A Contribution to Transparency of Scientific and Engineering Concepts. Abhary, K., Adriansen, H. K., Begovac, F., Kovacic, Z., Shpigelman, C. N., Stevens, C., Spuzic, S., Uzunovic, F., & Xing, K. 9(5):93–106.
A Contribution to Transparency of Scientific and Engineering Concepts [link]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Knowledge management is of outmost importance in organisations. This treatise aims to contribute in improving the transferability and transparency of some basic concepts relevant to science, education and engineering. Knowledge sharing can be adversely affected by concepts and specific terms which are in common use but can vary in meaning. Since contemporary technological issues typically involve several disciplines it would be useful to analyse areas where effective communication and transfer of knowledge between academic and engineering disciplines might benefit from clarification. Examples of concepts that impede knowledge sharing are identified and mitigating strategies proposed. [Excerpt: Some Aspects of Mitigating Strategy] Strategies for improving transparency and transferability of knowledge should draw on the disciplines of didactics, epistemology and ontology (Abhary et al. 2008; Spuzic, Xing, Abhary, 2008). Producing definitions is one of the major tasks in building an ontologically valid knowledge repository (Uschold & Gruninger, 1996). The mitigating strategy proposed in this transcript is to promote the use of established generic definitions of concepts that are broadly used in various disciplines by adopting a nomenclature hierarchy already established in mathematics, chemophysics and other fundamental sciences. Other concepts can be denoted by introducing new terms to avoid homonymy, synonymy and other ambiguities. [\n] It is unlikely that one language, with its unique vocabulary, can hope to cover the full diversity of human interests. Since English is the lingua franca of science it is clear that an organised system of extension of the scientific nomenclature should be adopted. The multiplication in homonyms can be avoided by using terms from the vocabulary provided by other European languages. [...] [\n] [...] [\n] Commonly agreed definitions and concepts will reduce wordiness, and simplify the communication of existing knowledge and validation of new discoveries. The Internet should be utilised in this process. Once the theories in one discipline are available to all and transparent to other disciplines, apparently impenetrable conceptual differences will become less confusing and from the depths of our growing knowledge will surface inspiring analogies with the speed of magnetic waves. [Conclusions] This transcript has exposed the challenges associated with attaining mobility and transparency of knowledge across disciplinary fields. The significance of establishing and maintaining unambiguous concepts and non-homonymic nomenclature is in defining knowledge in terms of its application and sharing. Difficulties associated with nomenclature and ambiguous definitions add to increasing misconceptions and decreasing readability. Clear and consistent definitions decrease the information entropy. Missions of academe include sustaining knowledge shareability and applicability. Authors, editors and educators need to adopt the belief that mobile, shareable and applicable knowledge should be transparent to all disciplines. The lexical resources of other languages should be used to continue the systematic trend of adopting foreign words into English scientific and engineering nomenclature. Based on such rich lexical base English language can be developed for the transparent and systematic expression of scientific and engineering knowledge. This would be helpful for managing knowledge processesing in and across organisations.
@article{abharyContributionTransparencyScientific2009,
  title = {A Contribution to Transparency of Scientific and Engineering Concepts},
  author = {Abhary, K. and Adriansen, H. K. and Begovac, F. and Kovacic, Z. and Shpigelman, C. N. and Stevens, C. and Spuzic, S. and Uzunovic, F. and Xing, K.},
  date = {2009},
  journaltitle = {International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management},
  volume = {9},
  pages = {93--106},
  url = {http://mfkp.org/INRMM/article/13496695___to-archive},
  abstract = {Knowledge management is of outmost importance in organisations. This treatise aims to contribute in improving the transferability and transparency of some basic concepts relevant to science, education and engineering. Knowledge sharing can be adversely affected by concepts and specific terms which are in common use but can vary in meaning. Since contemporary technological issues typically involve several disciplines it would be useful to analyse areas where effective communication and transfer of knowledge between academic and engineering disciplines might benefit from clarification. Examples of concepts that impede knowledge sharing are identified and mitigating strategies proposed.

[Excerpt: Some Aspects of Mitigating Strategy] Strategies for improving transparency and transferability of knowledge should draw on the disciplines of didactics, epistemology and ontology (Abhary et al. 2008; Spuzic, Xing, Abhary, 2008). Producing definitions is one of the major tasks in building an ontologically valid knowledge repository (Uschold \& Gruninger, 1996). The mitigating strategy proposed in this transcript is to promote the use of established generic definitions of concepts that are broadly used in various disciplines by adopting a nomenclature hierarchy already established in mathematics, chemophysics and other fundamental sciences. Other concepts can be denoted by introducing new terms to avoid homonymy, synonymy and other ambiguities.

[\textbackslash n] It is unlikely that one language, with its unique vocabulary, can hope to cover the full diversity of human interests. Since English is the lingua franca of science it is clear that an organised system of extension of the scientific nomenclature should be adopted. The multiplication in homonyms can be avoided by using terms from the vocabulary provided by other European languages. [...]

[\textbackslash n] [...]

[\textbackslash n] Commonly agreed definitions and concepts will reduce wordiness, and simplify the communication of existing knowledge and validation of new discoveries. The Internet should be utilised in this process. Once the theories in one discipline are available to all and transparent to other disciplines, apparently impenetrable conceptual differences will become less confusing and from the depths of our growing knowledge will surface inspiring analogies with the speed of magnetic waves.

[Conclusions] This transcript has exposed the challenges associated with attaining mobility and transparency of knowledge across disciplinary fields. The significance of establishing and maintaining unambiguous concepts and non-homonymic nomenclature is in defining knowledge in terms of its application and sharing. Difficulties associated with nomenclature and ambiguous definitions add to increasing misconceptions and decreasing readability. Clear and consistent definitions decrease the information entropy. Missions of academe include sustaining knowledge shareability and applicability. Authors, editors and educators need to adopt the belief that mobile, shareable and applicable knowledge should be transparent to all disciplines. The lexical resources of other languages should be used to continue the systematic trend of adopting foreign words into English scientific and engineering nomenclature. Based on such rich lexical base English language can be developed for the transparent and systematic expression of scientific and engineering knowledge. This would be helpful for managing knowledge processesing in and across organisations.},
  keywords = {*imported-from-citeulike-INRMM,~INRMM-MiD:c-13496695,ambiguity,semantics,terminology},
  number = {5}
}

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