CKS-Net: A Conceptual and Computational Framework for the Management of Complex Knowledge Structures

This paper presents CKS–Net, a conceptual and computational framework for the acquisition, representation and use of complex and heterogeneous knowledge. The framework aims to support effectively informal groups of workers in their daily activities. A typical example of such groups are Communities of Practice, which can be considered the most important centers for the creation of knowledge in an organization. The most interesting feature of Communities of Practice is that their members collaborate in order to solve new problems, by sharing their experience through a negotiation–reification process solutions. In order to capture the heterogeneous knowledge involved in this process the concept of Complex Knowledge Structure has been introduced. Then, the paper focuses on how Complex Knowledge Structures can be used by CKS–Net to support Communities in their decision making processes, showing how it can be profitably used as a framework for the development of case–based systems.