ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the significance of the organization of knowledge. It explores some of the contexts in which we organize knowledge, and considers the contribution of the organization of knowledge to the wider issue of knowledge management. The chapter deals with a consideration of some definitions of the terms 'information' and 'knowledge'. The concept of information as a commodity is wider than that of information as a resource, as it incorporates the exchange of information among people and related activities as well as its use. Braman identifies the wider perspective of information as a constitutive force in society. The following characteristics of information and knowledge need to be considered in any approaches to the organization of knowledge: objectivity, accessibility, relevance, currency, structure and organization, and systems. Data is then, information that has undergone some processing and the results of that processing have been communicated for a particular purpose.
