Valuing Knowledge Within Virtual CoPs: The Quest for Meaningful Indicators

This chapter focuses on the challenge of developing a comprehensive model of knowledge value tracking within virtual Communities of Practice (CoPs) outlining the conditions of knowledge value creation, diffusion and storing. Built upon a study of participation and reification processes within virtual CoPs, the model identifies and articulates three subsets of knowledge value (1) the potential value of knowledge; (2) the effective value of knowledge; and (3) the value of the knowledge base. On this basis we propose related parameters and indicators of knowledge value-tracking by detecting and interpreting traces and signs from the use of functionalities of collaborative solutions.

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