A Knowledge Representation Model for Studying Knowledge Creation, Usage, and Evolution.

A knowledge representation model is proposed to facilitate studies on knowledge creation, usage, and evolution. The model uses a three-layer network structure to capture citation relationships among papers, the internal concept structure within individual papers, and the knowledge landscape in a domain. The resulting model can not only reveal the path and direction of knowledge diffusion, but also detail the content of knowledge transferred between papers, new knowledge added, and changing knowledge landscape in a domain. A pilot experiment is carried out using the PMC-OA dataset in the biomedical field. A case study on one knowledge evolution chain of Alzheimer’s Disease demonstrates the use of the model in revealing knowledge creation, usage, and evolution. Initial findings confirm the feasibility of the model for its purpose. Limitations of the study are discussed. Future work will try to address the recognized limitations and apply the model to large scale automated analysis to understand the knowledge production process.