Knowledge Base Development: The Life Cycle of an Item in the Indiana University Knowledge Base

In this study we have compiled a descriptive account of one organization’s process for the continual development of their technical support knowledge base, called the Knowledge Base (KB), and listed the critical skills and competencies that the knowledge workers in this organization report using.

Major findings include: The process for growing and maintaining the KB is fundamentally similar to processes used in technical communication and other types of knowledge work.The KB process is user-centered, driven largely by known and anticipated user needs.While the core processes are relatively fixed and stable, subprocesses are flexible enough to adapt quickly when necessary.The KB is a bottom-up organizational effort with a strong enthusiastic culture among the development team.The KB staff possess technical and “soft” skills similar to those required in technical communication, instructional design, and various other types of knowledge work.