The communicative power of knowledge visualizations in mobilizing information and communication technology research

Abstract

This editorial explores knowledge visualization, a field of study that investigates the power of visual formats to represent knowledge, as a strategy to enhance knowledge mobilization of results from ICT4D research. We highlight the fact that there are evidence-based guidelines for creating and crafting visualizations in academic writing. We also provide some visualization examples that highlight general knowledge visualization criteria such as anchor and extend, familiarity, clarity and consistency, include text, prudent simplicity and aesthetics. Although visualization is not the central theme of any of the papers in this issue, the papers offer a variety of visualization techniques as appropriate to the knowledge domain.

Pandemic vulnerability knowledge visualisation for strategic decision-making: a COVID-19 index for government response in Australia

“…Our experience during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, one more time, that knowledge is the most precious resource we have (Millar and Choi, 2010), and sound knowledge management approaches are extremely critical to take appropriate actions to stop the spreading of the virus, save lives and address the socioeconomic challenges caused by the pandemic and keep the essential services and amenities running (Deliu, 2020; Wang and Wu, 2020). Along with this knowledge visualisation is also deemed to be a critical tool for the communication of the gathered information between decision-makers and also the public (Van-Biljon and Osei-Bryson, 2020) – as after all it is knowledge visualisation that is key enabler for strategic decision-making.…”

The Role of Technology in Supporting English Learning in Elementary Schools

“…First, humans in prehistoric times established information technology as a mechanism for recognizing the forms they knew, and they detailed the information they discovered on cave walls on hunting and the animals they hunted. Information technology continues to expand, but its distribution and format have become more contemporary (van Biljon & Osei-Bryson, 2020).…”