Title: Augmenting indigenous knowledge management with information and communication technology

Authors: Tariq Zaman; Alvin Wee Yeo; Narayanan Kulathuramaiyer

Addresses: Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations, Center of Excellence for Rural Informatics (ISITI-CoERI), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, 94300, Malaysia ' Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations, Center of Excellence for Rural Informatics (ISITI-CoERI), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, 94300, Malaysia ' Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, 94300, Malaysia

Abstract: Numerous studies have been conducted to elicit and analyse structures within the indigenous knowledge (IK) management systems, which fundamentally differ from technology supported systems. This paper highlights the approaches used in eTORO project by the Institute of Social Informatics and Technological Innovations, UNIMAS with active participation of the local community in Long Lamai, Sarawak. The main objective of the project is to facilitate the community in preserving and transferring their indigenous botanical knowledge (IBK) through proper documentation processes. The project activities include exploring the specific needs of the community, to design the cultural protocols, to develop ICT tools and to clarify the roles of the stakeholders with process flow diagrams which have been developed with the active participation of community. The methodology that is developed for the project is of value to those who work with indigenous communities whose literacy, social and cultural logic and values profoundly differ from others.

Keywords: indigenous knowledge management; IKM; ICT; information and communications technology; information technology; TORO; eTORO; indigenous peoples; local communities; Sarawak; botanical knowledge; documentation processes; knowledge preservation; cultural protocols; process flow diagrams; community participation; culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2013.054202

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2013 Vol.19 No.1/2/3, pp.137 - 148

Received: 02 Jul 2012
Accepted: 13 Mar 2013
Published online: 30 Apr 2014 *

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