KMbeing

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb): Multiple Contributions & Multi-Production Of New Knowledge

Category Archives: policy

Knowledge From & Beyond Tragedy

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on April 16, 2013

We all speak from our own knowledge that comes from our own personal experiences. No one has the right to force, compel or inflict knowledge that may be harmful to another person. Today, I write this blog with a heavy heart after another bombing attack in this world has killed and injured many of our innocent fellow human beings at yesterday’s Boston Marathon.

This broader view of knowledge mobilization in this KMbeing blog has always been about sharing knowledge for social benefit to make the world a better place. I still hold that knowledge mobilization helps make the world a better place – as I believe all people, from around the world, have knowledge to share from their own experiences.

It’s how this knowledge is shared – for good or harm – that makes the difference, just as it is with any attitude or actions we take. The decision is up to you. When we share our knowledge, exchange our knowledge, mobilize our knowledge and create new knowledge for good, we can and do make a difference – despite the continuing tragedies that inflict harm in our world.

What we learn from our experiences – including the tragic ones – and how we use this knowledge to teach each other and create new knowledge from each other is what makes the difference between making our world a better place or giving up hope and giving in to the terror and fear created by those who refuse to do so.

It can be discouraging when such a tragedy as the Boston Marathon bombing occurs, and continues to shake our trust in our fellow human beings, just as it can be discouraging when we do share our knowledge and feel like it’s being ignored. But we must remember that knowledge sharing, exchange and mobilization is not a one-way action, nor a one-time action. Knowledge mobilization is inherently multi-directional and multi-participatory – focused on change for good and not harm for everyone in this world as long as it takes.

Just as the many blood-stained flags from the many countries around the world represented the many people who came together in a spirit of friendly competition, strength and endurance to show our diversity – it also shows our common humanity.

When another senseless attack on innocent people occurs in our world and we become shaken again, shocked again, angered again – we begin to doubt, wondering what’s the point?

Yes, there are those who wish to do harm in this world, but we must always remember there are millions more who wish to help and heal. Just look at those brave and heroic individuals who ran to help those injured individuals right after the bombs went off instead of running the other way. We may not all have that type of bravery and heroism, but we can contribute to this type of goodness in our own way when we share our knowledge for good and not harm. We will never overcome those who tragically cause terror if we are never willing to make change by our own knowledge, our own actions in our own lives by learning to use our knowledge throughout this world together.

Call me idealistic if you want. I will continue to point to the broader and foundational message and reason for knowledge mobilization: to put our available knowledge from all sources and individuals on this planet into active service to benefit society – not just one society – but ultimately all human beings.

It’s not about religion. It’s not about race. It’s not about culture. It’s not about politics. It’s about knowledge mobilization to make the world a better place.

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140 Twitter Characters To Knowledge Mobilization – Revisited

1 Comment Posted by KMbeing on April 5, 2013

How have traditional models of research and dissemination changed to present new knowledge to the public or further inform research by creating broader public engagement? Many researchers – particularly in the health sciences – are still embedded in long-established values and approaches to methodology and validity, often overlooking new modes of knowledge mobilization such as social media.

One of my recent KMbeing blog posts presented a very brief Twitter survey of the 16 classic Networks of Centres of Excellence in Canada (NCE). The survey found that many of these NCEs are still not effectively using Twitter as a valuable social media tool that can enhance knowledge mobilization strategies. This quick overview showed that of those NCEs that could actually be found on Twitter only four NCEs tweet an average of just over one tweet per day – which is clearly insufficient for effective social media and potential stakeholder engagement. It would appear that using Twitter as part of a knowledge mobilization strategy is clearly not on the radar screen of many of these NCEs, despite the potential of Twitter (and social media) as a valuable means of addressing key outcomes mandated for NCEs – including working with end users to accelerate the creation and application of new knowledge.

To be fair, my own quick methodology of the previous survey focused on the average number of tweets per day over a 30 day period from the 14^th February 2013 to the 15^th March 2013. The average number of tweets in a month was then divided by 30 to get the average number of tweets per day. Although the Twitter profile start date for each NCE was included along with the actual total number of tweets since each NCE began tweeting, this was not considered when doing the first brief survey.

So now, for part two of the original blog post survey 140 Twitter Characters To Knowledge Mobilization, I present a somewhat deeper (though still brief) analysis that takes into consideration the length of time each of these classic NCEs have used Twitter.

I used timeanddate.com to calculate the total number of days from the start date of each NCE Twitter profile to the 15^th of March 2013 (up to and including March 15th to be consistent with the first survey). Then the total number of tweets since each NCE joined Twitter was divided by the total number of days each NCE has been using Twitter to create a tweet-intensity score.

Each NCE was then ranked, showing the following results:

(Click on diagram above to enlarge)

Tweet-Intensity Ranking:

Allergy, Genes and Environment Network – AllerGen	@AllerGen_NCE (funding to 2019)	0.96
AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence	@AUTO21NCE (funding to 2015)	0.83
ArcticNet	@ArcticNet (funding to 2018)	0.81
Canadian Arthritis Network – CAN	@commcan (funding to 2014)	0.80
Stem Cell Network – SCN	@StemCellNetwork (funding to 2015)	0.73
Carbon Management Canada – CMC	@cmc_nce (funding to 2013)	0.47
Canadian Stroke Network – CSN	@strokenetwork (funding to 2015)	0.37
NeuroDevNet	@NeuroDevNet (funding to 2014)	0.34
Canadian Water Network – CWN	@CdnWaterNetwork (funding to 2015)	0.28
BioFuelNet	@BioFuelNet (funding to 2017)	0.13
Graphics, Animation and New Media Canada – GRAND	@GRAND_NCE (funding to 2014)	0.10
Canadian Photonic Industry Consortium – CPIC	Not Found (no longer funded)	0.0
GEOmatics for Informed DEcisions Network – GEOIDE	Not Found (no longer funded)	0.0
Marine Environmental, Observation, Prediction and Response Network – MEOPAR	Not Found (funding to 2017)	0.0
Mprime Network Inc.	Not Found (funding to 2014)	0.0
Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network – TVN	Not Found (funding to 2017)	0.0

Although it’s still a simple calculation from the total number of tweets since each NCE started using Twitter, the current results show a more accurate tweet-intensity over time, with one of the NCEs – AllerGen – ranking first and showing a fairly impressive use of tweeting for the shorter amount of time on Twitter.
(It would be interesting to include the number of followers into the mix to see if that variable contributes to tweet effectiveness – but I’ll save that for a future blog post!).

However, results still show that the average number of tweets per day still remains well under the evidence that a minimum of at least ten tweets per day creates more valuable engagement and greater opportunities for knowledge dissemination. There’s still room for improvement to create greater social media engagement for more effective knowledge mobilization.

Just as a comparison, I decided to look at the results for Canada’s leading knowledge mobilization network ResearchImpact and my own KMbeing Twitter account.

Twitter Profile	Twitter Name	Twitter Start	Total Days On Twitter	Total Tweets	Tweet-Intensity Score
ResearchImpact	@researchimpact	May 15, 2009	1401	9450	6.74
KMbeing	@kmbeing	March 25, 2010	1087	9982	9.18

(Perhaps this is the reason why both ResearchImpact and KMbeing were voted in the top ten Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Influencers for 2011 and 2012).

Canadian policymakers and government agencies have recognized the value of drawing together leading researchers and research institutions into national research networks to support trans-disciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration. The effectiveness of these research networks are also a great example to the rest of the world. It’s a first step towards incorporating knowledge mobilization into strategic planning to successfully increase communication and collaboration among a variety of stakeholders. It’s a changing research model using networking as part of the research process.

The next step for Canada’s flagship Science & Technology networks is to increase the use of social media for knowledge mobilization. Again, social media is not a fad, and the use of social media for academics and institutions is becoming more incorporated into strategic planning. Many researchers and academic institutions are recognizing the value of using Twitter in a more consistent and productive manner for knowledge mobilization.

As David Phipps, Executive Director of Research and Innovation Services at York University (and ResearchImpact) pointed out in a keynote address to the Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum in 2012 (and posted on the blog MobilizeThis!), the future of knowledge mobilization and research engagement will depend on social media, but researchers and knowledge mobilizers are still trying to figure out how to effectively use social media to do this.

“15-20 years ago IT folks had to develop a business case to convince corporate leaders to invest in an enterprise e mail system. Today e mail is a fact of life (unfortunately). Many of us are now using social media as a broadcasting tool and a large portion are also using it as a listening tool. We are now starting to figure out how to use social media as a tool for engagement but we’re not there yet. These trends will accelerate.”

Just as email changed society, so too is social media changing the traditional models of research, dissemination and engagement. Social media provides new modes of knowledge exchange and broader public input, creating a further research resource in the current KMb world as a way of providing broader participation in discussions around research topics. Social media also breaks down international barriers to share academic research in a way that is more friendly and immediate to a wider audience. Yet, social media is still a tool that needs to be used correctly to be effective (see my previous blog for tips on how to do this).

Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence are making a start. They just need to continue to take a few more steps forward into new modes of research and into the future of using social media – especially Twitter – for knowledge mobilization.

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Storytelling, Social Media, Equity, Knowledge Mobilization & Donuts!

1 Comment Posted by KMbeing on March 24, 2013

Sharing knowledge by telling a story can make a presentation, blog or conversation more interesting. Why?

When I was five years old, I was hit by a car. I fractured my collar-bone and was unconscious for nearly 48 hours. Doctors feared that I would suffer brain damage due to the impact of hitting my head against the pavement after being thrown forward by the force of the car. Fortunately, I was wearing one of those Sherlock Holmes-style winter hats for kids that my mother thought looked so cute on me. Thankfully, the hat cushioned the blow. I recovered, but my skull – though healed – still has a fracture line that I can run my fingers along.

I blame free donuts as the reason why I was hit by a car.

I crossed the busy street because it was the grand opening of a donuts shop – and I wanted free donuts. Being five years old, I wasn’t really paying attention to traffic and more to the opportunity for free donuts…and…bam…thrown in the air to land on the pavement into unconsciousness.

What’s interesting about this story is that you are more likely to be able to visualize this incident and remember the details of the story with its connection to free donuts because of an emotional connection you’ve made to the knowledge I’ve shared. You would probably be less likely to do so if I simply presented this story with a list of strict facts:

I was five years old
I was hit by a car
There were free donuts

Since the very first days of tribal story telling, exchanging knowledge through stories has been one of our most fundamental communication methods. We all enjoy a good story. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that using stories to share knowledge is a much more effective way of retaining what’s being told. There’s also a neurological reason for it as well. When we are given information, the language processing parts in our brain are activated. When we hear a story many more parts of the brain respond. When a person shares knowledge through a story we connect intellectually and emotionally.

Sharing knowledge through storytelling is still very much a part of Aboriginal culture. I was reminded of this at a three-day Knowledge Exchange (KE) Training event this past week attended by Regional KE leaders and team members from across the province of Ontario. Day one of the KE training focused on marginalized populations and how to engage with these various groups, such as those that are homeless, of low-income, racialized minorities, Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), or from LGBT communities who are marginalized based on sexual orientation or gender diversity. A session focusing on the use of the Health Equity Impact Assessment Tool (HEIA) presented how this tool can be used to identify and address potential unintended health impacts (positive or negative) when developing a policy, program or initiative with specific population groups.

I can certainly see the potential of incorporating HEIA into a knowledge mobilization (KMb) strategy as it helps us better understand context and equity. Yet, a broader and still underused knowledge mobilization tool to include the knowledge of marginalized populations is social media.

At the KE Training Event, I spoke with several knowledge brokers about how I use social media – particularly Twitter – as an effective knowledge mobilization tool. I was surprised to hear that many knowledge exchange leaders at the event are still not using social media as part of their own knowledge exchange work. Certainly, EENet, the Evidence Exchange Network is one step forward in using social media as a knowledge exchange tool. Yet, as I wrote in an earlier blog, the greater potential of using Twitter as a knowledge mobilization tool is still not clearly understood.

One of the more enjoyable presentations of the KE Training event was from closing keynote speaker David Phipps – a person who knows how to tell a great story to share knowledge. One of David’s MobilizeThis! blogs is a great example of the power of story telling using social media for knowledge mobilization. In David’s engaging presentation, he illustrated how understanding context is essential for effective knowledge mobilization.

Fundamentally, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Mobilization, Translation, Implementation, K* (K-Star) – whatever you want to call it – is about connecting the knowledge of PEOPLE. Each group has their own stories to tell in their own context – and each group can share knowledge through these stories. Knowledge doesn’t always have to be packaged in a formal, academic presentation or format. Sometimes simply being open-minded enough to listen to another person’s story – particularly those who are marginalized in our society – can be a powerful way of sharing and mobilizing knowledge.

But how do we engage marginalized populations using social media to better understand their context when some may not even have access to a computer? Or – more importantly – how can knowledge brokers collaborate with these often unheard voices and use social media for more effective knowledge mobilization?

One way that comes to mind is through digital storytelling.

I think of another great storyteller, Peter Levesque from Knowledge Mobilization Works, who also uses story telling as a KMb tool. Peter points to digital storytelling as “one of the MOST important forms of knowledge mobilization available to community-based organizations and citizens”. Peter uses a specific example of Aboriginal storytelling combined with digital technology as an effective method for understanding context, and conveying these stories through social media.

Additional examples of using social media for great and effective digital storytelling can be found at MindYourMind and HomelessHub who use both YouTube and Twitter as knowledge mobilization tools.

As someone who strongly believes in the power of social media for knowledge mobilization, I see the combination of storytelling by marginalized communities using social media to convey context as an essential knowledge mobilization tool. If you’re a knowledge broker – how well are you incorporating this equity tool into your knowledge mobilization strategy?

Now, for some reason…I feel like having a donut!

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Brokering The Role Of The Knowledge Broker

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on February 2, 2013

I recently had a conversation with a colleague about why it’s still a problem for knowledge brokers to be seen as credible to some senior scientists in many research/knowledge institutions, and how to overcome this barrier. My colleague mentioned that some senior scientists think the value of their research can stand on its own without any help from knowledge brokers, and often criticize the value of knowledge broker positions in the organization in the first place.

Knowledge Mobilization is about putting knowledge into active service for social benefit – and knowledge brokers have an important role in connecting various knowledge stakeholders together from multi-directional influences of producer-push (researcher), user-pull (research-user), knowledge exchange (anyone), and the co-production of knowledge (anyone). The bottom line is that it’s always about people sharing knowledge to make the world a better place.

My colleague mentioned that knowledge brokers were not being taken seriously by some researchers because of a feeling of a lack of credibility. There are certain researchers who somehow feel that the importance of their research cannot be fully “trusted” in the supposed “inexperienced” hands of “unskilled” knowledge brokers. As such, these misguided researchers would rather go it alone and not make use of intermediaries to disseminate or further enhance their knowledge.

My colleague and I discussed that in such cases there is a need for other credible scientists or stakeholders to champion the cause of these knowledge brokers. Such champions can assist in bringing recognition to the valuable role of the knowledge broker, and ignite a passion for knowledge mobilization/knowledge exchange. In such cases the very role of the knowledge broker comes into play by connecting with these champions and acting upon these connections by engaging the champions in discussion about the organization’s current knowledge exchange challenges. This means constructing arguments for the champions to convince the skeptical researchers of the value of knowledge brokers.

If the skeptical researchers still see no value – and wish to go it alone – then the knowledge brokers need to be prepared to recognize such limitations and cut their losses while continuing to ignite awareness with other key decision-makers within the organization. Perhaps in this more indirect manner, skeptical researchers may eventually come around to recognizing the value of knowledge brokers for the institution – but never hold your breath.

The knowledge broker role itself is about finding ways to champion the current knowledge of the organization, continuing to inform institutional knowledge, and broker internal and external knowledge value among stakeholders on an ongoing basis. Knowledge brokers need to recognize that there may be barriers inherent in the organization that cannot be directly dealt with. Dealing with such barriers indirectly may mean ignoring them temporarily (or completely) while attempting to find other researchers or sources for knowledge exchange.

If knowledge brokers are not prepared to do this then you are not prepared to remain relevant to the organization. Knowledge brokering will continue to be a function that is misunderstood, and not seen as credible.

Quite frankly, it comes down to how you broker being a knowledge broker – whether you’re talking about organizational need, the benefits to the individuals who engage with the knowledge systems you create or the connections you’re developing for knowledge exchange. It comes down to how you ‘sell’ the role of the knowledge broker, your contribution and added value to the organization – as well as the people who fall within its influence.

As David Phipps points out, and we include in our co-authored field note, the role of the knowledge broker and knowledge mobilization is not new. Phipps references both Aristotle and the PARiHS framework to summarize three key concepts for a knowledge broker to think about when developing their role in any institution. (I have added my own thoughts in brackets to further expand the concepts).

evidence = logos (providing the logic or evidence)

facilitation = ethos (establishing credibility for facilitation)

context = pathos (connecting to the stakeholder’s emotional or value context)

These key concepts can be used as a framework to develop greater understanding to broker a knowledge broker role within the organization by providing the logic behind having knowledge brokers.

Evidence: Do you have evidence to substantiate the role of knowledge brokers within your organization? What is the logic of having knowledge brokers within your organization?

Credibility: How credible are the knowledge brokers in your organization? Can your knowledge brokers speak the ‘language’ of the organization? Do the knowledge brokers in your organization have champions to assist them with their roles and help them establish credibility? Do the knowledge brokers understand the individuals within the organization and recognize those that may be barriers or facilitators?

Context: Can the knowledge brokers connect to the various emotional contexts within the organizational system to identify barriers (and possibly risks to the organization)? Can the knowledge brokers speak to the values of the individuals within the organization as well as to the greater values of the organization as a whole? Does the knowledge broker have the ability to know how to work around barriers while continuing to align with the knowledge objectives of the organization?

The Knowledge Translation & Exchange Community of Practice (KTECop) often refers to the role of the knowledge broker as “closing the loop” as an apt description. If knowledge brokers are going to continue to deal with problems of credibility and criticism of their value, they must start with a framework that provides greater understanding to broker the role of the knowledge broker. If not, knowledge brokers must be prepared to deal with people who still don’t understand their role, what they can do, and the value they can bring – never being able to close the loop or overcome the barriers they face.

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Sharing Knowledge: Not The Way We Plan

3 Comments Posted by KMbeing on January 26, 2013

Sharing knowledge does not always have to turn out the way we plan. Sharing knowledge for social benefit is about creating a better life on this earth that is an opportunity awaiting all of us. We must let go of old fears and insecurities that our knowledge somehow isn’t “good enough” to create change for good in this world, and make way for confidence that the knowledge each one of us has can contribute towards social benefit to make a difference on this planet.

This thought makes me stop and think deeply everyday. Just how often do we easily dismiss someone else’s knowledge that we consider not “good enough” in attempts to create “expert” or “evidence-based” knowledge? Don’t get me wrong; evidence-based knowledge is extremely important to bring about positive change – especially when our government policymakers depend on hearing this “evidence” to make their decisions for social improvement. But we mustn’t overlook where this evidence can come from.

Our human experience is about sharing our existence on this planet together. If my daily focus is about only seeking out the “experts” or “evidence” in my little corner of this world, then I’ll miss opportunities to learn from other people, cultures, and ways of life that may unexpectedly teach me through their knowledge about how to make this world a better place. We must not forget that “experts” and “evidence” are often context-specific.

It’s interesting that most of us plan our daily lives to follow socially acceptable and professional definitions of knowledge “sources” in our own little corners of the world, as we attempt each day to make better lives for ourselves. And what about those unexpected sources of knowledge that we are often afraid to connect with – both beyond our own communities and also within our own little corners of the world?

The times in my own life when I have learned some of the most valuable knowledge that has made me a better person isn’t from my university degree or from my professional colleagues. Some of the most valuable knowledge in my life has come from connecting with and listening to the knowledge of the poor, the homeless, the “un-educated” or the “non-expert” voices that I’ve come in contact with throughout this world.

Two examples that come to mind are speaking with a guy who hands out the free daily newspaper, and connecting with a woman who sits on a street-corner everyday begging for money:

Trevor, who hands out the newspapers everyday in sunshine, rain and cold, reminds me that each life has a story and we all have a voice. When I stopped one day to ask how his day was going, Trevor (rather startled the first time) thanked me and said how often people just walk right by him and ignore him. Now, whenever I pass by Trevor on my way to work, we strike up a short conversation, and I have new opportunities to connect myself to someone else’s knowledge.

Jing, an elderly woman who sits on the street corner waiting for spare change, reminds me that there are still social problems that need to be addressed – and that not all people begging for change are doing so to feed a drug habit or drinking problem. Jing’s story is an attempt to make a better life in a new country, and the failed attempt to do so. Jing doesn’t say much, as her English is limited, but she appreciates someone knowing her real story of why she sits on the corner every day having to beg for money.

I’ve often learned more about myself and how to make this world a better place by listening to these voices than to what the “experts” or “evidence” often have to say.

Each day, I try to keep myself open to this type of knowledge, and the fact that the road of life that I travel on has plenty of unplanned twists and turns and forks in the road that are learning opportunities from some of the least “expert” people I meet. These moments are knowledge opportunities for social benefit when – just for a moment – I let go of my preconceived ideas of “expert” or “evidence-based” knowledge, and listen to sources of knowledge that are good enough to listen to and learn from – to contribute to making the world a better place.

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Evidence Beyond Our Own Back Yard

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on January 24, 2013

Evidence for social benefit needs to be part of the policy process for decision and policymakers – but evidence alone is not simply about what works for politicians or institutions as a type of policy-evidence. Evidence from shared knowledge also stems from and includes ideas, context, values, norms and interests from a wide-range of individuals to create social change. The ultimate role of evidence is to reach out and connect beyond one political structure or institution to the world around us – making the world a better place for everyone.

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Knowledge From All Walks Of Life

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on January 22, 2013

In order to create social benefit, that can lead to influencing government policymakers, knowledge exchange through knowledge mobilization develops relationships among a variety of individuals – from all walks of life – to encourage involvement in new ways of combining our diversity of knowledge to make the world a better place.

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Bringing People Together & Starting Knowledge Discussions

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on January 9, 2013

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) through knowledge sharing is about bringing people together and starting discussions. Sharing knowledge with people on a wide network (like social media) can help connect us with those who can shape policy and decisions for social benefit – and ultimately make the world a better place. Sharing knowledge can help us interpret other people’s knowledge, understand each other’s needs – perhaps even adapting this knowledge to our own circumstances - helping us resolve our personal and the world’s problematic issues.

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Everyone Has A Knowledge Voice

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on October 6, 2012

A lack of knowledge will never disappear so long as a lack of sharing knowledge to make the world a better place continues. New knowledge for social benefit is created just as soon as we share knowledge and are open to the knowledge of others for the benefit of everyone.

What new knowledge have you given birth to in your life? What good has sharing knowledge or being open to the knowledge of others brought you in your life? How much social benefit has come from a lack of sharing knowledge or not being open to the knowledge of others in life? Social benefit occurs whenever we share knowledge for good rather than harm with anyone – no matter what walk of life.

I’ve known many people who think they don’t have the “right type” of knowledge or aren’t “smart enough” to contribute to making the world a better place. I’ve even thought it about myself at one point earlier in my life because of the way in which I was raised as a child. My parents frequently called me “stupid” and that little voice sounded in my head for years into early adulthood until I was finally able to find my own voice and believe in my own knowledge value.

Never has this type of thinking about a “lack of knowledge” made anyone feel better about oneself, about life, or about any situation. We all have knowledge to share if we only recognize the value of our own knowledge – no matter how “limited” we think it is. The most important thing is sharing this knowledge for social benefit. As long as we hold on to the attitude that our own knowledge is worthless and cannot possibly make the world a better place, new knowledge to make the world a better place for everyone will never be created. Knowledge when shared creates new knowledge – which can lead to social benefit.

We can all learn something from each and every person on this earth – we just need to be open-minded. The problem is that we continue to dismiss the knowledge of some people without really trying to listen to what this knowledge might teach us about our own knowledge or the knowledge of others – and we miss the opportunities to combine this knowledge to create new knowledge for something better than the “lack of knowledge” each of us may have. A “lack of knowledge” will continue to grow and fester, and will continue to become a destructive force on this earth unless we share knowledge to increase and create new knowledge to make the world a better place.

How can we increase knowledge sharing? Empathy and compassion for others helps – trying to value the knowledge of others and what they have to share with us, no matter how limited, can help us create new knowledge and see the value of knowledge sharing in a new way. Give each person’s knowledge a chance – even if they have been called “stupid” and no one has ever taught them to value their own knowledge. It’s possible they don’t even realize that the act of sharing the knowledge they do have can lead to social benefit.

This is what Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) is all about – learning from all sources of knowledge and experiences (no matter how limited or varied) to create positive change and social benefit. KMb gives everyone a voice. From these voices, policy makers or government leaders can be provided with greater knowledge to make decisions for change and social improvements – creating new knowledge to make the world a better place.

Are we going to continue to think that certain individuals have a “lack of knowledge” that leads to harboring thoughts of self-stupidity or are we going to lessen this “lack of knowledge” by giving everyone a knowledge voice by sharing knowledge? Which path would be most beneficial to make the world a better place for everyone?

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David Phipps: Promoting KMb-Knowledge Mobilization (Or Mobilisation) Across The Ocean

3 Comments Posted by KMbeing on March 9, 2012

David Phipps, Director of Research Services & Innovation Services at York University in Toronto has recently been published as a guest writer in the Higher Education section of The Guardian newspaper in the U.K.

In the first of a what promises to be a very interesting four-part series, Phipps introduces the concept of knowledge mobilization (KMb) or mobilisation – with an “s” as the British like to spell it – writing about the use of KMb within institutions to maximise the impact of academic research on public policy and professional practice.Phipps emphasizes the importance of Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) within academia as a mode of research that can embrace KMb to help solve wicked problems – “such as poverty, housing, immigration, climate change, security, Aboriginal issues and social determinants of health” – to name a few. (See my previous blog for a further perspective on wicked problems).

Phipps rightly points out that universities are the main producers of new SSH research knowledge, but that they will not benefit society if scholars limit themselves to traditional academic approaches of communicating such new knowledge. Phipps states, “Knowledge mobilisation is the process of connecting academic SSH research to non-academic decision-makers so that this research informs decisions about public policy and professional practice. Knowledge mobilisation (the process) can enable social innovation (the outcome).”

Phipps writes from an academic perspective focusing on how universities and other formal institutions can benefit from KMb to create social innovation. Social innovation is for social benefit – combining existing knowledge to create new knowledge to overcome the wicked problems that continue to plague our world, and ultimately to make the world a better place.

My more informal and holistic approach asks how each one of us can mobilize our own knowledge to connect with others – even in more familiar environments – to contribute to this process of social benefit.

What are you doing in your own life to use your own knowledge to connect with the knowledge of others? What are you doing in your own life to combine your own knowledge with the knowledge of others to create new knowledge to overcome wicked problems?

The Phipps articles take the concept of KMb across the ocean – from Canada to the UK – hopefully promoting a valuable tool for social innovation and social benefit that perhaps might begin to spread globally to help address and overcome many of this planet’s wicked problems. The rest of the series takes a past, present and future approach to include the past origins of KMb, present KMb services, and the future of KMb with predictions on where the field is going or needs to go.

I agree with Phipps that traditional and formal academic approaches have not been successful in solving many of these social problems. Perhaps it’s time to also include informal and personal approaches to knowledge mobilization in each of our lives to address such social problems in order to make the world a better place for everyone.

I hope you’re looking forward to reading the rest of the articles as much as I am.

Individual Knowledge Mobilization, knowledge, policy, social collaboration Aboriginal issues, climate change, David Phipps, global knowledge, global problems, homelessness, housing, humanity, immigration, individual knowledge, KMb, knowledge, knowledge connections, knowledge value, making the world a better place, new knowledge, personal knowledge, poverty, security, social benefit, wicked problems, York University

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