What are the preconditions for knowing? The basic and starting seed for knowing is Recording. The recording can be in the head as a memory and or use a physical tools like paper and pen or a modern device like camera, tape recorder, video recorder, computers, and smartphone. Records are entities of a row (identifier) and column (attribute) that are captured in a recording device. Irrespective of the medium in which the records are captured, the row and column records are organized in a table format and stored in a database to kick start the knowing process.
The second and important requirement is the creation of databases (databasing) through the process of extracting, filtering, transforming and transferring the processed data. The second process facilitates the availability of the information for those who seek to acquire and further process it into knowing.
The third and important process is disseminating or informing the processed record. If the database that is created from the record does not reach the knowing seekers, the knowing process will be aborted. Hence, Informing is an important bridge between processed records and knowing.
Information and Knowing
Information is a very widely discussed and studied area in the Recording and Wizening process. It has its own Information management science. The challenge is it is often confused with data and knowledge and considered as an end in itself as opposed to a means to an end.
In some circumstances, information which transmits patterns and trends contained in the processed records are adequate for some purposes. However, it is important to recognize that information in effect is the intermediary between recording and the knowing and wizening. Information supports the knowing and wizening process.
Knowing process:
There are three key activities that need to occur for Knowing to take place. First, information needs to be acquired. We will discus in detail the information acquisition process. Second, the acquired information needs to be thoroughly explored. We will examine closely what is involved in exploring information to help gain understanding. Finally, the outcome of the exploration has to be interpreted. Again a closer look will be provided to see how interpreting explored information finally yields knowing.
In summary, the knowing process begins by acquiring information and the process continues through exploration and interpretation before the information becomes know how and insight.
