A
community of practice (
CoP) is a group of people who share a craft and/or a profession. The concept was first proposed by
cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and
Etienne Wenger in 1991. A CoP can evolve naturally because of the members' common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created deliberately with the goal of gaining knowledge related to a specific field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally .