At the simplest level, they are a small group of people who have worked together over a period of time.

Lesser and Storck of the IBM Institute for Knowledge Management argue that the social capital in communities, which may be virtual or co-located, lead to changes that positively influence business performance.

James B. Smethurst. For any member of a Community of Practice, there comes a time to interface with individuals and organizations which do not form part of the Community. The difficulty of this situation is the issue of language. Every Community of Practice has its own pattern language, its own way of expressing and discussing the unique qualities of its chosen art.

Group that discusses technology, theory and developmental practices. Features a glossary and links to related sites.

A weblog about communities of practice and online community. Members receive regular newsletters. Includes a large library, events listing, case studies, photo gallery, and directory of thought leaders.

The term CoP is used to describe many groups. Here the CoP is discussed as a means of providing the missing social dimension to the virtual world.

One of the largest resources on Virtual Communities of Practice with definitions, books, research, other resources, showcases and frequently updates.

Describes an anthology of essays about community building in the workplace, written by a virtual community of community-builders.

Resources and information for individuals and organizations who are developing expertise in the cultivation of communities of practice. Features educational resources, publications and contact details.

Knowledge management consultants for building and supporting communities of practice, virtual teams and communities in the enterprise organisation.

Homepage of the Community of Practice researcher and consultant who coined the term along with Jean Lave. Features links to his widely-read publications on the field, including an exhaustive survey of technologies that can be used to support Communities of Practice.

Global Gateways is currently facilitating Communities of Practice (CoPs) for Chief Information Officers (CIOs). We are also forming Communities for other management groups.

Lecture notes from a course taught by Chris Kimble at York University. Provides links to sources of information on knowledge management and communities of practice.

Overview of the lessons IBM Global Services have learned since 1995 implementing Communities of Practice. Focuses on people and organization behavior, supporting processes, and enabling technology factors.

A website by Bellanet on leveraging Knowledge Management and Communities of Practice for the international development sector.

Chris Kimble's research in CSCW and Knowledge Management, in particular, the representation and dissemination of knowledge in virtual team and in virtual environments. He is interested in the problems associated with cross-cultural or trans-national team and knowledge work in an international context.

Introduction, historical view and chapter abstracts of book by Pete Bradshaw, Stephen Powell and Dr. Ian Terrell. Features annotated references.

Researchs and develops new architectures, ideas and internet software for collaborative knowledge development and learning. Features overviews, portals and contact information.

Communities of Practice researcher Richard McDermott's consulting firm.

Although communities of practice develop organically, a carefully crafted design can drive their evolution. By Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder; published in Harvard Business School's "Working Knowledge."

Shadowy groups called communities of practice are where learning and growth happen.

Helps groups and organizations build virtual teams and learning communities through organization development consulting, web-based conferencing, and facilitation services.

Wiki works to develop an understanding of the concept through public contributions. Includes recent revisions.

Paper argues that the transfer of a concept that is deeply rooted in the lived-in world to the virtual involves significant conceptual problems. By Christopher Lueg. [PDF]