Knowledge and the artefact

This paper discusses ways that knowledge may be found in or through artefacts. One purpose is to suggest situations where artefacts might be central to a narrative, rather than secondary to a text. A second purpose is to suggest ways that design and production of artefacts might be instrumental in eliciting knowledge.

Four general situations are proposed:

(1) Simple Forms - an artefact demonstrates or describes a principle or technique.

(2) Communication of Process - artefacts arising from a process make the process explicit.

(3) Artefacts Within the Research - artefacts are instrumental in advancing the research by communicating ideas or information.

(4) Knowledge Elicited by Artefacts - artefacts provide a stimulus or context which enables information to be uncovered. .