Procedural knowledge, also known as
imperative knowledge, is the knowledge exercised in the performance of some task. See below for the specific meaning of this term in
cognitive psychology and
intellectual property law.
Procedural knowledge, or implicit knowledge is different from other kinds of
knowledge, such as
declarative knowledge, in that it can be directly applied to a task. For instance, the procedural knowledge one uses to solve problems differs from the declarative knowledge one possesses about
problem solving because this knowledge is formed by doing.
In some legal systems, such procedural knowledge has been considered the
intellectual property of a company, and can be transferred when that company is purchased.
One limitation of procedural knowledge is its job-dependence; thus it tends to be less general than declarative knowledge. For example, a computer expert might have
knowledge about a computer algorithm in multiple languages, or in pseudo-code, whereas a Visual Basic programmer might only know about a specific implementation of that algorithm, written in Visual Basic. Thus the 'hands-on' expertise and experience of the Visual Basic programmer might be of commercial value only to Microsoft job-shops, for example.
One advantage of procedural knowledge is that it can involve more
senses, such as hands-on experience, practice at solving problems, understanding of the limitations of a specific solution, etc. Thus procedural knowledge can frequently eclipse theory.