Developing the core principles of responsible knowledge management (rKM): Section 4.2 – Observations from the Scopus search

This article is Section 4.2 of Chapter 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.

The first literature search was conducted using the Scopus database, targeting publications between 2020 and 2025 that intersected themes of knowledge management (KM), sustainability, and responsibility. This search yielded a total of 82 results, reflecting the limited and still-developing nature of scholarly engagement with what may be considered rKM. A preliminary review of abstracts and keywords revealed several noteworthy patterns.

First, the term sustainability emerged as a ubiquitous label across many of the retrieved texts. However, in the majority of cases, the concept was applied in vague or instrumental ways. Frequently, ‘sustainable knowledge management’ referred to continuity of knowledge flows, digital infrastructure, or innovation efficiency, rather than engaging with the ethical, systemic, or long-term implications of knowledge practices. As such, while the term appeared commonly, it rarely reflected a substantive or systematically defined sustainability framework.

In contrast, the word responsibility appeared much less frequently and, when present, was more likely to be conceptually aligned with the themes of the study. This disparity underscores the observation that while sustainability may have become a generalised buzzword in KM discourse, responsibility remains an emergent and under-theorised dimension.

Of the 82 documents retrieved, 46 were excluded from further consideration at this stage. This included entries that based on the title, keywords, abstract and conclusions did not seem to match the target of investigation, and two articles that were found inaccessible. The specific exclusion criteria will be listed in Figure 15 in a subsequent article.

The remaining 36 items were retained for closer analysis, although this number is effectively 33, as four of the entries refer to individual chapters from the same edited volume and will be treated as one item (i.e. the entire book, including the 5 other chapters not individually identified by Scopus). These texts formed the potential Scopus-part of the sample for subsequent in-depth reading, comparison, and selection for inclusion in the integrative literature review and grounded theory analysis. The Scopus sample spanned conceptual and empirical works, including texts focused on phronesis, post-normal science, knowledge justice, inclusive governance, spiritual KM, and emerging ethical considerations in AI and digital systems. From the 33 candidates 19 made it into the final sample after close analysis of the full texts. Figure 13 below shows the Scopus query string used.

Next part: Section 4.3 – Observations from the Google Scholar search.

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.