WhatisKT wiki: a case study of a platform for knowledge translation terms and definitions--descriptive analysis

Area of Science:

• Health research
• Healthcare innovation
• Knowledge translation and implementation science

Background:

• Numerous terms (over 100) with unclear definitions hinder evidence application in health research and practice.
• Inconsistent terminology complicates finding published evidence and professional interactions.
• Consolidation of vocabulary requires open dialogue and collaboration among diverse professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an online tool (WhatisKT wiki) to present a range of terms related to evidence application.
• To facilitate dialogue and collaboration across disciplines interested in harnessing research evidence for healthcare.
• To address the challenge of inconsistent terminology in knowledge translation and implementation science.

Main Methods:

• A wiki platform was utilized to present the problem of terminology and foster collaboration.
• Terms related to evidence implementation were gathered, defined, and posted on the WhatisKT wiki.
• The wiki was launched in 2008 and promoted; its content, promotion, and usage up to 2011 were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The WhatisKT wiki grew to over 120 pages with substantial traffic increases from 2008 to 2011 (200 to 1700 monthly visits).
• Site visitors increased from 12 to 143 countries between 2008 and 2011.
• Usage was primarily short-term (approx. 40 seconds per visit), with minimal discussion or collaboration on terminology consolidation.

Conclusions:

• Despite growing interest in terms for evidence application, the WhatisKT wiki was mainly used for quick lookups.
• Increased interaction and engagement are necessary to foster collaboration and achieve consolidation of terminology.
• Further efforts are needed to encourage deeper engagement on the wiki for effective knowledge translation and implementation science.