The journal publishes research papers, case studies and short ‘community notes' which have a knowledge management component and relate to international development. Development in this specific context relates to such topics as aid/assistance to developing countries, international cooperation and poverty alleviation. Examples of relevant sub-sectors include health, agriculture, education, gender empowerment, policy issues, and so forth.

The journal is concerned with the role of knowledge in development processes. This might include knowledge management within an organisation, from small community-based organisations to large multilateral ones; knowledge process with the grassroots; and description and analysis of knowledge networks. The journal also aims to promote cross-fertilisation with other fields and, in particular, to provide a platform to share information on approaches that throw light on the development sector-wide knowledge system. By challenging current assumptions and promoting cross-fertilisation, the journal seeks to stimulate new thinking and to shape future ways of working.

Development is understood to be a process involving a broad palette of human factors, concerned with individual people living in very different conditions across the world. As such, development efforts are aimed at strengthening people's abilities to respond to the challenges they encounter in their environment at individual, family, community and wider societal levels. It is a process of empowerment of marginalised people, which involves the transfer, development and leveraging of knowledge in such a way that they are better informed of their personal development possibilities and livelihood opportunities, and better equipped to capitalize on them. From this perspective, development initiatives can succeed only if there is a thorough understanding of the cultural and socio-economic environment of the intended beneficiaries: development depends to a large extent on how well knowledge of these factors is applied.