Conceptualizing the Knowledge of Traditional and Indigenous Communities Using Informetrics Approaches

Abstract

Interest in indigenous knowledge is growing because of its potential to promote and sustain development activities. Inspite of the recognition of the significance of indigenous knowledge there is limited agreement on its definition and conceptualization. There are competing ways of defining it and various ways of labeling it. In view of the varying appropriation of meanings to the concept of the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities, this chapter starts by dealing with definitions attached to the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities before turning to establishing what might be the suitable label for that knowledge using informetrics techniques. An investigation of 17 labels used to refer to the knowledge of traditional and indigenous communities that were conveniently chosen from the extant literature revealed that indigenous knowledge is the label that is gaining more currency than any other in the arts, humanities, and social sciences subject categories.