Conversation & the Creation of Knowledge

Knowledge is created through the act of conversation: with ourselves through thinking, through interaction with an author's writing, and through conversation with colleagues.

• In conversation we create knowledge and come to new understandings.

• Books and articles are a kind of "net" that captures the conversation in a particular moment of time.

• Your research paper is your contribution to the ongoing conversation and creation of knowledge in your particular subject area.

• Your contribution is valuable and your attention to the craft of academic research and the details of proper citation helps you express your ideas with clarity.

• Attention to such details is respected by your conversation partners.

~ See: Lankes, R. David. The Atlas of New Librarianship. Cambridge, Mass., [Chicago]: MIT Press ; Association of College & Research Libraries, 2011.