Managing Knowledge Provenance using Blockchain

Abstract

The emergence of a "post-fact" world has seen knowledge being misinterpreted and manipulated to suit diverse purposes. Information from credible sources is often drowned out by 'facts' with dubious provenance. It is not enough to simply establish knowledge provenance if this meta-data can be changed afterwards. This paper presents a possible solution using blockchains to manage knowledge provenance. The solution is modelled using a concrete example of knowledge institutions. Variations and extensions to suit other domains are suggested. Particularly, a graph based variation of the blockchain is outlined. We also discuss the impact of our model beyond technology. Show more