Abstract
Information systems research has clearly recognized that knowledge management systems (KMSs) have different characteristics and requirements than those of a classic management information system (MIS). Beginning with the relationship drawn between data, information, and knowledge (Alavi & Leidner, 1999, 2001; Bhatt, 2001; Ulrich, 2001; Spiegler, 2000, 2003; Tuomi, 2000), through to the essential nature of unstructured and semi-structured information vs. structured information (Wu, Ling, Lee, & Dobbie, 2001; Lai, Carlsen, Christiansson, & Svidt, 2003; Fensel et al., 2002; Chou & Chow, 2000), there are many elements and areas in which the two diverge.