One definition is that Knowledge Management is the collection of processes that govern the creation, distribution and use of knowledge. It is also described as a collaborative process through which organizations generate value for their intellectual assets. At the health sciences center, clinical practitioners generate value from intellectual assets when they diagnose and treat a patient. Educators generate value from intellectual assets when they develop and teach courses. Researchers generate value from intellectual assets when they conduct research, report results and sometimes develop new products.

For more information on what knowledge management is, see this article on the ABCs of Knowledge Management from Knowledge Management Research Center / CIO.com (http://www.cio.com/research/knowledge/edit/kmabcs.html)