This dissertation deals with the multi-faceted phenomenon of knowledge conceptions. The aim is to describe the meaning of “academic knowledge” in today’s knowledge society from the perspective of “education” (a term used here in relation to the ‘liberal arts’ tradition as used in the English language or in German ‘bildung’) and “commodisation”. These two perspectives create a field of tensions in higher education. The study analyses the flow of knowledge in the process of commodisation - partly through a network of relations between societally-relevant actors, partly through career geography. The actors studied are: the state, the university, the university departments and the graduates/students. The research ‘design is a descriptive case study of Karlstad University during the years 1997-2007. The theoretical approach combines two perspectives; commodisation of academic knowledge and career geography. Commodisation is studied by the developments in higher education seen from a wider national and international perspective. Career geography entails both a geographical mobility and a social mobility of the students. The results show that there are different conceptions about academic knowledge from the different actors. Two different perspectives of commodisation of academic knowledge have been found, one from the “top down” perspective and one from the “bottom up” perspective. The top down perspective means that commodisation is driven mostly by the state and then is followed by the university and the university departments. In the bottom up perspective, commodisation is driven by the students. Furthermore, the results from the study of the Swedish state reveal an increasingly clear commodisation of academic knowledge with emphasis on economic growth, regional development and international competition.  However, Karlstad University’s and the university departments’ view of knowledge differs somewhat from that of the state’s, and aims instead to combine ‘commodisation of knowledge’ with ‘knowledge as education’ in its efforts to be a ‘learning university’. It is also shown that students appreciate this combined view. On a general level, the main argument from this dissertation is that it is necessary to place more attention on how to obtain a balance between the commodisation of academic knowledge and knowledge as “education” in today’s higher education system.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:31:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rosangela Fedoce.pdf: 2378475 bytes, checksum: c4c3c6c97e956de4ab9be76d9469a572 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-09 / The research is based on three main axes, communication, education and digital technology, with an exploratory analysis on the market production of content for mobile media. The study is developed with a bibliographic review related to these three axes and the use of qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews are realized with representatives of the mobile communication market in the country with the goal to describe the flow of content production, focusing on possibilities for development of mobile learning. In this sense, the technological potentials and communicative use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are verified, especially the cell phone, in formal and informal models of education, from aspects of the Knowledge Society, as media convergence, interactivity and collaborative production. It is observed trends such as the appreciation of the content in relation to the media and the development of new experiences of access to information through the use of mobile and converging technologies. / A pesquisa é baseada em três eixos principais, comunicação, educação e tecnologias digitais, com uma análise exploratória do mercado de produção de conteúdos para mídias móveis. O estudo é desenvolvido com revisão bibliográfica referente a esses três eixos e com o uso da metodologia qualitativa. São realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com representantes do mercado de comunicação móvel do país, com o objetivo de descrever o fluxo de produção de conteúdos, com foco nas possibilidades de desenvolvimento da aprendizagem móvel. Neste sentido, são verificados os potenciais tecnológicos e comunicacionais do uso das novas Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação (TIC), com destaque para o celular, nos modelos de educação formal e informal, a partir de aspectos da Sociedade do Conhecimento, como convergência de mídias, interatividade e produção colaborativa. Observa-se tendências como a valorização do conteúdo em relação aos meios de comunicação e o desenvolvimento de novas experiências de acesso à informação com o uso das tecnologias móveis e convergentes.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze approaches to personality development of manager in the context of lifelong learning in knowledge economy trends, including specific proposals for desired direction of current practice. The research was focused on both influences acting on personality of the manager, as well as to his own views and preferences. An important factor was the focusing of the questions that have been used for research in previous thesis and enable us to compare responses within two years. The conclusion, therefore, may indicate the likely future development of issues. The research involved 160 managers. They were divided into four sectors - public administration, financial services organizations, tourism organizations and manufacturing organizations. The first method of data collection used a quantitative method - interviews by questionnaires. Data were evaluated separately for each category and made into tables and graphs. It was followed by partial results and discussions on particular issues. As the second, qualitative data collection method was chosen semi-structured interview based on a questionnaire. During a semi-structured interview questioner put emphasis on reasoned personal satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the organization, particularly interesting opinions, suggestions and improve their own knowledge.

Submitted by Cristhiane Guerra (cristhiane.guerra@gmail.com) on 2017-01-06T13:50:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2380855 bytes, checksum: 72d910d3bf6bde8234ff65cdb3a1d078 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-06T13:50:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2380855 bytes, checksum: 72d910d3bf6bde8234ff65cdb3a1d078 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-11 / In a scene marked by intense and accelerated transformations, in which the name "Knowledge Society" appears to account for an environment in which technological advances and globalization eliminate distances and extend the illimitable spaces to obtain information, to formal education urges rethink their role and performance, seeking to meet the dictates of this new reality. In this context, knowledge is raised to the peak of relevance, and its core management for individual and organizational development, and the school as an institution that teaches need to focus on learning and also become an institution that learns. In this sense, the role of school management when guided by knowledge of effective learning and fuels management practices at the individual and collective spheres contributes extensively to the development of the school and the subjects they include. However, this research aimed to analyze the actions of school management, with emphasis on knowledge management practices with a view to propose guidelines for the establishment and consolidation of learners schools. As for the methodological criteria, it is characterized as a case study of exploratory and descriptive type, leaning on a qualitative approach. We conducted document analysis and semi-structured interviews with the management team, teachers, staff and school board members of the research institution. The treatment of the data collected was given by analyzing the technical content of Bardin (2012). It is theoretically the concepts of knowledge management, school management and school learner, from the perspective of several authors from the literature. Adopt the "Knowledge spiral" (NONAKA AND TAKEUCHI, 2008), as a model of knowledge management, applying it to school management practices, based on parameters construction, sharing, registration, publicity, development and application of knowledge in school practices, relating them to the knowledge conversion modes: socialization, externalization, combination and internalization of knowledge. The results show that knowledge management actions are present and common in the case studied, however, are not theoretically grounded, though some of these actions already integrate the institutional agenda. This research led to the development of guidelines suggested in order to contribute to formation and consolidation learners and schools. / Em um cenário assinalado por transformações intensas e aceleradas, no qual a denominação “Sociedade do Conhecimento” surge para dar conta de uma conjuntura em que os avanços tecnológicos e a globalização eliminam distâncias e ampliam a ilimitáveis os espaços para obtenção de informações, à educação formal urge repensar sua função e atuação, buscando atender aos ditames dessa nova realidade. Nesse contexto, o conhecimento é elevado ao ponto máximo de relevância, sendo sua gestão essencial para o desenvolvimento individual e organizacional, e a escola, enquanto instituição que ensina, precisa necessariamente centrar-se na aprendizagem e tornar-se também uma instituição que aprende. Nessa direção, a atuação da gestão escolar, quando pautada em práticas de gestão do conhecimento e fomentadora de aprendizagens efetivas nos âmbitos individual e coletivo, contribui amplamente para o desenvolvimento da escola e dos sujeitos que a integram. Assim, esta pesquisa propôs-se a analisar as ações de gestão escolar, com ênfase nas práticas de gestão conhecimento, na perspectiva de propor diretrizes para a constituição e consolidação de escolas aprendentes. Quanto aos critérios metodológicos, caracteriza-se como um estudo de caso do tipo exploratório-descritivo, apoiado em uma abordagem qualitativa. Realizou-se análise documental e entrevistas semiestruturadas com equipe gestora, docentes, funcionários e membros do conselho escolar da instituição pesquisada. O tratamento dos dados coletados deu-se por meio da técnica de análise do conteúdo de Bardin (2012). Trata-se teoricamente dos conceitos de gestão do conhecimento, gestão escolar e escola aprendente a partir da perspectiva de vários autores disponíveis na literatura. Adota-se a “Espiral do Conhecimento” (NONAKA & TAKEUCHI, 2008) como modelo de gestão do conhecimento, aplicando-o às práticas de gestão escolar a partir dos parâmetros: construção, partilha, registro, publicização, incorporação e aplicação dos conhecimentos nas práticas escolares, relacionando-os aos modos de conversão do conhecimento: socialização, externalização, combinação e internalização de conhecimentos. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que as ações de gestão do conhecimento são presentes e comuns no caso estudado, contudo, não são fundamentadas teoricamente, apesar de algumas dessas ações já integrarem a agenda institucional. Esta pesquisa culminou na elaboração de diretrizes sugeridas com o intuito de contribuir para a constituição e consolidação de escolas aprendentes.

Submitted by Haroudo Xavier Filho (haroudo.xavierfo@ufpe.br) on 2016-03-08T18:44:52Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE Cinthya Tavares.pdf: 2117674 bytes, checksum: acd6263825c4c8ec96beb679304dd0e2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-08T18:44:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE Cinthya Tavares.pdf: 2117674 bytes, checksum: acd6263825c4c8ec96beb679304dd0e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-26 / O baixo letramento de nossa população gerou críticas através de um discurso em prol de mudanças na formação dos professores, defendido por duas formações discursivas: uma advinda do próprio campo educacional e outra do campo da produção econômica. No entanto, identificamos que o campo econômico usa o termo mudança apenas como substituto do termo inovações, já que anuncia modificações superficiais para a formação docente. O que é compreensível por ser o discurso da inovação atrelado ao campo produtivo, que não deseja mudanças na ordem política e econômica da sociedade, mas se valer das instituições de ensino para dar continuidade ao projeto de globalização gerado pelos ideais neoliberais das nações desenvolvidas, pois desde que o mundo da produção tornou-se complexo, ter o domínio cada vez maior da linguagem escrita equivale a executar com mais qualidade e competência as tarefas profissionais na chamada Sociedade do Conhecimento. Diante deste contexto, escolhemos como objeto de estudo a profissionalidade docente, ou seja, o conjunto de atributos capaz de caracterizar uma pessoa como membro de uma dita categoria profissional, para responder, se, em nossa contemporaneidade, o discurso em prol de mudança produzido pela cultura da inovação advinda do campo produtivo vem influenciando ou não na construção da imagem de profissionalidade dos docentes universitários dos cursos de Letras e consequentemente no exercício dessa profissão. Por isso o nosso sujeito é o docente dos cursos de licenciatura em Letras com habilitação em língua portuguesa de duas universidades públicas federais de Pernambuco, cujos discursos foram analisados, tendo como embasamento teórico a Análise de Discurso. Dezoito docentes permitiram a observação de suas aulas e 11 deles preencheram questionários sobre o objeto em estudo. Além da análise desse material, pesquisamos também documentos produzidos por agências multilaterais sobre o ensino superior, a saber, um relatório do Banco Mundial e uma declaração da UNESCO para compararmos o discurso presente nestes documentos, enquanto representativos do discurso em prol de inovações no mundo educacional com os resultados encontrados no discurso docente. Comprovamos assim que a influência do discurso dessas agências se faz presente categoricamente no discurso oficial produzido pelo MEC e parcialmente nos documentos institucionais (Projeto Político Pedagógico dos Departamentos de Letras investigados) também averiguados, mas não está presente no discurso docente dos nossos investigados, cuja imagem de profissionalidade é distinta da produzida pelo discurso transnacional. Em vista de que no discurso dos nossos investigados prevalece é a defesa de um profissional que tenta deixar para trás a imagem do docente transmissor de conhecimentos especializados, construído pela modernidade, para incorporar a figura do profissional do ensino pronto a ensinar a ensinar os futuros professores da educação básica as habilidades da linguagem escrita necessária à promoção de uma vida mais plena para a nossa população, o que é apontado como a mudança de fato a ser realizada. Se tal caminho ainda não se consolidou, é porque não é fácil apagar as formações imaginárias que alimentam a figura do docente universitário desde a criação das universidades. De forma que em seus discursos, os docentes se opõem a coadunar com o discurso de inovação do mundo econômico, e a tentativa de manutenção da ordem existente. E mesmo que ainda não tenham construído inteiramente aquela que será a nova imagem de profissionalidade do docente do ensino superior, já há a consciência de que a mudança é imprescindível. / Low literacy of our population has drawn criticism through a speech in favor of changes in teacher training, defended by two discursive formations: one arising from the own educational field and another field of economic production. However, we identified that the economic field uses the term change only as a replacement of the term innovation because heralding surface modifications for teacher training. This is understandable because it is the discourse of innovation linked to the productive field, you do not want changes in the political and economic order of society, but to avail of educational institutions to continue the globalization project generated by the neoliberal ideal of developed nations because since the world of production has become complex, have increased the area of written language is equivalent to running over quality and competence in professional tasks called Knowledge Society. Given this context, we chose as object of study the teaching profession, ie the set of attributes able to characterize a person as a member of a so-called professional category, to respond, if, in our times, the discourse in favor of change produced by culture of innovation arising from the productive field has influenced or not the professionalism of image construction of university faculty members of Language courses and consequently in the exercise of his profession. So our subject is the teaching of degree courses in Literature with specialization in Portuguese two public federal universities of Pernambuco, whose speeches were analyzed, with the theoretical background to Discourse Analysis. Eighteen teachers allowed the observation of their classes and 11 of them filled out questionnaires about the object under study. In addition to this material, also researched documents produced by multilateral agencies on higher education, namely, a World Bank report and a UNESCO statement to compare the present discourse in these documents, as representative of the speech in favor of innovations in the educational world with results found in teaching speech. We proved so that the influence of speech of these agencies is present categorically official discourse produced by the MEC and partially in institutional documents (Pedagogical Political Project of the Department investigated Letters) also investigated, but is not present in teaching speech of our investigation, whose image of professionalism is distinct from that produced by transnational discourse. Given that in the discourse of our investigated prevails is the defense of a professional trying to leave behind the teacher's image transmitter of expertise, built by modernity, to incorporate vocational education figure ready to teach to teach future teachers basic education of written language skills needed to promote a fuller life for our population, which is touted as the change actually being performed. If such a path is not yet consolidated, it is because it is not easy to erase the imaginary formations that feed the figure of university professors from the creation of universities. So that in his speeches, teachers oppose consistent with the innovation discourse of the economic world, and trying to maintain the existing order. And even if they have not yet built entirely what will be the new image professionalism of teachers in higher education, since there is the awareness that change is essential.

[pt] O ponto central a partir do qual se desdobra a análise objeto da presente tese é a transformação dos processos de trabalho que acompanha as inovações tecnológicas das últimas décadas e sua força transformadora da sociedade e da economia política internacional. O que se pretende é estabelecer um nexo entre a dinâmica mutuamente transformadora do trabalho, a organização social e a tendência expansiva da economia política capitalista, agora em novo estágio ou modo de acumulação identificada nesta tese como o capitalismo cognitivo. A característica desta nova feição do modo de acumulação capitalista é a flexibilidade permitida pela participação crescente do capital fixo contra a diminuição em proporções ainda maiores da participação do trabalho vivo na distribuição de resultados da atividade produtiva. Essa característica se combina com uma disputa entre, de um lado, um processo de materialização dos bens intangíveis por meio da privatização do trabalho intelectual reificado em conhecimento e transformado em capital fixo e, de outro, uma forte tendência à desmaterialização do resultado da atividade produtiva que acompanha as inovações tecnológicas recentes. Identificamos este como o dilema central do capitalismo cognitivo. A desmaterialização a que nos referimos é representada pela falta de obstáculos à reprodução infinita de conhecimento transformado em mercadoria/dados aplicado amplamente em toda a atividade produtiva. Sendo assim, o processo de desmaterialização possibilita a oferta infinita do bem em torno do qual se desenvolve o capitalismo cognitivo, dando fim à escassez e consequentemente banalizando o valor e produzindo uma crise para o sistema conceitual usado para explicar a maneira como as sociedades organizam sua atividade produtiva visando à acumulação de riqueza. Da mesma forma, a tendência à desmaterialização se apresenta na criação de novas redes de poder social, cuja fonte de alimentação e vias de difusão são viabilizadas pelas novas tecnologias, promovendo, consequentemente uma crise para o sistema conceitual usado para explicar a produção de recursos de poder que determina a distribuição no sistema internacional de resultados da atividade produtiva e das vantagens das inovações tecnológicas. / [en] The core problem from which the analysis object of this thesis unfolds its main claims is the transformation of the work process provoked by the technological innovation of the latest decades and its potential of changing the society and the International Political Economy. Its aim is to set a link between the mutually transforming dynamics of work, social organization and the expansive trend of the capitalist political economy, now in a new stage or mode of accumulation, here called the cognitive capitalism. The character of this new face of the capitalist mode of accumulation is the flexibility permitted by the increasing participation of fix capital against the decrease in higher proportions of the participation of labour force on the distribution of the results of the productive activity in general. This character combines itself with a dispute between, in one side, a materialization process of intangible goods through the privatization of intellectual work reified in knowledge transformed in fix capital and, in the other side, a strong tendency towards dematerialization of the productive activity following the recent technological innovation. We identify this combination as the central dilemma of cognitive capitalism. The dematerialization we refer to is represented by the absence of obstacles to the endless reproduction of knowledge transformed in commodity/data widely applied in any and all productive activity. Therefore, the dematerialization process allows the endless offer of the good around which cognitive capitalism develops, putting and end in the scarcity problem and consequently banalizing the value and producing a crises in the conceptual system used to explain the way through each societies organize its productive activities with the purpose of wealth accumulation. The dematerialization tendency presents itself also through the construction of new networks of social power, with its sources and via of diffusion created and reinforced by the new technologies, promoting, consequently, a crises in the conceptual system used to explain the production of power resources which determine the distribution in the International system of the productive activity results and technological innovation advantages.

The aim of this study explicates both the dynamics in theoretical and practical perspectives of novice and experienced practitioners on the effects of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education. This programme is designed and developed with the dual purposes to empower higher education, training, and development practitioners to facilitate learning in an innovative way and to ensure transfer of learning. Following the global critique on the lack of training of novice practitioners, the lack of training of experienced practitioners; quality teaching and learning in higher education, improvement and reform of teaching in higher education, and transfer as “an ultimate goal that has thus far proved elusive” (Pedersen&Liu 2003:313), the enquiry exposed key results and insights into the programme, transfer, and higher education. Quantitative data from seven case studies enhanced holistic understanding sprouting from internal and external influences on learners in comparrison to the teoretical paradigm and outcomes set by the programme. This paradigm nutures factors driving transfer, innovative teaching strategies and approaces employed by the programme and South African educational system. The study substantiated transferred professional and personal development and ideological change attributing to competence as three major findings. This study therefore suggests that it is possible to attribute current competence, knowledge, facilitating skills, attitudes, and values to the programme as initial learning provider. The greatest inhibitor to transfer appeared to be a deification of traditional forms of education agains the modern paradigm as well as insificient cencern with a substantial knowledge base and facilitating skills. Recommendations includes modelling of principles of approaches to teaching and learning regarding OBE, learner-centrered, adult learning, the accomodation of learning style and integration of “multiple layers of meaning and experience rather than defining human possibilities narrowly” (Miller 2003). The findings and recommendations constitute greater attention to the facilitators of learning’s ways of knowing in the classroom as critical to supporting adult learning and growth. The study employed a lens through which learning and teaching experiences are and could be filtered, given developmentally appropriate supports and challenges to enhance facilitating skills and competencies to meet the demands of the changing nature of work and learning. Therefore, turning to a specific alternative (and surely not flawless) application of the messages carried by interpretation of theory transferred to the art of teaching and training practices, this study portrays the broader concept of symbolic inversion and transgression. The study becomes the variety of facts and figures, of form and future in the wholeness and limitations of being, belonging and seeing in higher education. The interior translation of the inputs and process of a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education by the facilitators of learning who participated in this programme hold the multiple ways of more sustained and more profound effect in their teaching practice, translating learning into the real and living world. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / PhD / unrestricted

Submitted by Jakeline Ortega (jakortega@unoeste.br) on 2016-09-07T00:24:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSE EDUARDO FERNANDES_Dissertacao_Entrega_V03.pdf: 311747 bytes, checksum: f65e3b64bc734b62978265900cce2bb8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-07T00:24:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSE EDUARDO FERNANDES_Dissertacao_Entrega_V03.pdf: 311747 bytes, checksum: f65e3b64bc734b62978265900cce2bb8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-27 / This thesis is attached to the research 1 – Educational Institution: Organization and Management, from the Master’s Program in Education of the Oeste Paulista University (UNOESTE – Presidente Prudente – SP), and analised that the society is situated in a paradigm which the information spreads quickly and this is happening due to the fact of the using of range of technologies which allows the available as well as this information exchanged through spread people all over the world. Thus this technologies allow people who are connected through a extended network which, paradoxically, keep them so close and so distant at the same time, characterized virtual interaction spaces. This analysis came from official documents from UNESCO and Banco Mundial in comparison of guidelines designed by this institutions to the countries in development which includes Brazil. Factors like globalization, opening and expanding transnational economies are also determinants in this new information paradigm as well as in educational process through the consequences of this transnationality of the information and knowledge; their impacts and perspectives from the results gotten with the existent educational politics. Thus its objective concentrated in understand the Higher Education, its demands and perspectives within called “Information and Knowledge” Society in the globalization context, in UNESCO and Banco Mundial perspective as well as Brazil’s position in front of these two proposes. Within this context the option made was work with the bibliographic research and documentation to reflect about Higher Education, its demands and perpectives within called “Information and Knowledge” Society. / A presente dissertação está vinculada à linha de pesquisa 1 – Instituição Educacional: Organização e Gestão, do Programa Mestrado em Educação da Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE – Presidente Prudente – SP), e analisou que a sociedade situa-se em um paradigma em que a informação se propaga velozmente, e isso está acontecendo devido ao fato da utilização de uma gama de tecnologias informacionais que permitem a disponibilização, bem como a troca dessa informação por pessoas dispersas em todas as partes do mundo. Assim, essas tecnologias permitem que os sujeitos estejam conectados por meio de uma grande rede que, paradoxalmente, os mantém, ao mesmo tempo, tão próximos e tão distantes, caracterizando espaços de interação virtuais. Essa análise partiu de documentos oficiais da Unesco e Banco Mundial, na comparação das diretrizes por estas instituições desenhadas para os países em desenvolvimento, incluindo-se entre eles o Brasil. Fatores como globalização, abertura e expansão de economias transnacionais também são fatores determinantes nesse novo paradigma da informação, como também nos processos educacionais, pelas consequências dessa transnacionalidade da informação e do conhecimento; seus impactos e perspectivas a partir dos resultados obtidos com as políticas educacionais existentes. Assim, seu objetivo geral concentrou-se em compreender o Ensino Superior, suas demandas e perspectivas na chamada sociedade da informação e do conhecimento no contexto da globalização, na perspectiva da UNESCO e do Banco Mundial, bem como a posição do Brasil diante das duas propostas. Nesse contexto, fez-se a opção por trabalhar com a pesquisa de levantamento bibliográfico e documental a fim de refletir sobre o Ensino Superior, suas demandas e perspectivas na chamada Sociedade da Informação e do Conhecimento.

Vortrag anlässlich des Doktoranden-Kolloquiums des UNESCO-Lehrstuhls für Internationale Beziehungen am 23. Juli 2012 im Lingnerschloss Dresden. Die westliche Gesellschaft befindet sich im Übergang von der Industrie- zur Wissensgesellschaft – so lautet eine der bekanntesten Thesen der aktuellen Gesellschaftstheorie. Dabei ist es in erster Linie der Umgang mit Wissen, der die Grundlage für die Bearbeitung aktueller Herausforderungen auf nationaler wie internationaler Ebene darstellt.

What are Swedish museums talking about, when they are talking about knowledge? Museums are often referred to as knowledge- or memory institutions, and at the core of most museums are the collections. Museum objects are documents or information carriers in their own right, but what is equally important, if not more important, is the knowledge and information about the objects and collections. This kind of knowledge may even expand over time as new knowledge might be added, for example through research. The fact that museum objects can be exhibited in different ways over time, and can be made to tell many different stories, is in a sense also adding to the accumulated knowledge connected to a specific object or collection. Evaluating existing knowledge, developing new knowledge and making that knowledge available both to employees, researchers and the public, is an important part of what a museum does. The Swedish museum act SFS 2017:563 also emphasizes the importance of knowledge in many of its paragraphs. From an information science perspective it is therefore of interest to look more closely at what Swedish museums talk about, when they talk about knowledge. Even though knowledge is a common word, being able to define it is a first step towards being able to organize and manage it more efficiently. Something that seems to be increasingly important in the context of the so called knowledge society, where knowledge is seen as a central asset for organizations, and instant access to knowledge is expected by the public. A questionnaire was used to gather information about the concept of knowledge in the context of Swedish museums and the answers gives insight into what the museums are talking about when they are talking about knowledge. New museum theory and knowledge management acts as a theoretical framework and as a tool for analysing the answers from the questionnaire and to give context to the research. One thing the analysis shows is that most museums don’t have a definition of the word knowledge to guide them in their work.