Developing the core principles of responsible knowledge management (rKM): Section 1.4 – The structure of the research and this series
This article is Section 1.4 of a series featuring my Master’s thesis The Emerging Concept of Responsible Knowledge Management (rKM): Identifying and Formulating the Core Principles of rKM.
Research strategy
The research strategy employed in my thesis reflects a layered approach. As illustrated in Figure 1, this strategy draws on two methods, part of the theoretical and qualitative traditions. An integrative literature review1 serves as the overarching umbrella for selecting and synthesising relevant academic discourse. Within this framework, grounded theory2 is used to analyse how rKM is described, conceptualised, and contextualised across different sources. Together, these methods support the construction of a conceptual framework that reflects both the current state of the field and its potential trajectories.
This layered strategy was an independent idea conceived specifically for the purposes of this thesis, combining methodological elements to best address the emergent nature of rKM. In the course of the research, no previous studies were encountered that applied this exact combination of integrative literature review and grounded theory to investigate emerging concepts. As such, the approach represents a novel contribution to the methodological exploration of the topic.
Information on the theoretical and empirical limitations of the research can be found in section 1.5 of the thesis.
Structure of this series
The following chapters are organised to guide the reader from context to contribution:
Chapter 2 provides a theoretical overview of the history of KM, outlining its commonly accepted purposes and the complexities that arise from them. It situates KM within broader intellectual traditions and highlights the limitations of its prevailing approaches, thereby contextualising why a more responsible orientation may be necessary.
Chapter 3 describes the research framework.
Chapter 4 presents the findings of the integrative literature review and grounded theory analysis, showing how key themes and principles of rKM emerge from the current discourse.
Chapter 5 interprets these findings, discussing their implications for the future of KM and situating them within wider scholarly and practical debates.
Finally, Chapter 6 offers conclusions, distilling the insights of the thesis and identifying directions for further research.
Next part: Chapter 2 – Theoretical foundations, evolution, and limits of knowledge management.
Article source: Koskinen, H. M. (2025). The Emerging Concept of Responsible Knowledge Management (rKM): Identifying and Formulating the Core Principles of rKM. (Master’s Thesis, LUT University).
Header image source: Created by Hanna M. Koskinen using ChatGPT.
References:
- The University of Melbourne. (n.d.). Integrative Review. Which review is that? A guide to review types: A typology of literature reviews. ↩
- Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. ↩
