Knowledge Provision and Management

Includes screening, indexing & cross referencing, coherence, abstraction, translation, and coverage.

Knowledge Content: The knowledge networking based knowledge strategy of GSSD consists of abstracts of selective articles provided by a range of institutions, national and international, both private and public. Each abstract is subjected to a cross-referencing process. The content of each entry in the knowledge base is represented by:

i. title
ii. abstract
iii. descriptors
iv. pointers to facilitate targeted retrieval.

Screening: GSSD locates, reviews, and then catalogs only the most robust materials to be found on all facets of sustainable development. Site submissions to the GSSD knowledge base are professionally screened prior to inclusion and indexing. This saves the user a great deal of time and effort.

Indexing & Cross-Referencing: Individual entries in the GSSD knowledge base are text indexed and cross-referenced in order to provide quick and efficient search facilities.

Coherence: The GSSD knowledge base is searchable by fourteen issue areas (slices), five problem/solution (rings), and many sub-concepts, as well as by region of the world, knowledge type, and user-specified combinations. The GSSD knowledge base also has several specialized search functions which together mean that GSSD can be used as a personalized ‘research assistant.’

Abstracting: An abstract is made for each site reviewed and included in the GSSD knowledge base. Rather than count on a program that lifts the first few lines from a site, or targets the home page to use as a guide, the inclusion of abstracts allows the GSSD user to quickly know whether or not the reviewed site contains material of interest.

Translation: The abstracts and all of the referencing information for entries in the GSSD knowledge base will be translated into GSSD's supported languages. This will allow a user's limited translation resources to be directed only to sites already understood to contain desired knowledge.

Knowledge Provision: Includes entry and update of individual entries in the knowledge base. Instructions for submission are on Submit Site.