Epistemological reflections: How the document leads to knowledge?

Abstract

Documents are ubiquitous in everyday life. For example, the textbook serves to know the alphabet and the technical brochure serves to know how to ride a piece of furniture. However, the process to acquire such knowledge from the document has never been modeled. That is what this article proposes to do by a systemic modeling. In the pyramid model developed, the document is the base of the pyramid. It carries data (alphabetic signs...). These data, once interpreted by humans, transmit information. This information, when they are organized, structured and “contextualized” become knowing. This knowing, combined with other knowing acquired for example in the context of education, when they are applied, to answer the situation in a global context of reflection, become knowledge. This knowledge will allow, for example, to take a decision or action and in turn will be the basis for another pyramid also modeled.