KMbeing

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

Tag Archives: Google

Relevant-Signal To Data-Noise Ratio

Leave a Comment Posted by on December 10, 2012

signal noise

In science and engineering we often hear about the signal to noise ratio – a concept that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise.  Although this is a technical term commonly used for electrical signals or biochemical signaling between cells, it can also be applied in the world of social media. In my own social media use I call this relevant-signal to data-noise ratio.

How often do we sift through Twitter feeds or Google search results to find what is relevant to our online research while also being inundated with data-noise?  I always keep this in mind when I’m doing digital research.  I can often find my Twitter feed filled with tweets that are relevant to digital research – and plenty more that are simply data-noise. Understanding the social media concept of relevant-signal to data-noise ratio can help us use social media in a more effective and productive manner and keep us focused on the more relevant information and knowledge sharing that makes using social media – especially for knowledge mobilization (KMb) – a better and more valuable experience.

As a community-based digital researcher, I was involved in a research project and book chapter publication with the Knowledge Mobilization Unit at York University, working with York University’s Executive Director of Research & Innovation Services,  Dr. David Phipps and York’s KMb knowledge broker,  Krista Jensen.  Our research project looked at Applying Social Sciences Research for Public Benefit Using Knowledge Mobilization and Social Media.  One of my contributions to this project was analyzing online profile keywords used on Twitter to advance our understanding of how individuals might use a social media platform like Twitter to connect and form collaborative relationships and like interests. Like interests are the foundation of communities of practice.

This important concept of relevant-signal to data-noise ratio  can be conceptualized by the following equation:

R-S:D-N = A (amount) of relevant-signal

                 = A (amount) of data-noise = 50

Basically, what this formula means is that the relevant-signal to data-noise ratio is equal to the average amount of what is a relevant-signal divided by what is the average amount of data-noise. To use this equation, for example, on a Twitter feed of someone I’m following on Twitter, I will often seek the keywords that are relevant to my digital research on a page of profile tweets. This can easily be done using the Ctrl-F Find function on any computer. I type in the keywords I’m looking for and – for convenience sake – I hold the amount of data-noise is going to be at least half or fifty-percent – as in a 50-50 chance.  This is why I have the amount of data-noise equal to 50.

When I find my keywords at least twenty-five-percent (25%) of the time or more (at least half of my 50-50 chance of finding data-noise), I will continue to follow this Twitter feed. If the amount is less than 25% – it’s filled with too much data-noise for what is relevant to my research interests, and I often make the decision to un-follow. I find this equation very helpful in making decisions about who to follow by weeding-out more of the data-noise.

All real measurement is disturbed by noise – and social media is no exception. As a research tool, social media is now being recognized as a valid part of gathering, exchanging and creating new knowledge, and as part of doing valid research.  However, many are still not effectively using social media in the best possible way to do this, and are still being swamped by a deluge of information and data-noise not relevant to knowledge sharing interests.  Or worse, people feel they need to connect broadly so as not to “miss anything”.  Remember, social media is NOT a popularity contest.  Attempts to measure or analyze your online success with what can be called as vanity metrics is irrelevant. It’s quality NOT quantity that counts in social media – so you may have to un-follow and eliminate some of that data-noise to find the relevant signal. I hope this relevant-signal to data-noise ratio equation is helpful for you in this process.

knowledge, research, social media, social media tools, Today's Knowledge Inspiration, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) and Social Media: Making The World A Better Place

Leave a Comment Posted by on February 2, 2011

Whenever anyone uses social media to join, contribute or receive from the process of Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) as part of a social media network there is a step from initial exploratory thought to responsible social engagement. Without a social network element – whether it’s posting (retweeting), commenting or forwarding links on Twitter or Facebook, uploading presentations on Slideshare, using Skype for meetings and voice/text conversations, or connecting to a professional network on LinkedIn – Knowledge Mobilization does not reach its full potential unless the social-interactive-for-the-benefit-of-others element is also established.

Anyone can ask a (one-sided) question, or do a Google search for a (one-sided) answer (this is exploratory), but online answers without experiential knowledge, discussion and social benefit (this is engagement) remain lifeless answers. This is simply Information Exchange (For the difference between Information Exchange and Knowledge Mobilization click here).

But let’s face it, not everyone adopts new technologies or new ways of networking. There’s a lot of buzz around social media, yet many in the workplace or your friends and family may still not ‘get it’ until someone points out ‘the how’ and ‘the why’ of creating a social media network – or even making the one you already have even better.

How about using social media to make the world better?

Now, before you think this is some “pie-in-the-sky” ideal where everyone connects to sing Kumbaya and hopes for peace, this is what using social media for Knowledge Mobilization can do.

When the social-interactive element is added, knowledge comes to life. When the social-interactive element is added to make society better, knowledge mobilization comes to life. Knowledge is turned into action.

Knowledge Mobilization is putting available knowledge into active service to benefit society – and using social media is a great way of putting knowledge into active service.


In the KMb literature the word silo is often used to describe the ways that organizations (but also individuals) shelter themselves and their knowledge, skills and experience. KMb is about breaking out of the silos and ultimately applying knowledge for the long term benefits of society. Using social media to inform and be informed by ideas, experiences, stories and personal and professional knowledge to make our world better is KMb at its most basic level – which everyone can contribute to and gain from.

Knowledge Mobilization is the overall flow and on-going and constant input and development of knowledge. It is the open process of putting available knowledge into active service to benefit not just one particular organization or field, but for the greater benefit of all in society. One of the most basic ways of contributing to this flow is by using social media.

I have been actively using Twitter (@KMbeing) to tweet and retweet posts and links, and I post blogs that I think contribute to knowledge for the greater benefit of society. But I also comment on others’ tweets, connect with fellow tweeters with more in-depth conversations on and offline, pass information to my friends, family and other colleagues on Facebook, and make comments on other blogs and share things that have contributed to my own knowledge with others. As each person participates in social media the knowledge structure changes and improves.

I’ve participated in online conferences/workshops and formal Twitter hashtag chats – like ResearchImpact’s recent Tweet a Mobilizer where a number of questions, comments, links and resources informed and provided knowledge through social media.

As a Digital Researcher and Knowledge Mobilizer, I’m also looking forward to the upcoming Vitae Digital Researcher Conference on 14 February 2011 to help researchers make the most of new technologies in their research. This conference physically takes place in London, U.K. and – as I am unable to attend in person (living in Toronto) – the great thing is that I will be able to participate virtually by social media. I will be able to see some streaming content online and post comments and interact in real-time on Twitter using #dr11. We can connect, socialize and collaborate with the world from our own physical spaces.

And from our own physical spaces we can use social media for Knowledge Mobilization to help transform humanity. By taking what each person has learned through their own experiences and knowledge, and using social media to inform and be informed, each person can develop and implement their own personal knowledge on a greater social scale.

Do you use social media for Knowledge Mobilization or just Information Exchange?

Are you still in a silo or do you want to make the world a better place?


social collaboration, social media , , , , , , , , , , ,

Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom And The Difference Between Information Exchange & Knowledge Mobilization

2 Comments Posted by on January 17, 2011

Information Exchange is a term that is mistakenly applied to Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) – particularly in social media. Unfortunately, despite the developing use of the term Knowledge Mobilization, the KMb concept is misunderstood and misapplied, as are the terms Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom.


A helpful web posting on the visualization-blog Information Is Beautiful presented a “think-piece” by David McCandless titled Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom? McCandless created an impressive visual pyramid to help distinguish each category as a Hierarchy Of Visual Understanding. Although McCandless points out it’s by no means original thought, his display provides a clear categorization of each concept.

On Twitter, I recently posted a link to this visual pyramid and a popular quote from American astronomer Cliff Stoll and author Gary Schubert. Both the link and quote have relevance to understanding the difference between Information Exchange and Knowledge Mobilization.

The quote from Cliff Stoll and Gary Schubert:

Data is not information,
Information is not knowledge,
Knowledge is not understanding,
Understanding is not wisdom.

In short – just because you have some “facts” and share them doesn’t mean you’re informed, or the “facts” are useful. Nevertheless, the concepts are connected, and one needs to “know” how.

Let’s take this very example to demonstrate: I spent upwards of almost 30 minutes searching the web (from Google to Wikipedia) to find out who Gary Schubert – and which Gary Schubert – is connected to Cliff Stoll in this quote. This quote is extremely popular (3620 results on a Google Search), but all of the many webpages I searched still couldn’t tell me who Gary Schubert is and why he is connected to Cliff Stoll and this particular quote. All of the many websites and blogs that used this quote only attributed it to these two individuals by name only, and no other information. At least Wikipedia listed Cliff Stoll and it was there that I found out who he is and why he is connected to the quote – but no mention of Gary Schubert. Apart from emailing Cliff Stoll directly to find out, Gary Schubert is still a mystery to me.

Now back to McCandless’ visual pyramid to further demonstrate.

Data: The discrete elements like names, words, and numbers that categorise, calculate or quantify – like Gary Schubert’s name and the words of the quote. I have the data but I still don’t have the information about who Gary Schubert is.

Information: The linked elements like concepts, ideas, and questions that contextualize, compare, connect, filter or frame – like connecting Gary Schubert’s name to the quote and asking the question “who is Gary Schubert?” and “which Gary Schubert?” (There are 19 profiles of Gary Schubert on LinkdIn). Simply linking names with a quote and not knowing who exactly these people are is not knowledge, it’s just information.

Knowledge: The organized information into chapters, conceptual frameworks or facts – like finding out who Cliff Stoll is on Wikipedia and knowing that he is an astronomer, author and public speaker who is rightly attributed to the quote. I have knowledge about Cliff Stoll and how to connect him to the quote, but still no knowledge of the particular Gary Schubert, his connection to Cliff Stoll or the quote.

Wisdom: Applying knowledge into books, systems, beliefs, traditions, philosophies, principles and truths – like my personal belief system to stop long searches for information (in this case on Gary Schubert) by applying the knowledge that when writing a blog and using a quote it’s really not that important to provide all of the details beyond a person’s name AND that there is a likely chance that someone reading my blog may provide me with the exact information about Gary Schubert anyway! I was just curious to find out more about who these guys are that are always being quoted by name only.

So, when I use my blog to put out the question “Who is Gary Schubert and why is he connected to Cliff Stoll and this quote?” and one of my blog readers or someone else comments on this blog post and provides me with the answer- that it is Information Exchange.

When I take the data I have (the name Gary Schubert) and connect it with the information I receive about who Gary Schubert is – it becomes knowledge. When I turn that knowledge into action by posting on Wikipedia, my blog (or some other form of social communication) to make it easier for someone else to have access or contribute to this knowledge – that’s Knowledge Mobilization at its most basic level.

When research and knowledge are used to inform policy makers to make things easier for society – that’s KMb at a more complex level.  KMb is turning knowledge into action for greater social benefit. KMb encompasses a variety of knowledge transfer and exchange methods including producer-push, user-pull, knowledge exchange and co-production.

Knowledge Mobilization (like everything) starts with data, includes information that creates knowledge and becomes wisdom when used effectively to benefit society.  Ultimately, wisdom is applying knowledge for the long term benefits of life.

social media , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Making Knowledge Mobilization Connections Using Social Media – The Old Spice Way

5 Comments Posted by on August 9, 2010

Facebook and Twitter have become such familiar words globally. When social media nouns like Facebook and Twitter become verbs as quickly as Google did (“Did you Google him?”  or “I’ll Facebook you” or “I’ll Twitter you“) we need to sit up and pay attention – especially with using these tools for greater knowledge mobilization.

Recently, we’ve all seen a greater number of marketers taking advantage of the popularity of social media to sell products quite successfully. The popularity of the recent Old Spice campaign has infused new life into an outdated product that many aptly considered only for Old Men! Some may find these ads annoying, some may find them savvy, and some may even find them sexy and distracting. But it shows that using a social media strategy seriously can create a far-reaching tool to spread knowledge about a product.

So why aren’t more knowledge brokers using a social media strategy to create a far-reaching tool to mobilize knowledge? (Yet another verb!). Isn’t knowledge that contributes to better social policy and decision making just as (or even more) important as selling products? Yet, it surprises me whenever I ask colleagues in the academic or KMb world if they have a Facebook or Twitter account and they say “no’! Perhaps because some think that such social media tools are only for marketers or for friends & family contacts.

One example of a successful KMb social media strategy comes from ResearchImpact’s Mobilize This! and their Twitter feed which helps translate research into clear language while also being informed by KMb from the social media community.

I’m sure if you’re reading this blog you’re probably already making knowledge mobilization connections using social media. If by chance you’ve somehow managed to stumble across this blog and you’re not using social media to mobilize knowledge what are you waiting for?

If you’re not making knowledge mobilization connections using social media, you’re like the old man who uses old spice only because of an old way of limited and old-style thinking. Perhaps it’s time to splash on some new KMb cologne and attract some greater social media attention.

social media, Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,

The Echo of Social Media Past, Present & Future

2 Comments Posted by on April 20, 2010

KMb (Knowledge Mobilization)


I frequently use Wikipedia to define information – as I was about to do for this blog to explain social media (for those still unfamiliar with this term). I also frequently do a Google Search to find websites (new and old) to reflect on past research, gather information for my current research, and get ideas for future projects as a digital researcher. Although I found a blog post from 2008, its current relevance prompted me to take pause to question my own knee-jerk Wiki-p reaction, and re-evaluate my own presumed understanding of past views about social media and what the ever-evolving social media means today.

Furthermore, I frequently skip over online marketing websites, but made an exception for this new found older link – AriWriter.  I had never heard of Ari Herzog before, but was impressed. His blogs can be applied way beyond mere marketing, and as Ari professes, it’s an excellent website for “social media tips”. Ari Herzog’s archives are full of insight, and worth the time to read some of his latest as well.

Before clicking the link away as just another out-dated or annoying online marketing scheme, I saw that Ari rightly continues to point out how “Everyone sources Wikipedia as the tell-all for definitions, but the volunteer-driven site currently uses this vague sentence (not so anymore): “Social media are primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.” And Ari’s right. According to this out-dated version of the Wikipedia definition,  it sounds like a rather limiting one don’t you think? The latest Wikipedia entry does a much better job. (It sounds like Ari’s Wikipedia statement got heard and appropriate changes were made!).

Ari goes on to present a number of other definitions by social media practitioners up to the time Ari wrote his October 2008 blog (Robert Scoble, Feb. 2007; Isabel Walcott Hillborn, Oct. 2007; Mark Dykeman at Broadcasting Brain, Feb. 2008; Joseph Thornley at Thornley Fallis, Apr. 2008; Jim Cuene, May 2008; Santosh Maharshi, May 2008; Ben Parr, Aug. 2008; David at Marketing Integrity, Sep. 2008; John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing, Sep. 2008).

Ari was following a suggestion by Jason Falls (a social media explorer) to escape the echo chamber. Jason wrote about the fashionably-cool use of the term social media after attending a Blog World & New Media Expo in 2008. (The Expo advertises an extensive gathering of media mavericks and thought leaders). But Jason seems to have walked away from the event feeling as if many of his fellow social media experts need to pass on their knowledge outside of the Expo “echo chamber” to those who don’t know what social media is, or how to use it for its best and most promising potential. I wonder if any of his fellow social media practitioners have followed his advice since that Expo?

Ari picked up the gauntlet early on, and because of the Twitter-ification of social media -  challenged his blog readers to think about what social media is, and asked the question…

Ari’s followers provided some interesting comments and definitions.

Two things I like about returning to older blogs: how our definitions continue to evolve as web-technology evolves; and how past experiences, ideas, and knowledge teach us something about the present, and make us think about the future.

The daily expanse and speed at which new webtools are being provided, and the personalized ways that information is being shared can make it difficult for any non-savvy individual or business to keep up with social media. Yet, as Jason and Ari state, the first step is defining what something is to better understand it, and then making it known. A final step is always re-evaluating and redefining.

As for my own definition of what social media is for the present…

Online social interaction of sharing experience, information, and knowledge that includes various forms of communication, collaboration, presentation, opinions, entertainment, and branding…(for now).


Web 3.0 (known as The Semantic Web) is on its way and is expected to be as revolutionary as Web 2.0.  I wonder what the definition of social media will be in the future?

social media , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 914 other followers