Martin’s book chapter is available to read in pdf form because of the way he views knowledge/ information. Martin thinks information should be liberated. He says, “the word knowledge suggests certainty, authoritativeness, even usefulness. It is a good thing to be knowledgeable yet much knowledge is quite limited, specific, parochial.” Martin suggests that economic knowledge is oriented to certain powerful groups, notably corporations, governments and economists themselves. Martin speaks of knowledge as being “all sorts” for example a mechanic knows about motors and a parent knows about a child. Yet, he shifts away from these sorts to focus on the sorts of knowledge that have greatest credibility-knowledge certified by scientists, engineers, medical researchers, lawyers and other such reports. Still, the issue does not stop there Martin speaks of the shaping of knowledge and coined the old saying “the one who pays the piper calls the tune.” Meaning because of hierachy and funding the people at the top provides a strong steering process-therefore only certain types of knowledge are likely to result because the researchers are paid to look only for certain types of things.
The availablity of this book chapter online certainly exemplify Martin’s idea that scholarship should be liberated. Just as this chapter is readily available even so scholarship should be. Not with all the red tapes, excessive questions and essay writing that it entails at present.
