Talk:DIKW pyramid

Name of Article
My understanding is that acronyms are generally not encouraged as names for articles. However, as this seems to masquerade under so many different names, variously "information...", "knowledge..." or "wisdom...", either "...hierarchy" or "...pyramid", and seems to exist in several different iterations (some of which do not include "data", others of which do not include "wisdom"), I am at a loss as to what name to suggest.

Beads (talk) 19:11, 7 January 2009 (UTC)beadsland


 * Maybe the article can be renamed to "DIKW Hierarchy". The official term of a structure of this time is 'Hierarchy', while 'Pyramid' the shape which best describes the look of the structure. I think the introduction of the article could be reworded a little better to make it clear that it is given several different names. Animorphus (talk) 13:39, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

Diagrams
A pyramid diagram would probably be appropriate up top. I'm guessing that flow diagrams from textbooks might be incorporated into the Representations section under fair use guidelines.

Beads (talk) 19:13, 7 January 2009 (UTC)beadsland


 * Corrected diagram source URL [36] but it's 2015 version.
 * Wikipedia info shows 2021 region as upload date:
 * https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_DoD_KM_Pyramid.jpg
 * GeoVenturing (talk) 01:54, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Earlier diagram version preferred:
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DIKW_Pyramid
 * GeoVenturing (talk) 02:59, 2 July 2023 (UTC)

Relevant Fields
- DIKW is used primarily in the fields of Information Science " "and Knowledge Management." Where??? No references. --192.107.77.3 14:59, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

I've categorized this article given the fields cited by Sharma and Rowley. Beads (talk) 18:48, 7 January 2009 (UTC) beadsland

Who was first to present DIKW pyramid
In 1980s, the issue of data-information-knowledge-wisdom hierarchy was being discussed widely among Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers. While much of this discussion often neglected grounding these notions in either cognitive or philosophical foundations, the idea of structure (to form information), inference (to use and apply knowledge) and judgement (for wisdom to emerge) was often implied. For information professionals, such as AI scholars, the hierarchical relationship between these basic concepts was a simple necessity implied by their work with Expert Systems and Knowledge Based Systems, vigorously researched at the time. An example of the DIKW conceptualisation and visualisation of its hierarchy appeared for example in this thesis published 1987:

Development of Concepts and Methodologies for the Representation of Contextual Information in Knowledge Based Systems.

See Chapter 2, discussion in pages 13-18, and the DIKM pyramid (with some extensions) on page 18. While the treatment of the DIKM model is certainly simplistic, it reflected the wide views of that time.

--Jacob (talk) 06:02, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Around 375 B.C. Plato writes The Republic, which provides a divided line metaphor with increasing levels of knowledge that build on one another and culminate in wisdom. On the bottom level of the divided line is perception-- the receipt of data (illusion) then belief, then reasoning, and on to a kind of understanding that roughly approximates wisdom (noesis). It seems to me that this article is just a reflection of that thinking, except in modern terms by non-philosophers. If that is the case, then should we refer to the wikipedia article on the Divided Line Analogy in order to provide better context and a stepping stone for thinking beyond this article? There may not be a text that we can point to from AI researchers and others that references the divided line, but could we agree that this article should lead to other, more robust and culturally rich concepts that pre-dated it? At the very least, can we recognize that this thinking had been done already and elsewhere? Mthibode (talk) 01:31, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Only if it's clearly documented in reliable sources. We can't publish original research. ElKevbo (talk) 02:39, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

Links to other research
For what it's worth, [my dissertation (2012)](http://www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=UNSWORKS&docId=unsworks_10483&fromSitemap=1&afterPDS=true) has a literature review which may prove useful as an additional source discussing ontologies of data. It's probably worth significantly discussing Tuomi at the very least. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.174.28.172 (talk) 07:01, 28 February 2016 (UTC)

About Wisdom - this section is underdeveloped on the wiki page
Rudolf Steiner does have an interesting perspective to add on the difference between knowledge and wisdom (eg GA201 lectures of 1920). There are in fact multiple sources and authors where the below can be found.

Knowledge is linked to understanding, meaning the process of intellectual thinking, linking thoughts in a logical and rational way. It is linked to the capability of thinking and a level of consciousness. Wisdom adds to the purely intellectual understanding by adding broader insight which puts the knowledge in a much enhanced context with perspectives, just as the difference between data becoming information.

The insight can eg come from experience: typically one is intuitively aware and appreciative of the fact that an older person's life experience is different from the smart understanding of a youngster. This can help to feel the difference between wisdom, and knowledge. Similarly when we hear the term 'wise people' we think of those who have a deep insight into how everything hangs together, far deeper than the superficial surface 'knowing' of lots of things. This is beyond any discussion whether you agree such 'wise people' exist or who you would grant that qualification .. it could be indian sages, a native american such as Black Elk, or a philosopher such as Socrates. Hence insight comes not just from experience, but is related with a state of consciousness that can go further than the capability of intellectual thinking which is common and widespread (as the median faculty of humanity's population). Wisdom therefore links to a higher truth beyond the limitations of perspectives and opinions.

Potential explanation - consideration: Our culture and society, since the 15th century, has excelled and focused on intellectual thinking, hence the great advances in science and technology. As a result of this though, everything that lies beyond is less obvious for us to relate to. It is maybe not so much seen, valued, nurtured and appreciated as in earlier times or previous cultures, as our contemporary value and reference frame focuses more on intellectual advances, knowledge and insight.

PS1: another way to point to the fact that wisdom goes beyond intellectual thinking, is with quotes such as by Carl Jung (where wisdom reigns there is no conflict between thinking and feeling) and Socrates (the only true wisdom is knowing you don't know), etc. PS2: certain esoteric practices relate wisdom to what is achieved through higher forms of consciousness which one can attain through practice. It is said that with such higher states of consciousness the bandwidth restrictions of our intellectual thinking and mundane consciousness are expanded, hence offering the broader view and some single version of the truth, resolving all dichotomies given by perspectives, opinions, and fragmentation of knowledge. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.26.3.225 (talk) 10:28, 3 January 2020 (UTC)

"into the rotation"?
The leading paragraph of this article includes the phrase "into the rotation". I do not know what that means and suggest it should be removed. Matthew C. Clarke 07:24, 17 July 2024 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I've edited the lede and removed that unusual language. ElKevbo (talk) 10:33, 17 July 2024 (UTC)