Nordic Research School in Library and Information Science

Knowledge Management/Information Management

Purpose of the course:
KM extends the notion of IM by exploring the organizational contexts and infrastructures where information and new knowledge lead to innovation in practices, products and services. The course will be of particular value to doctoral students as it will extend the understanding of the contexts which are relevant to their own research projects. It is targeted at students whose topics lie in the KM/IM domains. It will also have relevance to the wider community of LIS research students. KM is a prominent feature of the LIS landscape and many of the issues and topics of the course, such as the research methods employed have generic relevance.

The course will introduce student to a number of different theories, methods and case studies in KM, and encourage them to explore ways in which these intersect with and differ from those of IM. It will thus expand students’ awareness of and ability to engage with emerging themes in LIS.


Main responsible person:
Professor Mariam Ginman (Åbo Akademi University, Finland) mginman@abo.fi
Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University, Finland) gunilla.widen-wulff@abo.fi

Lecturers:
Professor Elisabeth Davenport (School of Computing, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK)
Dr. Barry Eaglestone (University of Sheffield, UK)
Dr. Etienne Wenger (USA)
Assistant Professor Ron Day (School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, USA)
Professor Niels Ole Pors (Royal School of Library and Information Science, Denmark)
Senior Lecturer Sanna Talja (University of Tampere , Finland)
Professor Alf Rehn (Åbo Akademi University , Finland)
Professor Maija-Leena Huotari (Oulu University, Finland)
Professor Aira Lepik (University of Tallinn, Estonia)
Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University, Finland)

Time:
2006, 20-24 November

Location:
Department of Information Studies
Åbo Akademi University
Building: GRIPEN, 2nd floor,
Tavastgatan 13, 20500 Åbo, Finland

Accomodation:
Åbo Akademi University guest house "Domus

Application deadline:
NEW EXTENDED DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 30

The applicants will be informed about the decision by October 1 by email.

Credits:
NORSLIS recommends 5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) for our research courses.
Note: Final credits are decided by the person in charge of the local Ph.D. program.

How to apply:
Research students are required to submit an extended abstract (approx. 2000 words) of their PhD research topic, including research questions and the methodological issues of the research project. The application should also include a brief CV. This information will be used for selection purposes.

The application should be electronically submitted by September 1, 2006 in either Word or RTF-format to Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University, Finland) gunilla.widen-wulff@abo.fi

The application must contain the following information:

Name of course/workshop:
Last name:
First name:
Birth date:
Male/female:
E-mail address:
Estimated travel costs:
Name of supervisor:
Supervisor's e-mail address:

Participation is primarily reserved for Ph.D. students registred at one of the 15 NORSLIS departments. Provided that there is room for more participants, Ph.D. students from outside the NORSLIS departments, as well as researchers and lecturers at the NORSLIS departments, may participate. However, travel and accommodation costs cannot be financed by NORSLIS for these two groups.

Reimbursement of travel and accomodation costs will be handled by the course administration in Turku.

Programme

Monday 20.11.2006

Afternoon: Arrival
17.00-21.00
Registration and get together
Welcome
Putting up posters
Student workshop I
Workshop moderator: Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University , Finland)
Location: Gripen
The course agenda will be presented. The students are divided in teams (3 students in each). The students reflect on their course expectations and visions.

Tuesday 21.11.2006

Poster presentations
Chairperson: Dr. Barry Eaglestone (University of Sheffield , UK)
Location: Gripen
9.00 -10.00: PowerPoint presentations of the students' posters (10 min each)
10.00-10.30 Coffee
10.30-12.00 PowerPoint presentations continue
12.00-13.30: Lunch

Session 1: Motivation
Location: GEOLOGICUM, aud. I
The aim of this session is to explore motivations that lie behind different research approaches to KM/IM. For example, these will include efficiency gains, memory gains and stimulation of creativity and innovation. It is intended that this will benefit attendees by enabling them to uncover motivations that lie behind their dissertation proposals/projects. Central questions are:
- What motivates researchers in KM?
- What vision do they have?
- What inspires these visions?

13.30-14.30: Keynote: Dr. Etienne Wenger (USA) (http://www.ewenger.com/
Paper on Motivation for KM
The paper aims at establishing an overview of motivations for KM reinforced by expert insights
Chairperson: Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University , Finland)
Location: GEOLOGICUM, aud. I

14.30-17.30: Student workshop II
Workshop moderator: Professor Elisabeth Davenport (School of Computing , Napier University , Edinburgh, UK)
The student teams reflect on the motivational positioning of their work, followed by feedback from an expert panel.
Location: Gripen

19.00 Dinner

Wednesday 22.11.2006

Session 2: Theory and models
Location: Gripen
The aim of this session is to establish the landscape of current theoretical work in and underpinnings of KM. These are inherently multidisciplinary and diverse, ranging from human and organisational motivated perspectives, such as, communities of practice, organisational learning, knowledge communities, discourse analysis, through to computationally oriented theories that employ mathematics to underpin knowledge representation and its application. It is intended that this will benefit attendees by enabling them to identify models and theories that have resonances with their own research projects. Central questions are:
-What domains are a source for KM theory?
-Where do theories conflict?
-Can KM/IM theories be integrated?

9.00-10.30: Keynote: Assistant Professor Ron Day (School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, USA):
Paper on Theory and models for KM
The paper will provide a broad overview of models and theories relevant to KM, reinforced by expert insights.
Chairperson: Professor Elisabeth Davenport (School of Computing, Napier University , Edinburgh , UK)

10.30-11.00 Coffee

11.00-12.00: Student workshop III (shifting theories exercise)
The student teams reflect on those theoretical areas that have resonance with their areas of study
Workshop moderator: Dr. Barry Eaglestone (University of Sheffield , UK)
Location: Gripen

12.00-13.30 Lunch

13.30-15.00 Workshop III continues
After lunch the workshop will continue as a master workshop in which the expert(s) in the end will comment on the outcomes of the workshop and elaborate on the theoretical implications. The exercise is designed to broaden the horizons of attendees, with respect to the theoretical approaches they will pursue in their investigations. Specifically, they will be required to postulate a theoretical approach, different to that set out in their poster. They will then explore the implications of the theoretical shift, with respect to the potential contributions their work can deliver.

15.00-15.30 Coffee

15.30-17.30 Workshop III continues

At the end of the workshop the moderator sums up the students work on behalf of the senior panel.

19.00 Dinner

Thursday 23.11.2006

Session 3: Research design / Methodology
Location: Gripen
The aim of this session is to overview research methods that are used in IM/KM and to provide insights on the fitting of appropriate methods to given KM theories. This is a diverse and many faceted domain. Hence a wide range of methodological approaches are employed, including inductive, deductive, qualitative, quantitative, engineering and formal approaches. Therefore this theme will be addressed by a number of senior researchers, each of whom will present a critical examination of the methods they have employed, thus providing attendees with knowledge of and critical understanding of a diverse toolkit of methods.

  9.00 – 11.45 Keynote papers on Methodology
Chairperson: Professor Aira Lepik (Tallinn University , Estonia)
The strategy for the session is for a series of presentations, covering qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodologies, to be given in the morning by senior researchers. These will present a range of research methods, reinforces by the researchers' experiences in their application within case study investigations. This will provide attendees with a broad overview of research methods relevant to KM.

9.00 -9.45 Professor Niels Ole Pors (Royal School of Library and Information Science , Denmark)
Different quantitative methods in KM: especially intellectual capital measurement

9.45-10.30 Senior Lecturer Sanna Talja (University of Tampere , Finland)
Qualitative methods

10.30-11.00 Coffee

11.45-13.00 Lunch

Session 4: Research design/ Realisation/ Reality
Location: Gripen
The aim of this session is to review technological and methodical ways in which the models and theories relating to KM are put into practice. These are by inherently multidisciplinary and diverse, ranging from enabling technologies through to methods and approaches relating to organisation changes and human issues. Therefore, the session will specifically explore the challenges of combining theories from different domains in multidisciplinary KM/IM implementations. It is intended that this will benefit attendees by broadening their perspectives, with regards to the KM contexts, methods, technologies and strategies they should consider when pursuing their research.
The key questions are on realization of design in practice:
-How is theory embedded in technology and systems design?
-Can we identify and avoid pitfalls in advance?

13.00 - 15.45 Keynote papers on Realisation of KM

Discussant: Assistant Professor Ron Day (School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University , USA):
The morning session on methodology will resume in this session. A follow-up series of talks will discuss the problems of mixed research method in practice. Senior researchers will describe case studies and reflect on research design issues raised by these cases. This introspection will be aided by a discussant.

13.00 -13.45 Dr. Barry Eaglestone (University of Sheffield , UK)
13.45 -14.15 Senior Lecturer Gunilla Widén-Wulff (Åbo Akademi University , Finland)

14.15-14.45 Coffee

14.45-15.15 Professor Elisabeth Davenport (School of Computing, Napier University , Edinburgh , UK)
15.15-15.45 Professor Maija-Leena Huotari (University of Oulu , Finland)

19.00 Dinner

Friday 24.11.2006

Session 4 continues

9.00-12.00 Student workshop IV (shifting methods exercise/lessons learned: a holistic evaluation of the impact of the course)

Workshop moderator: Professor Maija-Leena Huotari (University of Oulu , Finland)
Location: Gripen
This workshop activity will allow the student teams to reflect on those methodological approaches that have resonance with their areas of study. The exercise is designed to broaden the horizons of the attendees, with respect to the methodological approaches they will pursue in their investigations. They will reflect on the lessons learned in the course and how this has impacted on the thinking behind their individual projects, as presented in the initial poster session. Specifically, they will be required to postulate how the position set out in the poster may be shifted. They will then explore the implications of the methodological shift, with respect to the potential contributions their work can deliver and the operational difficulties in conducting the research. What new thoughts are there on the motivation, theoretical approaches, research design and operational strategy for conducting their research?

12.00-13.00 Lunch

13.00-14.30 Workshop IV continues

14.30 Closing of the course