Personal Knowledge Models for More Productive Knowledge Workers Max Völkel FZI Karlsruhe, Germany PKM2009, 26.03.2009, Solothurn, Switzerland

Abstract We motivate how personal knowledge models can make knowledge workers more productive. The external representation can help him to tackle typical cognitive limits. They do so by allowing a knowledge worker to efficiently and effectively model her or his personal knowledge in a mix of informal and formal knowledge. As a result, more knowledge can be re-used cheaper and hopefully more complex problems can be tackled.

We motivate how personal knowledge models can make knowledge workers more productive.

The external representation can help him to tackle typical cognitive limits.

They do so by allowing a knowledge worker to efficiently and effectively model her or his personal knowledge in a mix of informal and formal knowledge.

As a result, more knowledge can be re-used cheaper and hopefully more complex problems can be tackled.

More Productive Knowledge Workers The knowledge-based organisation is no more effective than the sum of its knowledge workers' effectiveness . (Davenport) Knowledge management is shifting from a focus on enterprise productivity to a focus on individual knowledge worker productivity (Gartner 2002)  Increasing the individual knowledge worker productivity increases the productivity of the organisation

The knowledge-based organisation is no more effective than the sum of its knowledge workers' effectiveness . (Davenport)

Knowledge management is shifting from a focus on enterprise productivity to a focus on individual knowledge worker productivity (Gartner 2002)

 Increasing the individual knowledge worker productivity increases the productivity of the organisation

Personal Knowledge Management PKM investigates the use of methods and tools to amplify the abilities of the individual to work better with knowledge . (Völkel)

PKM investigates the use of methods and tools to amplify the abilities of the individual to work better with knowledge . (Völkel)

Knowledge Work Today

Personal Knowledge Management... ... communication with yourself Internalisation Externalisation Combination Combination

Basic unit: A Knowledge Cue , ``a note to self'‘ A knowledge cue is any kind of storable symbol, pattern or artefact, created with the intent to be used by its creator, to re-evoke a previously experienced mental state (activated knowledge), when viewed or used otherwise. Does it contain knowledge? Physical cues: Limited modifiability and scalability  Digital knowledge cues

A knowledge cue is

any kind of storable symbol, pattern or artefact,

created with the intent to be used by its creator,

to re-evoke a previously experienced mental state (activated knowledge), when viewed or used otherwise.

Does it contain knowledge?

Physical cues: Limited modifiability and scalability  Digital knowledge cues

Knowledge cues can vary in size and ... Degree of structure Heiko works for the FZI. (Plain text) Query: „ Heiko “ (Full-text search) Heiko works for the <company>FZI</company> (XML) Query: „//company “ (XPath) Degree of formality (Heiko, works-for, FZI), (FZI, is located in, Germany) (RDF) Query: „ ?who, works-for, ?company. ?company, located-in, Germany “ (SPARQL) More structure, more formality  more automatic processing (queries, transformations)

Degree of structure

Heiko works for the FZI. (Plain text)

Query: „ Heiko “ (Full-text search)

Heiko works for the <company>FZI</company> (XML)

Query: „//company “ (XPath)

Degree of formality

(Heiko, works-for, FZI), (FZI, is located in, Germany) (RDF)

Query: „ ?who, works-for, ?company. ?company, located-in, Germany “ (SPARQL)

More structure, more formality

 more automatic processing (queries, transformations)

Knowledge cues can vary in costs More structure, more formality  more costs You Your Money - gone

Processes in PKM Creation Organise, Formalize, Refine Externalisation Retrieval (search own + others) Usage Share 1 2 4 6 3 5 Based on works of Marc E. Nissen, 2006, WM Potsdam

Personal Knowledge Model A personal digital knowledge model is a digital artifact, which represents a set of knowledge cues. The knowledge cues can vary in size, structuredness and degree of formality. A knowledge cue is either (a) a piece of content, containing plain text, semi-structured text, or arbitrary binary content such as images or desktop objects, or (b) a connection between other knowledge cues. Such connections can be unspecified relations, directed hyperlinks and formal statements.

A personal digital knowledge model is a digital artifact, which represents a set of knowledge cues.

The knowledge cues can vary in size, structuredness and degree of formality.

A knowledge cue is either

(a) a piece of content, containing

plain text,

semi-structured text, or

arbitrary binary content such as images or desktop objects, or

(b) a connection between other knowledge cues. Such connections can be

unspecified relations,

directed hyperlinks and

formal statements.

Requirements Unified Model Import from a number of existing formats Step-wise Formalisation Text  more and more structured text Links  typed links  semantically typed links Knowledge Model Refactoring Note: Ignored in many approaches and research papers Knowledge Model Maintenance System should help user in removing or updating old knowledge

Unified Model

Import from a number of existing formats

Step-wise Formalisation

Text  more and more structured text

Links  typed links  semantically typed links

Knowledge Model Refactoring

Note: Ignored in many approaches and research papers

Knowledge Model Maintenance

System should help user in removing or updating old knowledge

Summary. The idea is to Amplify the abilities of the individual to work better with knowledge by managing a set of knowledge cues in a unified knowledge model with step-wise formalisation to let the user find the sweet spot between effort and benefit.

Amplify the abilities of the individual to work better with knowledge

by managing a set of knowledge cues

in a unified knowledge model with

step-wise formalisation

to let the user find the sweet spot between effort and benefit.

Thank You. Max Völkel FZI Karlsruhe, Germany PKM2009, 26.03.2009, Solothurn, Switzerland