Glossary of Terms

A set of functions and procedures allowing the creation of applications that access the features or data of a knowledge base.

Techniques or methodologies that, through experience and research, have proven to reliably lead to a desired result.

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a system used in tandem with a web hosting service to help increase efficiency in server response times by caching and saving different types of contents, instead of storing all of the content on a web server. Content can be delivered quickly without bottlenecking all of the requests through one server.

The organizational leader responsible for managing intellectual assets and knowledge within an organization.

Systems that simulate human thought processes in a computerized model, utilizing self-learning algorithms that use data mining, pattern recognition, and natural language processing.

Software that enables users to create, manage, and modify content on a website without the need for specialized technical knowledge.

A system used to receive, track, manage, and store documents in digital format and reduce paper.

Knowledge that can be easily articulated, written down, and shared, such as manuals, documents, procedures, and guidelines.

In cryptography, Hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) is a mechanism for calculating a message authentication code involving a hash function in combination with a secret cryptographic key. This can be used to verify the integrity and authenticity of a message.

Information overload is the difficulty in understanding an issue when one has too much information about that issue.

The science of searching for information in documents, searching for documents themselves, and also searching for metadata that describe data, and for databases of texts, images, or sounds.

The intangible value of an organization's knowledge and experience.

The process of effectively managing an organization's intellectual capital to increase its value and enhance competitive advantage.

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate. JSON uses JavaScript syntax for describing data objects, but JSON is still language and platform independent. JSON parsers and JSON libraries exists for many different programming languages.

An evaluation of an organization's knowledge health, identifying the knowledge needs, resources, flows, gaps, and barriers.

A centralized repository for information, including FAQs, documents, and data that is used for sharing and managing knowledge.

A knowledge base (abbreviated KB) software is a special kind of system for knowledge management, providing the means for the computerized collection, organization, and retrieval of knowledge. A knowledge base can also be defined as a collection of data representing related experiences, their results in the form of problems and solutions. A perfect example of knowledge base is PHPKB knowledge management software.

An individual or organization that facilitates the transfer and sharing of knowledge between different parties.

The collective mindset and values of an organization that encourage or hinder knowledge sharing and creation.

The act of collecting, organizing, and managing knowledge resources.

The process of discovering new knowledge from a large amount of data through data mining and analysis.

An economy in which growth is dependent on the quantity, quality, and accessibility of the information available, rather than the means of production.

The process of extracting tacit knowledge from experts, often through interviews or observations.

The process of building knowledge-based systems, involving the translation of human knowledge into a format that a computer can understand.

When employees purposely keep critical knowledge to themselves.

The process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge within an organization.

A visual representation of where knowledge resides within an organization, how it flows, and its interdependencies.

A central place where knowledge is stored and managed, like a database or a library.

Strategies to retain critical knowledge within an organization, especially when faced with staff turnover.

The exchange of information or understanding between individuals, teams, communities, or organizations.

The method by which knowledge is passed from one part of an organization to another, or from one person to another.

An individual whose job involves handling or using information.

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. Organizations use KPIs to evaluate their success at reaching targets.

Knowledge gained from the reflection on the successes and failures of past situations.

Knowledge conveyed in story form which can be highly effective for sharing experiences and tacit knowledge.

Onboarding is the process of introducing a new employee into a company and helping them get settled in their new role. The goal of onboarding is to help new hires understand their job duties and what's expected of them. This process typically involves several steps: preboarding (preparing before the official start date), orientation (introducing them to the company and its culture), training (teaching them the skills they need for the job), and finally, helping them transition smoothly into their new position.

A release note is usually a brief summary of recent changes, enhancements and bug fixes in a particular software release. Once the product has been released to production, Release notes is a complementary document which delivered to the customer when a bug is fixed or an enhancement is made to the product. They may be written by a technical writer or any other member of the development or test team.

SaaS refers to software that is delivered over the Internet as a service on demand. SaaS differs from the traditional method of purchasing software on CD-ROM or downloadable file to be installed locally on the user’s computer. SaaS vendors develop and operate software applications for customers to use, but the software is usually run all or in part on the vendor’s hardware - a cloud hosted environment. It is a new software distribution model, one that is inevitably the way all software will be delivered in the future.

A solid-state device or drive (SSD) is the next generation of data storage. The architecture of an SSD does not employ rotating disks at all. An SSD utilizes a memory chip with erasable, writable cells that can hold data even when powered off. Solid-state memory is in popular consumer devices such as iPhone, digital cameras, etc.

It stands for Single Sign-On authentication. With SSO, user just needs to login once (e.g. to your website or some other web-based application) and he immediately gets authenticated to PHPKB powered knowledge base automatically.

Knowledge that is personal, context-specific, and hard to formalize or communicate, such as personal experience or skills.

Virtual Private Network. A network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. The data sent across the Internet is encrypted, so the entire network is "virtually" private.