science

Sticky information

Sticky information 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 Sticky information rather than just read about it. In short: In the field of management, sticky information is information that is costly to acquire, transfer, and use in a new location. Eric von Hippel coined the term around 1994.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

In the field of management, sticky information is information that is costly to acquire, transfer, and use in a new location. Eric von Hippel coined the term around 1994. Because of the importance of sticky, local information for some kinds of innovation and product customization, von Hippel suggests that in certain circumstances the innovation will be increasingly accomplished by end-users (user innovation) rather than an expert provider. Toolkits for user innovation can be used to support end-users in their innovation process.

Economics

In the field of economics, sticky information is related to the concept of sticky prices. That is, members of the economy are making decisions with lagged information.

See also Configuration system Creativity techniques Crowdcasting Lead user Open Innovation Product differentiation Product management User innovation

References

External links Eric Von Hippel's homepage — includes books and articles in the Creative Commons licence

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sticky information

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sticky information 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 Sticky information 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 Sticky information 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 Sticky information

In research: Sticky information 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 Sticky information 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: Sticky information is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1994 neologisms, Information systems, Innovation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sticky information 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 Sticky information in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sticky information 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 Sticky information out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sticky information in simple terms?

In the field of management, sticky information is information that is costly to acquire, transfer, and use in a new location. Eric von Hippel coined the term around 1994.

Why does Sticky information 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 Sticky information?

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 Sticky information.