Mapping Methodological Issues in Knowledge Management Research, 2009–2014

Abstract

By drawing on the nuancesin methodological research literature, this qualitative content analysisstudy investigated the research procedures employed in knowledge management (KM) research between 2009 and 2014, to gain an understanding of the methodological choices made by KM researchers. In total, 989 articles published in five leading KM-centric journals were reviewed. The results revealed that KM research utilised a variety of research procedures. The predominance of positivist epistemologies varied across the five journals, but mixed methods research was not prevalent. True to the interpretivist presuppositions of this study, these results are not definitive. Deploying multimethods may result in a deeper understanding of the use of research procedures in the field. The value of this study lies in the fact that it will lead to greater knowledge of research methodologies in the subject field and provide a baseline for future studies that have an interest in reflecting on context-specific methodological practices