Knowledge artifacts: the implications of incommensurable dimensions for their design

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to overcome the confusion generated by a loose definition of the term knowledge artifact (KA) and its impacts on the design of technologies supporting their use. Design/methodology/approach The paper looks at the conceptual foundations underpinning the concept of KA that are related to the way in which knowledge is conceived, and revisits the outcomes of empirical investigations to shed light on different aspects of the use of KA in various settings. Findings The paper identifies a class of KAs and its role in relation to other classes of KAs, as it emerges from the empirical investigations. Research limitations/implications The focus is on documental artifacts that are, however, widely used in different domains and organizations. New empirical work is needed to consider other kinds of artifacts and their role in knowledge-intense activities. Practical implications The paper aims to drive the attention of the designer on phenomena that hinder the acceptance, appropriation and effectiveness of the technologies they design to support a crucial aspect of collaboration. Originality/value The paper is original in the following ways: first, documenting the interplay between a kind of KA that is poorly considered in the literature with other classes of KAs; second, highlighting a set of principles that should guide the construction of computational KAs of a different nature.