Wikis for Collaboration & Knowledge Management: Current Practices & Future Directions

Abstract

This chapter examines how collaboration and knowledge management (KM) can be supported using wikis and related tools. A wiki is a web site that makes it easy for users to create, edit, and link pages without specialized tools. The chapter seeks to help readers understand what KM and wikis are, and when and why wikis can support collaboration and KM. The chapter identifies associated challenges and best practices. Organizations should assess cultural factors, recognize the differences between top-down and bottom-up approaches, and leverage the KM “market”. Projects should be iterative, focus on either mapping or capture, start with pilot projects and simple structures, and focus on key users and roles. Systems should be off-the-shelf, avoid “either-or” conflicts, and provide structures to facilitate common tasks. The chapter also discusses future directions and implications in these rapidly changing areas.