"Here is the knowledge-where should I put it?" Findings from a study of how knowledge spaces are used within a support group

Abstract

In order to design useful knowledge media spaces for knowledge workers it is essential that we understand the nature of the work conducted and the knowledge applied in real settings. The paper reports from a study of how a group of quality assurance specialists in the pharmaceutical industry gather, structure and distribute information and knowledge. Based on the findings, a number of overall requirements for knowledge media spaces are identified and discussed. The essential findings were that information and knowledge are created and handled in many different ways and have many different forms. The core issues of our lessons learned so far are that we carefully need to consider knowledge media spaces both in terms of communication channels and knowledge archives. Knowledge media spaces should be seen as spaces in which knowledge and information is exchanged, filed, retrieved, presented and refined by actors having different vocabulary and perspectives on the knowledge. These characteristics must be taken into account when designing TT and multimedia based knowledge media spaces.