Will new information and communication technologies improve the 'codification' of knowledge?

Abstract

New software technologies for personal productivity, research documentation and workgroup applications are analysed as instances of knowledge "codification". The analysis reveals that the social processes governing disclosure and cooperation in codification processes are as necessary as technological capabilities for some of the most promising applications. The conclusions suggest that research should focus on the nature and processes of "epistemic" communities (collective efforts organized to pursue common goals that are governed by procedural authority) to better understand how codification works. Copyright 2000 by Oxford University Press.