Organization and dissemination of working knowledge

This commentary discusses the approach taken by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy to systematize its working knowledge. Web-based knowledge tools facilitate maintenance of the information-rich environments present in almost every province. The malleability of administrative data means that variables can be defined in many different ways. Keeping track of what has been done becomes critical to facilitate reuse. New social data sets pose particular challenges and opportunities. Some more general issues of design are highlighted by a perusal of websites associated with other research efforts (the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences).