What is knowledge federation

As a process, knowledge federation seeks to aggregate existing information resources using organizing principles that promote improved views and reduced information overload. The simplest dictionary definition of ‘federate’ is ‘to bring together’. Knowedge federation implies processes of bringing together heterogeneous information resources under possibly many different criteria, such as same context, or same subject. Federation does not discriminate along dimensions of truth, veracity, or even credibility. Social processes promoted through federation facilities allow for the evolution of consensus beliefs to emerge. Potential means by which federation processes can occur include mapping, e.g. topic mapping, crafting ontologies, and other activities.

Knowledge federation has potential to lead to improvements or breakthroughs in a number of key areas including:

• Organization of Internet resources. In this regard, knowledge federation is a specific way of furthering the aims of semantic Web and knowledge organization.
• Handling a variety of contemporary issues such as the climate change, which require insights and consensus from multiple parties. In this sense, knowledge federation is related to Douglas Enbelbart’s Bootstrap Alliance and other initiatives to increase the collective intelligence of various communities of practice.
• Creating communication tools in specific areas such as risk management, strategic planning, conflict resolution and education.
• Re-creating ways in which information resources are created and disseminated in general. Here Wikipedia, del.icio.us, and flickr are important precursors, which show that communities of people can dynamically co-create and maintain information resources online.

The purpose of knowledge federation research is to evolve theories, standards, tools, and federation practices.

What is knowledge federation? Reflections by Dino Karabeg