science

Metaknowledge

Metaknowledge is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Metaknowledge rather than just read about it. In short: Metaknowledge or meta-knowledge is knowledge about knowledge. Some authors divide meta-knowledge into orders: zero order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is not knowledge (and hence zero order meta-knowledge is not meta-knowledge per se) first order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is zero order meta-knowledge second order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is first order meta-knowledge most ge…

Key takeaways

Metaknowledge belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Metaknowledge to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Metaknowledge from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Metaknowledge or meta-knowledge is knowledge about knowledge. Some authors divide meta-knowledge into orders:

zero order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is not knowledge (and hence zero order meta-knowledge is not meta-knowledge per se) first order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is zero order meta-knowledge second order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is first order meta-knowledge most generally, n + 1 {\displaystyle n+1} order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is n {\displaystyle n} order meta-knowledge. Other authors call zero order meta-knowledge first order knowledge, and call first order meta-knowledge second order knowledge; meta-knowledge is also known as higher order knowledge. Meta-knowledge is a fundamental conceptual instrument in such research and scientific domains as, knowledge engineering, knowledge management, and others dealing with study and operations on knowledge, seen as a unified object/entities, abstracted from local conceptualizations and terminologies. Examples of the first-level individual meta-knowledge are methods of planning, modeling, tagging, learning and every modification of a domain knowledge. Indeed, universal meta-knowledge frameworks have to be valid for the organization of meta-levels of individual meta-knowledge. Meta-knowledge may be automatically harvested from electronic publication archives, to reveal patterns in research, relationships between researchers and institutions and to identify contradictory results.

See also Epistemic logic Macropædia Metacognition Metalearning Metaprogramming (in computer science) Metahistory (concept) Metahistory, a book by Hayden White Meta-philosophy Meta-epistemology Metalogic Metamathematics Metaphysics Meta-ethics Meta-ontology Metatheory Metadata

References

External links

Knowledge Interchange Format Reference Manual Chapter 7: Metaknowledge, Stanford University A Survey of Cognitive and Agent Architectures: Meta-knowledge, University of Michigan

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Metaknowledge

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Metaknowledge claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Metaknowledge before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Metaknowledge ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Metaknowledge

In research: Metaknowledge appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Metaknowledge in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Metaknowledge is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Concepts in epistemology, Epistemology stubs, Knowledge, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Metaknowledge outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Metaknowledge in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Metaknowledge means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Metaknowledge out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Metaknowledge in simple terms?

Metaknowledge or meta-knowledge is knowledge about knowledge. Some authors divide meta-knowledge into orders: zero order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain is not knowledge (and hence zero order meta-knowledge is not meta-knowledge per se) first order meta-knowledge is knowledge whose domain…

Why does Metaknowledge matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Metaknowledge?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Metaknowledge.