MAPPING CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN THE LITERATURE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND RELATED AREAS

Abstract

This article aims to map the concepts of communities of practice in national and international literature, using a systematic literature review and the creation of a concept map as a synthesis tool. The methodology employed consisted of a systematic literature review, based on the model by Levy and Ellis (2006), using the Brapci and Google Scholar databases with the descriptors “Communities of Practice” and “Knowledge Management.” After collecting and analyzing the retrieved scientific works, seven articles published between 2001 and 2023 (two international and five national) and five international books dated from 1991 to 2010 were selected. The content analysis identified core characteristics of CoPs, such as domain, community, and practice, and was complemented by the development of a conceptual map using the CmapTools software, guided by Dahlberg’s (1978) Theory of Concept. The main results indicate that CoPs are dynamic spaces of collaborative learning, structured by the “3 Pillars” (domain, community, and practice), promoting benefits such as continuous learning, knowledge management, innovation, and process improvement. A conceptual map was developed to synthesize the findings, serving as a tool for knowledge organization. The final considerations further reinforce the relevance of CoPs as contexts that contribute to knowledge organization in collaborative systems, with convergences in the “3 Pillars” and situated learning, but also highlight cultural and methodological differences across the literature.