CKIers

CKIers are members of the Collaborative Knowledge Initiative (CKI), an international network dedicated to creating, sharing, and applying knowledge through open collaboration. The CKI emphasizes open access, interdisciplinary research, and community-driven projects that span higher education, non-profit organizations, and industry partners.

CKI was founded in 2015 by a coalition of universities, libraries, and research collectives seeking to lower barriers to knowledge production. The initiative operates through regional chapters and online platforms, enabling participants to form working groups around topics such as open data, education technology, and research methods.

Membership is open to individuals who complete a CKI onboarding program and agree to the organization's code of conduct. CKIers may be researchers, educators, students, software developers, librarians, or practitioners who contribute to collaborative projects and share results under open licenses.

Activities include annual symposia, ongoing online forums, collaborative publications, and the development of open-source tools. Projects often involve co-authored papers, shared datasets, and community peer review.

Governance is typically represented by a rotating council and a board of directors, with regional coordinators to support local activity. Decisions are guided by published bylaws, community feedback mechanisms, and transparent budgeting.

CKI has been praised for expanding access to knowledge and fostering cross-institutional collaboration. Some critiques note concerns about governance transparency, funding stability, and the representativeness of participating groups.

Related topics include open science, knowledge management, digital literacy, and open education resources.