knowers. In organi3ations it often becomes embedded not only in documents or
repositories, but also in organi3ational routines, practices and norms."
In order for KM to succeed, one needs a deep understanding of what constitutes knowledge.
:ow that we ha"e set clear boundaries between knowledge, information, and data, it is
possible to go one step further and look at the forms in which knowledge e(ists and the
different ways that it can be accessed, shared, and combined. I will e(amine this in the
section titled "'he 4ifferent Kinds of Knowledge".