Abstract
Educational policy is often based on the assumption that redundancy is a negative factor in dissemination and should be eliminated in order to achieve cost effectiveness. This article examines issues of redundancy in three dissemination contexts: knowledge acquisition and storage; knowledge synthesis; and knowledge utilization. Knowledge utilization and implementation, ultimately the goals of federally supported dissemination efforts, should rely on processes of planned and targeted redundancy of knowledge syntheses to various users.
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Barbara Lieb is research director, Research Applications Division of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, where she formerly managed the the Regional Educational Laboratory Program. Having published and taught extensively in the areas of interpersonal, organizational, and instructional communication, she brings a communication perspective to issues of knowledge utilization. In addition to managing other federally supported dissemination programs for the National Institute of Education, she has served in executive capacities for both the Speech Communication Association and the American Society for Medical Technology, dealing with issues of professional development and knowledge use.
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Lieb, B. What is the appropriate level of redundancy in federally sponsored education dissemination programs?. Knowledge in Society 3, 58–68 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02687227
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02687227