Sustaining Knowledge Infrastructures: Asking Questions and Listening for Answers

2025-02-26

AI Summary

This study addresses the multifaceted challenges to the long-term sustainability of Knowledge Infrastructures (KIs), including complexity, pluralism of values, and emerging maintenance practices—limitations inadequately addressed by technocentric operational paradigms. Method: Drawing on science and technology studies, infrastructure scholarship, and practice-based collaboration, the project develops—through systematic literature review and participatory workshops—a reflexive sustainability assessment framework centered on a bidirectional “questioning–listening” praxis. Contribution/Results: The study advances five forward-looking, manager-oriented reflection prompts and delivers an actionable KI resilience governance guide. This toolkit integrates assessment pathways with value alignment mechanisms, supporting value-sensitive, sustainable governance of global research infrastructures.

Technology Category

• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Web
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Knowledge Acquisition
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Solvers and Tools

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Scalable techniques for the creation, curation, publication, maintenance, and consumption of large, Web-based, structured, reusable, knowledge graphs and ontologies
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Sustainability and carbon-aware systems for Web, mobile, and WoT
• Responsible Web: Sustainability and climate impact of web technologies

Abstract

Sustaining knowledge infrastructures (KIs) remains a persistent issue that requires continued engagement from diverse stakeholders. This is due to the complexity of KIs and sustainability, as well as to new questions and values that are arising in relation to KI maintenance. In this commentary, we draw on existing literature and our experiences at a workshop for researchers exploring KI evaluation to pose five directions of thinking which are especially relevant for KI project managers to consider when thinking about how to make their KIs stand the test of time.

Problem

• Sustaining knowledge infrastructures
• Complexity of KI maintenance
• Engagement from diverse stakeholders

Innovation

• Stakeholder engagement in sustainability
• KI evaluation from literature
• Five directions for KI longevity