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The ’11 knows’ and a concept map of knowledge
What is the ‘knowledge’ that is managed in the field of ‘knowledge management’ (KM)? Just as the field of KM is far more diverse1 than many even in KM realize, there’s more to knowledge than you may currently know.
One of the best understandings of knowledge is Philip Sisson and Julie Ryan’s 2017 concept map of knowledge and its ’11 knows’2. The concept map was prepared using qualitative research methods to gather and document concepts, followed by the application of system engineering and object analysis methods to define and relate concepts.
The ’11 knows’ understood through this research and analysis are listed in Figure 1, and additional concepts also identified are shown in Figure 2. The concept map, Figure 3, then brings all of these concepts together.



Acknowledgements: With thanks to David Williams on LinkedIn for bringing the paper summarized in this article to my attention.
Header image source: Adapted from DS Stories on Pexels.
References:
- Boyes, B. (2025, June 18). What is knowledge management (KM)? RealKM Magazine. ↩
- Sisson, P., & Ryan, J. J. (2017). A Knowledge Concept Map: Structured Concept Analysis from Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Special Issue: Knowledge Management – Current Trends and Challenges, 13(3), 29-69. ↩




