As part of my retirement, I’ve been revisiting and trying to make some sense out of the thousands of files, notebooks and other materials that I’ve collected in more than 30 years of working in higher education. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the process of creating, capturing, organizing and applying information in meaningful ways.
Part of that process has focused on on eliminating paper as a storage medium, so most of my personal knowledge and information management is focused on refining a digital workflow where I can review the mass of materials that I already have and turn them into something useful.
Recently there’s been a huge interest in the underlying process of Knowledge Management. Much of the interest has been driven by the proliferation of note-taking and productivity applications.
A General Description of Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is a systematic process that focuses on capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge. It’s a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. It involves the strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable the adoption and utilization of insights and experiences.
These insights and experiences could be embedded in individuals’ minds as tacit knowledge or articulated and structured as explicit knowledge within the organization. This can include knowledge derived from work processes, technology, and the know-how of individuals within the organization.
Knowledge management processes typically involve knowledge creation, codification, sharing, and its application. This ensures that the organization can leverage its knowledge base to improve efficiency, foster innovation, and provide a competitive advantage.
Proper knowledge management can enhance learning, stimulate cultural change and innovation, and, overall, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. As such, it’s often a crucial component in the strategy of modern businesses and institutions.
Frameworks
- Obsidian: Obsidian is a note-taking app that lets you create a personal knowledge base of interconnected notes. You can use it to write, organize, and link your ideas in a network of files that you own and control. Obsidian supports Markdown syntax, backlinks, graphs, plugins, and more. You can learn more about Obsidian here: https://obsidian.md/
- Craft: Craft is another note-taking app that focuses on creating beautiful and functional documents. You can use it to write, design, collaborate, and publish your notes on any device. Craft supports rich media, blocks, nested pages, tags, and more. You can learn more about Craft here: https://www.craft.do/
- Devonthink: Devonthink is a document and information management app that helps you collect, organize, edit, and annotate all kinds of data. You can use it to store and search your files, web pages, emails, PDFs, images, and more. Devonthink also has smart features like AI-assisted filing, automatic cross-references, and synchronization. You can learn more about Devonthink here: https://www.devontechnologies.com/apps/devonthink
- Scrivener: Scrivener is a writing app that helps you craft your first draft, from idea to final full stop. You can use it to write novels, screenplays, academic papers, or any other long-form project. Scrivener lets you compose your text in any order, in sections as large or small as you like. It also provides tools for outlining, researching, editing, formatting, and exporting your work. You can learn more about Scrivener here: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview
- Affinity suite: Affinity suite is a collection of creative software for graphic design, photo editing, and page layout. You can use it to create stunning illustrations, logos, web mock-ups, brochures, posters, reports, and more. Affinity suite includes Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher. All apps are compatible across macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. You can learn more about Affinity suite here: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/
