Introduction and Learning Objectives
5Cs of Knowledge Management Framework
Michael J. Becker
March 4, 2025
The 5Cs of the Knowledge Management Framework (5cs)—Contribution, Collection, Curation, Creation, and Collaboration—is an approach I developed to help me discover, refine, organize, process, leverage, and contribute my (implicit, explicit, and procedural) knowledge and so that I can incremetnaliy formalize the creation of my insights, my communications, and my ability to be of service.
Figure: 5Cs of KnowledgeManagement
The 5Cs were born out of necessity. I just got so tired of wasting time, repeating work, and losing knowledge. In time, I realized I could, in the early stages of my pursuit of sense-making and knowledge creation, no longer stomach working with traditional output software—e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, presenters, media management, and the like. I realized that I needed to do the most of my work with input software and only turn to output software at the end of my process, or when I needed to collaborate and share insights with others—other humans and non-human agents, like my personal AI.
Output Software Vs. Input Software
Output software packages are not designed for thinking and sense-making—for capturing, working with, and pulling insights from an influx of unstructured and unrefined input and data; instead, I’ve found that they are, more often than not, designed for convenience, conformance, and the comfort of content consumption, not production. I’ve found that using output software prematurely formalizes my thinking (Shipman and Marshall, 1999), retards the depth and breadth of my learning and contribution potential. I’ve found that using output software as a central tool for my knowledge management in nearly every stage of my work, except for the final stages of production and packaging, leads to excessive content loss, duplication, discovery and re-discovery issues, revision, reusability challenges, and growing frustration. And, let’s not forget that output software may actually lead to death, as was the case when [PowerPoint was named one of the root causes of the Challenger explosion](https://mcdreeamiemusings.com/blog/2019/4/13/gsux1h6bnt8lqjd7w2t2mtvfg81uhx) (Thomas, 2019). Ultimately, I found that using output software wastes my most valuable resources: energy, time, effort, and creativity.
When I work with output software, I find myself working for the software and not for myself or those I serve. I find myself 1) clumping too much content together too quickly, 2) losing both the big picture and clarity and conciseness of the small picture, 3) cutting valuable content and insights because they do not fit the linear, tabular, or bulleted mold of the software, 4) constantly having to repeat structural and appearance operations, i..e, formatting, that the software demands rather than working with my content itself, 6) siloing and duplicating my content across hundreds of individual and complex files scattered around all my local and cloud drives, 7) constantly searching for the “right” version of the content, 8) conforming to the software’s methods and not learning the fundamentals of how things work, 9) giving up my power and becoming a tenant farmer for the software, 10) losing too much value within my outputs, and 11) more.
The 5Cs framework has helped me combat all these issues and concerns. With it, I’ve learned to embrace and learn the use of input software—text editors, personal knowledge management environments (PKMEs), integrated development, environments (IDEs), scientific development environments (SCEs), etc.—especially artisanal software, as well the data formats, languages, syntax, and protocols of computing, the Internet, and more. I’ve learned to trust in the process, my tools, myself, and how to unleash my creative potential. It has helped me discover my voice and embrace the adage that with great power comes great responsibility. The 5Cs have helped me make sense of the world, be of service, and make a difference.
5Cs Stages and the CSA Framework
There are five stages to the 5Cs framework: Contribution, Collection, Curation, Creation, and Collaboration. The first four stages are where you create value; the final stage is the byproduct of your value-creation efforts. Understanding this will help ensure you invest wisely with your resources (i.e., mostly time).
5C Stages
Collection
Collection refers to the systematic gathering and organization of information from various sources. This step ensures that valuable knowledge is preserved for future use.
Citation
Citation management is crucial to the overall 5Cs framework. Citation management is the process of documenting the individual sources of your knowledge and how they can be verified. In short, citation management helps you retain the provenance of the knowledge that has informed your thinking and gives credit where credit is due. Let’s face it: so often, we tell ourselves, “I’ll remember where that came from,” but with the amount of information we are all taking in, we rarely do. Therefore, the best place to leverage the citation process is at the collection point. Citation management helps you maintain intellectual integrity, boost confidence, and combat the global onslaught of unintentional and intentional misinformation. More importantly, citation management allows you to express gratitude to those who came before you.
Curation
Curation involves the practice of enhancing your collected knowledge. During the curation stage, you are tagging, linking, refining, deduplicating, archiving, filtering, categorizing, enhancing, and making your collected knowledge your own. The curation stage entails dividing your collected knowledge into tagged and linked atomic elements, i.e., into single, concrete, refined, discoverable, and related points and ideas, while maintaining a link to your knowledge sources, i.e., citations and attributions (see Collaboration). This stage helps you improve the accessibility and relevance of your knowledge and is the first step toward ensuring that you can efficiently and effectively support Creation and Collaboration and produce high-quality and pertinent output.
Creation
The creation stage is where your individuality and uniqueness shine; it is the stage where you generate original knowledge (insights, points of view, frameworks, methods, etc.) and the collective presentation and output of that knowledge that you will contribute to others. You’ll know your creations are original because you've collected and applied citations and attributions to your knowledge during your work’s collection, curation, and collaboration stages. Creation is unique in leading to more collection and curation. Moreover, it is the stage where you create your complex work. In the creation stage, you’ll take all your atomic ideas—a.k.a. your resource notes, your “zettles” (Ahrens, 2024)—and assemble them into complex output, i.e., output that combines your text (i.e., words, tables, and lists) and media (i.e., image, audio, and videos) into oral, physical, and digital output that you’ll contribute to others (including your future self). As we are social beings, it is often helpful in the creation stage to consciously and proactively reach out to others and collaborate with them.
Collaboration
Collaboration, if you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to leverage it, is the stage where you work with others to help you with your knowledge management journey. It is also the stage where you help them with theirs. Collaboration will inevitably lead to more collection, curation, and creation.
Attribution
Attribution is the citation management of collaboration. However, unlike citable sources, which, by definition, have a verifiable origination, attribution sources are ephemeral; it may be difficult, if not impossible, to verify their sources. To that end, it is a good idea to keep track of the names of your collaborators——humans and non-humans (AI agents, enterprises, past versions, licensing models, creative commons) alike—and the dates of your collaborations so that you can recognize them and give them thanks for supporting you in your efforts. Like citation management, attribution management is a practice of gratitude.
Contribution
In the contribution stage, you get to share your knowledge and hopefully make a difference. The sharing of your knowledge and take any number of verbal and nonverbal (e.g., conversations, standups, keynotes, panels, etc.), physical (i.e., papers and books), and digital formats, data, and file formats.
CSA Framework
Coupled with the 5Cs stages is my CSA (Content, Structure, Appearance) Framework. To get the most out of the 5Cs process, I find the CSA Framework to be VERY helpful, as it helps save me from the harms of premature formalization (Shipman and Marshall, 1999).
Figure: 5Cs CSA Framework
Content
Content refers to the text and media (e.g., images, videos, and audio) that serve as the building blocks of modern knowledge. It encompasses raw information and insights that form the foundation of knowledge creation and communication.
Design
Design is all about how text and media are brought together and formatted, i.e., how they appear and the file format in which they are delivered. A well-structured design ensures content is both accessible and engaging for the audience.
Structure
Structure refers to how text and media is organized (visually and non-visually), ensuring clarity and logical flow. Examples include:
- Sections (abstract, sections, appendices, references) to support a narrative, readability, and coherence
- Headings & subheadings for hierarchy and navigation
- Metatags for wearability and organization
- Lists for easy scanning
- Tables & matrices for comparative analysis
- Visual aids (e.g., graphs, charts, and infographics) for enhanced comprehension
- Cross-referencing & hyperlinking to support contextual depth.
- Indexing & summaries to support retrievability
- Callouts, side notes, and footnotes for highlighting key concepts or providing more details
Appearance
Appearance pertains to the aesthetic presentation of media, influencing readability and engagement. Key aspects include:
- Fonts & typography for legibility
- Color schemes for emphasis and accessibility
- Tone & style for alignment with the intended audience
- Whitespace and spacing to improve readability
- Alignment and grid systems to enhance clarity
- Typographical consistency to increase harmony
- Thematic styling to establish and maintain branding
Learn More
To learn about the 5Cs and CSA Frameworks, and my favorite input software (e.g., Tinderbox, and other tools for thought) visit the [5Cs of Knowledge Management School](https://www.5csofknowledgemanagement.com). At the 5Cs School, we offer:
- Online courses and training (in-person, virtual, and recorded)
- Digital downloads
- Thought-leadership
- Advisory and consulting
References
Ahrens, S. (2024). How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. https://amzn.to/43d5kHI
Shipman, F. M., & Marshall, C. C. (1999). Formality Considered Harmful: Experiences, Emerging Themes, and Directions on the Use of Formal Representations in Interactive Systems. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 8(4), 333–352. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008716330212
Thomas, J. (2019, April 15). Death by PowerPoint: The slide that killed seven people. MCDREEAMIE-MUSINGS. https://mcdreeamiemusings.com/blog/2019/4/13/gsux1h6bnt8lqjd7w2t2mtvfg81uhx