Purpose
– Knowledge is the currency of the current economy, a vital organisational asset and a key to creating a sustainable competitive advantage. The consequent interest in knowledge management (KM) has spurred an exponential increase in publications covering a broad spectrum of diverse and overlapping research areas. The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review and categorised analysis of the rapidly growing number of KM publications, and offer a comprehensive reference for new-comers embarking on research in the field with a particular focus on the area of knowledge measurement.
Design/methodology/approach
– A total of 350 articles published in peer-reviewed journals over the last decade are carefully reviewed, analysed and categorised according to their specific subject matter in the KM context.
Findings
– KM research tends to fall in one of five categories: Ontology of Knowledge and KM, Knowledge Management Systems, Role of Information Technology, Managerial and Social issues, and Knowledge Measurement. Despite the accumulation of extensive publication efforts in some areas, a series of disagreements and a theory-practice gap are revealed as challenging issues that need to be addressed.
Research limitations/implications
– The scope of this study does not cover KM research in its entirety due to the vast nature of the research field.
Originality/value
– This paper presents a new birds-eye view of the KM landscape through a novel taxonomy of KM research providing researchers with new insights for future applied research, and offers a comprehensive critical review of major knowledge measurement frameworks.
A cardinal requisite of successful research lies in the proper selection of the research methodology applied to achieve research objectives using the available resources. In addition to acquiring sufficient knowledge of their specific research topic, researchers are urged to develop good understanding of alternative research methodologies at their disposal to be able to identify the best-suited methods to address the research question. This, however, often poses a challenge for novice researchers who face difficulty in grasping the vast methodology landscape and its encompassing array of debates. The purpose of this paper is to provide new researchers with a comprehensive overview of the main elements of research methodology, particularly in the business domain. After a brief introduction, the paper introduces the principles of research philosophy, approaches, and methods, and explains the different paradigmatic stances adopted by researchers in the field. A number of mixed methods designs are then discussed to highlight the different means by which qualitative and quantitative research are combined. The final section presents sampling techniques then explores the most prominent data-collection tools employed in business, including interviews, questionnaires, and case studies. The paper aims to offer business postgraduate students embarking on their research journeys with a useful summary that would guide in them navigating the methodological aspect of their research work.
The continuous low dose (LD) isotretinoin is frequently used in the treatment regimen for acne vulgaris. However, data about its antimicrobial are lacking. The present study aimed to investigate dermcidin expression and the effects of low and conventional dose isotretinoin on its expression in acne vulgaris patients. Skin dermcidin expression was investigated in 30 patients with moderate–severe acne vulgaris and 15 healthy control subjects using ELISA. 15 patients were given continuous low‐dose isotretinoin (20 mg/day) and the other 15 given the conventional high dose (0.5 mg/kg/day). Skin biopsies were taken at the start of the study and 6 months later. Dermcidin was significantly lower in acne vulgaris patients (p < .001). Both isotretinoin regimens significantly raised dermcidin levels compared to pre‐treatment values (p < .001). Relapse after 12 months was not statistically different among the two isotretinoin regimens (p = .464). Pretreatment global acne grading system score of 28.6 ± 6.4 was reduced to 6 ± 6.1 following isotretinoin treatment (p < .001). Relapse was significantly related to posttreatment dermcidin levels (p = .017). Dermcidin expression is reduced in acne vulgaris. Conventional and LD isotretinoin regimens are associated with increased dermcidin expression.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.