Basic definitions

In Using Knowledge Structure Maps as a Foundation for Knowledge Management some interesting definitions can be found (I am currently working on the literature review for my thesis...).

An interesting one is in the very beginning of the article, which reflects that knowledge can't be captured as it only exists in people's heads as opposed to a knowledge resource:

A responsible definition of knowledge would reflect the point that knowledge is something that rests in people's heads. Knowledge relates to knowing things. Books and documents cannot know things and at present, neither can computers. It is true that books, documents, web sties etc can be a source of knowledge when people interact with them; however, they are not knowledge in themselves.

A (more focused) knowledge resource must therefore be something that an organisation accesses, develops and manages through its staff. This means that an organisation possesses a knowledge resource that is potentially mobile, comes equipped with an in built mechanism for applying knowledge and can be supplemented at source by problem solving and decision making capabilities that integrate fully with the knowledge resource at all times.