Sebastião Ferreira (2012) Evolution and future of the knowledge commons: emerging
opportunities and challenges for less developed societies. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, Vol. 8, Nos. 2–3, 41–168

This article (see attached) addresses the emerging field of the knowledge commons in relation to the challenges of international development. It reviews the history of academic knowledge
and innovation since the Enlightenment, its evolution and current trends, with the purpose
of exploring the future of the knowledge commons. Assuming that knowledge is
the most important resource in the twenty-first century, the intention of this article is to
map the conditions necessary to take advantage of this resource. What are the barriers
to accessing and using the global common pool of knowledge that is currently being
generated? The supply and the demand sides of the knowledge sharing equation are
reviewed to understand their particularities and trends. Particular attention is given to
the demand side of this equation in order to identify the obstacles that prevent people
from less developed countries from taking full advantage of this fast-growing resource.