SCILS-wide Research Agenda in Knowledge Development, Knowledge Sharing - Monograph to be published by the Knowledge Institute

Over the last two months faculty, students and staff who are actively involved in the inter-disciplinary Knowledge Institute have met and discused areas of research that are important in advancing knowledge in the SCILS-related disciplines. The folloiwng research questions emerged from the meetings:

1. How do social media and networking software change the way professionals work in communication, information and journalism/media?
   - What are the optimum ways for people to interact with these processes and technology for knowledge development and knowledge sharing?
   - How can trust be developed most effectively to provide a hospitable climate for knowledge sharing through social media?
2. How are learning, play and gaming related to key concepts in communication, media or librarianship and information science?
3. What are the central elements in the study of language and language use that help with sense making in effective information interaction and knowledge development?
   - How can information content be "packaged" or formulated in order to ensure credibility and overall quality?
   - What is the role of collaboration and relationships in establishing the context for information sharing that leads to knowledge creation?

We're encouraging researchers at SCILS to take on aspects of these questions. In the spring 2009 we will be soliciting papers for peer review and publication in our 2009 book-length volume, related to the above quesitons or other issues in the knowledge sharing domain. Faculty may wish to incorporate the questions into their spring syllabi as possible issues with which students can engage through research, writing and discussion.

Please watch for our first Knowledge Institute meeting of 2009 -- the focus will be on technology tools for knowledge sharing.

Claire McInerney