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Value of Being a Media and Information Literate Individual
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Warschauer, M. (2018). Digital literacy and digital literacies: Policy, pedagogy and research considerations for education. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 13(1), 2-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/00220411011066763
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What is Information Literacy?
Why is Information Literacy Important?
“Information literacy” is a term you’ll hear a lot during your college years. It means that all students (and all people, really) should be able to find and use reliable information and source materials and that they should be able to find the right material for whatever it is they’re doing or whatever questions they have (see the glossary of terms ).
Finding dependable information is especially important in the digital/internet age, where millions of ideas can be discovered in half a second but where much of that information is outdated or worthless.
Handling the materials correctly is important, too; this includes giving full credit when using materials created by others.
Here are a few of the questions we’ll explore:
- Why is information literacy important and necessary?
- How can I learn to find reliable, high-quality information and texts?
- How can I build my reading skills?
- How can I read, understand, and use texts effectively?
- How can I use my reading skills as a springboard to writing?
- What is plagiarism, and how do I avoid it?
- How can I cite source materials correctly in my college work?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As a college student, it’s important that you can find reliable sources for your class work and assignments. It’s also essential that you know how to correctly use and handle the sources when you make them part of your own work.
Outside of school, most of us also feel it’s important to be informed about current issues and ideas. Knowing what’s going on in the world is, arguably, a citizen’s responsibility. Plus, it feels good to join in a conversation and know the facts, or to be sure we’re sharing a meme, social media post, or news article that’s accurate and trustworthy.
Check Your Understanding: Snopes
Snopes is a widely respected, non-partisan site dedicated to investigating rumors, memes, social media statements, and news stories and then issuing decisions about whether the materials are correct or false.
Go to Snopes ’ “What’s New” page—a page that updates daily and includes the latest rumors: http://www.snopes.com/whats-new/
Scroll through the list until you find an interesting hot topic. Click and read, then write a quick paragraph that summarizes what you found. What did you learn? Were you surprised?
If this captured your interest, you may want to explore Snopes a little more. It’s a fun place to poke around and a great place to fact-check information.
As humans living in the digital age, we should know how to navigate the Web successfully, find the best materials, and evaluate and use them with confidence. Alas: in an age where a quick Google search nets millions of “hits” in half a second, evaluating the sources we choose can be trickier than it sounds. There’s a lot of great material on the Web, but there’s a lot of garbage, too. Being able to tell which is which is a digital-age-important life skill.
We also need to understand who “owns” information—whether hard copy (printed) or digital—and how and when to give credit to the owner: this keeps us safe from accidentally committing plagiarism.
Plagiarism occurs when we use someone else’s “intellectual property” without giving them credit. Intellectual property is defined as material or ideas envisioned and created by another person. There are many kinds of intellectual property, including books, articles, essays, stories, poems, films, photographs, works of art or craft, or even just ideas. If someone else thought of an idea and brought it into the world, they own it, and if you use their idea in your work, you have to acknowledge them as the actual owner. If you don’t? You’ve committed plagiarism. That’s not a good idea—and we’ll talk more about this in the “ Learning about Plagiarism ” section, later in this Information Literacy portion of the text.
Check Your Understanding: Plagiarism
There are a number of different practices which could lead to or be defined as plagiarism, so it’s important that you understand what constitutes plagiarism and what doesn’t. Which of these would be a kind of plagiarism?
- Copying written material from the Web and pasting it into your paper so it would look like you wrote it.
- Overhearing someone’s great idea while riding in an elevator and then later sharing the idea and saying it was yours.
- Finding a beautiful photograph on the Web and using it as your profile picture on social media without showing the photographer’s name.
- Citing lines of poetry in a blog post without mentioning the poet.
See the Appendix, Results for the “Check Your Understanding” Activities , for answers.
The Word on College Reading and Writing Copyright © by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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1 Introduction to Information Literacy
Academic research is a form of structured inquiry with specific rules and techniques. There is no single “right” way to do it. As with any other complex activity, like learning a language, the best way to learn is by doing: the more you practice, the more fluent you will become. Expectations about academic research often mistakenly assume that a) one can rely solely on the Internet, and b) research simply means gathering and summarizing sources. However, this is an oversimplification. The research process requires information literacy skills, and vice versa.
This introduction will provide you with an explanation of what information literacy is and its applications in school, in the workplace, and in everyday life. This chapter will also provide information on your options for meeting Weber State University’s (WSU) information literacy requirement.
Before we address questions about information literacy, we first need to define information. Michael Buckland (1991) stated there are three main definitions for information: Information-as-knowledge , Information-as-process , and Information-as-thing . Information-as-knowledge is what you perceive in your consciousness; what you think you know. Information-as-process is information you receive that alters, dismisses, or supports what you know. Finally, information-as-thing are objects that transmit information; this includes documents, data, recordings, or any other purveyor of information. These three forms of information work together as a system. Let’s examine how it works.
Imagine you have a lifelong interest in a particular subject. You are not an expert, but you know quite a bit about it ( Information-as-knowledge ). Upon deciding that this subject is something you would like to pursue even further, you begin to research it. You collect books, magazine articles, journal articles, and videos ( Information-as-thing ) on the subject to further your knowledge. As you interact with the materials, you find that some are credible, and others are not. You take in these new materials and compare and contrast them to what you already know, which furthers your knowledge of the subject ( Information-as-process ). Knowing how to successfully navigate the relationships between these three forms of information to gain insights to further your knowledge is much of the information literacy process.
INFORMATION LITERACY DEFINITIONS
The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) recently expanded its definition of information literacy to emphasize flexibility, individual growth, critical self-reflection, and collaboration. According to ACRL (2016), information literacy is a “set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (p. 3). In 2018, the UK’s Information Literacy Group, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), released an updated definition of information literacy, including the following:
Information literacy incorporates a set of skills and abilities which everyone needs to undertake information-related tasks; for instance, how to discover, access, interpret, analyse, manage, create, communicate, store and share information. But it is much more than that: it concerns the application of the competencies, attributes and confidence needed to make the best use of information and to interpret it judiciously. It incorporates critical thinking and awareness, and an understanding of both the ethical and political issues associated with using information…. Importantly, information literacy is empowering, and is an important contributor to democratic, inclusive, participatory societies; as interpreted by UNESCO, it is a universal human right. (p. 3)
These are two widely accepted definitions of information literacy from respected organizations that share common themes around using information from the perspective of consumer, collaborator, creator, and life-long learner.
BECOMING INFORMATION LITERATE: APPLICATIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, SCHOOL, & THE WORKPLACE
In a nutshell, information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning . It is common to all disciplines, learning environments, and levels of education. It refers to a set of characteristics that transforms an ordinary student into a wise information consumer, creator, and life-long learner.
Everyone has a certain level of information literacy. For instance, children know that if they need help, they can ask their parents or teachers. As they get older, they become more independent and learn how to find other sources of information through libraries and the Internet. When students enter college, they should have a set of fundamental information literacy competencies. However, these skills will continue to increase and improve through college, the workplace, and beyond.
Some aspects of information literacy involve using various information technologies. Others include critical evaluation of the information you find and the ethical use of information. An information-literate individual can problem-solve by using technologies to find, manage, critically evaluate , and ethically apply information. They possess a spirit of inquiry and perseverance to learn what is necessary to solve problems or complete tasks.
Information literacy is more than just a general education requirement. You become information literate through your coursework, personal experiences, and interactions with information at home, throughout life, and in the workplace. At school you will use the research process extensively, write research papers, learn about your field of study, and use information technologies to find sources. Through experiences with information at home, you may need to choose the safest car for your teenager, which doctor would be best for your family, or which roofing contractor does the best quality work. Throughout your life, you will make many decisions that affect your future and the future of those around you. You may be looking for a new job, need to relocate to a different state due to a poor local economy, or educate yourself on the candidates for political office in an upcoming election. In the workplace, you may encounter customer-service issues and need to solve them by finding data, drawing conclusions, and presenting your findings to upper management. Because information literacy skills in the workplace make an individual a much more attractive job applicant, we will discuss this in more detail in the following paragraphs.
Today’s employers are looking for people who can understand and adapt to the characteristics of the information age. According to Forster (2017), “In a world in which information is the very lifeblood of business and the professions, the quality of performance is dependent on the ability to use that information efficiently, effectively and creatively” (p. 2). Lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, or those in the financial or business sectors deal with information daily. To address issues or problems at work, they must know when legal, business, personal or other information is required, how to conduct complex information searches, critically evaluate and ethically use information, and synthesize it into their knowledge base. Employees without these skills, who are information illiterate, could potentially cause significant financial or legal problems for themselves or their employers (Forster, 2017).
Information-literate employees have strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. They also make valuable contributions because they are prepared to adapt to a changing environment and think through work assignments or problems. Employees with information literacy skills can also build professionalism and set themselves apart from their co-workers. In the business world you are expected to do your “due diligence,” or research. If you work in the cell phone industry and your team has been assigned to improve a phone’s liquid crystal display, your research must back up your recommendations and strategies. However, you are also expected to evaluate your research for credibility . If you are using another person’s work, or ideas, you must understand how to use it ethically. The stakes are significantly higher when you conduct research in the business world, and a competent information-literate professional understands the need to use and develop these skills.
CONSTRUCT OF INFORMATION LITERACY
For our purposes, the construct of information literacy is made up of a set of six interconnected core concepts that cover ideas about information, communication, research, and scholarship, focusing on students as both consumers and creators of information (ACRL, 2016). (A construct is a complex idea encompassing many simpler elements.) The following are the six core concepts of this course:
1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual An information-literate person will always consider the source(s) of the information they use. Authority is constructed; what is considered an authority in one field may differ from what is considered an authority in another. People will have different opinions about what makes a person an “expert.” It is contextual in that the information needed may help someone determine the level of authority required. For example, sometimes it is necessary to limit a search to materials created by people with advanced degrees or extensive experience; other times it may be appropriate to consider a source whose credentials are not academic.
2. Information Creation as a Process Information is any format produced to convey a message shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative (involving repetition) processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences. Sometimes the quality of a source can be determined by the process used to create it. For example, consider the process of formulating an X post versus a peer-reviewed article.
3. Information Has Value Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, a means of education, influence, and a means of negotiating and understanding the world. One way we acknowledge the value of information is through copyright and citation. Some information is not free, and some people cannot afford to pay for it; this is an example of the monetary value of information. Another example of the value of information is personal value. For example, some share information about themselves freely, while others are more private. The information you share via your online presence can be manipulated by others for specific purposes.
4. Research as Inquiry Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field. When investigating a topic, it is important to consult various sources and multiple kinds of sources.
5. Scholarship as Conversation Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations. In other words, scholarship is the product of people interacting through various means such as technology, publications, and personal interactions. These interactions can occur in informal settings like conversations in the hallway at work, through social media or blogs , as well as in formal publications in scholarly journals . Both formal and informal interactions contribute to the development of scholarship.
6. Searching as Strategic Exploration Searching for information is often a non-linear and iterative process. It involves evaluating various information sources and the mental flexibility to explore different paths as understanding evolves. While it typically begins with a topic or question, it is not a simple series of steps to follow from start to finish.
At WSU, the general education information literacy requirement is based on these six core concepts, which have been summarized in the learning outcomes for this course. These learning outcomes are listed in your class syllabus.
MEETING WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY’S INFORMATION LITERACY REQUIREMENT
At WSU, you meet the information literacy requirement by taking a library science (LIBS) course. However, information literacy is embedded throughout your coursework at WSU, into both general education and your major field of study. You might not notice that you are becoming more information literate, just like it is hard to notice someone is growing taller if you see them every day. Information literacy goes beyond just completing a class; it is an ongoing process and a way of thinking. As you continue your education, you will gain skills and abilities to utilize in other classes.
Before starting this course, it is important to know there are several ways to meet this requirement. If you earn a C (73%) or better in any of the specified LIBS courses, you will fulfill WSU’s information literacy requirement. For more information on these course options, go to https://library.weber.edu/services/information-literacy .
- LIBS 1704: Information Navigator. This is a one credit hour course for students in all majors.
- LIBS/EDUC 2604: Information Resources in Education. This is a one credit hour course intended for education majors or those interested in this field.
- LIBS/HTHS 2904: Information Resources in the Health Professions. This one credit hour course is cross-listed in health professions and is intended for those majoring in or interested in the health professions fields.
- ENGL 2015: Intermediate College Writing & Research. This four credit hour course combines elements of English 2010 with the information literacy content of LIBS 1704.
If you aren’t sure which is the best option for you, contact a library representative via phone or email and discuss your options:
- 801-626-7068
- Relay Utah 711; en Español 1-888-346-3162
- Via email: [email protected]
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Along with offering student assistance at the library, several free resources are available to assist you with all stages of the research process, from searching, writing, formatting, and general support.
FOR WRITING
Writing Center https://www.weber.edu/WritingCenter Elizabeth Hall, Room 210 (801) 626-6463 Email help: [email protected]
Free drop-in and appointment tutoring, during day, evening, and weekend hours
FOR RESEARCH
Stewart Library Reference and Research Assistance Click on Live Help from the Stewart Library website to access an online library assistant. (801) 626-6545 Email help: [email protected]
Subject Librarians Contact a subject specialist for research assistance in your field of study: https://library.weber.edu/find/subject-librarian
FOR GENERAL SUPPORT
Military-Affiliated Student Center https://www.weber.edu/military-affiliated/ Shepherd Union, 322 (801) 626-6039 Email: [email protected]
Disability Services https://www.weber.edu/disabilityservices Student Services Center, Room 181 (Ogden) (801) 626-6413 (Ogden) Davis D2, 256 (Davis) (801) 395-3442 (Davis) Email: [email protected] (Ogden) [email protected] (Davis)
Student Access & Success https://www.weber.edu/student-access-success/ Student Services Bldg. Suite 150 (801) 626-7006
Weber Cares Pantry https://weber.edu/pantry Stewart Library, Room 224 (801) 626-6235 Email: [email protected]
Hourly Child Care Center https://weber.edu/childcare Shepherd Union, Room 322 (801) 626-7798 Email: [email protected]
Learning Support & Tutoring Services https://www.weber.edu/Tutoring/
International Student & Scholar Center https://www.weber.edu/issc Student Services Center, Room 143 (801) 626-6853 Email: [email protected]
Counseling & Psychological Services Center https://www.weber.edu/CounselingCenter/ Student Services Center, Room 280 (Ogden) Davis D2, Room 262 (Davis) (801) 626-6406 (Ogden and Davis)
Using your own words to restate and condense information from a source; summarized passages will often be shorter than the original passage.
The concept of scientific inquiry as a nonlinear and iterative process composed of several components, including Investigate , Search , Locate , Evaluate , Document , and Utilize .
A Construct defined by the American Library Association as the skills necessary to know when information is needed, and to find, evaluate, and utilize it effectively.
One of three parts of Michael Buckland’s concept of Information; the information contained in your own mind; what you know.
One of three parts of Michael Buckland’s concept of Information; the information you receive that supports, contradicts, or alters what you know.
One of three parts of Michael Buckland’s concept of Information; a vehicle of information that allows it to be transmitted, such as a document or website.
Formal and informal learning that occurs throughout life for employment, advancement, and personal fulfillment.
One of the components of the Research Process , which involves the practice of appraising the value of an information source both in its own right and as it relates to your topic, typically by investigating its Authority , Credibility , Currency , Bias , and Documentation .
The quality of believability; the ability of an author or work to inspire trust based on the author’s expertise, training, credentials, objectivity, or other factors of Authority . An important consideration in the Evaluation of Information .
An idea or theory composed of several conceptual elements.
One of the criteria used in the Evaluation of Information , which considers the qualifications of the author to write with Credibility on the topic in question; these may include academic credentials, extensive work experience, or other considerations.
Involving repetition. Utilizing repetition of a sequence of operations, steps, or procedures.
One of the Short Formats of information: a brief message posted by a user on the social media platform, X .
A process some scholarly articles go through prior to publication, where scholars in that field read and review articles submitted for publication, usually with the option to require edits, approve, or deny publication, and often without knowing the name of the authors.
The exclusive legal right of the creator of a work, such as a poem, story, video, or song, to print, perform, record, publish, post online, or profit from the work, whether or not the creator has published it, which limits the work’s use by others to activities allowed under Fair Use . In the United States copyright is assigned automatically to all new works, with a few exceptions including facts, statistical data, and government publications, and may be sold, transferred, or modified, by using a Creative Commons or Open Access license. When copyright expires, a work enters the Public Domain .
One of the components of the Research Process , which involves understanding the information need and articulating it in the form of a Research Question or Thesis Statement .
A regularly updated website or web page written in an informal or conversational style, usually by one person or a small group of contributors; short for “Web Log.” One of the Long Formats of information.
A type of Periodical containing articles written by experts in specific disciplines, often Peer Reviewed .
One of the components of the Research Process , which involves discovering information sources to fulfill the information need identified during the Investigation component.
Information Navigator Copyright © 2022 by Weber State University Stewart Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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Why do Information Literacy?
Information literacy: why do information literacy.
- Authority is Constructed and Contextual
- Information Creation as a Process
- Information Has Value
- Research as Inquiry
- Scholarship as Conversation
- Searching as Strategic Exploration
- Assignment Design
- Computer Science
- English & Communications
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Information literacy, wrote Dr. Carol Kulthau in her 1987 paper “ Information Skills for an Information Society ,” is “the ability to read and to use information essential for everyday life”—that is, to effectively navigate a world built on “complex masses of information generated by computers and mass media.”
Why is information literacy important? In this Information Age, when the expansion of available information is proceeding at an unprecedented rate, clear concepts of how to access and evaluate this information are essential. National organizations, including the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), and a growing number of the regional accreditation associations are grappling with the issue of ensuring that our graduates are information literate. When citizens fail to understand how information is organized and accessed, they lose the freedom to seek and critically analyze information for themselves, the freedom to make personally informed decisions on political and social issues, and the freedom to make an enlightened contribution to the body of human knowledge. In this context, information literacy as a set of skills is much more than how to search the Internet or use the latest Microsoft product. Information literacy rises to the level of possessing a worldview that acknowledges that there is a wealth of information available and that an educated citizen should possess the ability to harness it to enhance his or her own life and the lives of those around them. Information literacy is also important in order...
- to empower students to learn for themselves.
- to enable informed decision-making.
- to equip students for success in their careers.
- to meet needs of employers for information literate employees.
- to promote the creation of self-sufficient researchers.
- to encourage the careful evaluation of information sources for bias and inaccuracy.
- to help students deal with information overload.
- to offer strategies for using Google with discernment and for evaluating online information.
- to meet NEASC standards.
- to support the College mission.
- to meet College strategic plan objectives
adapted from McKillop Library | Salve Regina University
From AAC&U - The Information Literacy Imperative in Higher Education
From the Chronicle of Higher Education - At Sea in a Deluge of Data
This new study reveals a gap between the searching, research & comprehension skills expected by employers and what newly graduated employees deliver:
“Many employers said their fresh-from-college hires frequently lack deeper and more traditional skills in research and analysis. Instead, the new workers default to quick answers plucked from the Internet.”
The author posits that a new curriculum blending search techniques, statistical analysis, and knowledge of major research institutes & the scientific method will be needed to effectively teach students how to synthesize and support their research, both in the classroom and on the job.
From Project Information Literacy
How do first year college students make the critical information transition from high school to college? How do they begin to conduct college-level research? During the 2012-13 academic year, the PIL research team conducted interviews with 35 freshmen from six U.S. colleges and universities. Read the research report (48 pages, 6.2MB). Watch the preview video (2:40 minutes)
AACU VALUE Rubric
- Information Literacy VALUE Rubric
The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand. - Adopted from the National Forum on Information Literacy -- from the AAC&U website
NEASC Standards
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) standards specify that graduates of New England higher education institutions should demonstrate information literacy competency including the capability for life-long learning. (See standards below)
4.12 Expectations for student achievement, independent learning, information literacy , skills in inquiry, and critical judgment are appropriate to the subject matter and degree level and in keeping with generally accepted practice.
4.15 Graduates successfully completing an undergraduate program demonstrate competence in written and oral communication in English; the ability for scientific and quantitative reasoning, for critical analysis and logical thinking; and the capability for continuing learning, including the skills of information literacy . They also demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific, historical, and social phenomena,and a knowledge and appreciation of the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of humankind.
Acknowledgement
Adapted from Information Literacy for Faculty by King's College
- Next: What is Information Literacy? >>
- Last Updated: Aug 14, 2024 2:26 PM
- URL: https://library.mcla.edu/info_lit
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What is Information Literacy?
What is information literacy and what does it mean to be information literate?
The American Library Association defines information literacy as a set of abilities empowering individuals to recognize when information is needed and to be able to locate it, evaluate it, and use it effectively.
While information literacy is often talked about on college campuses in terms of doing library research for papers and annotated bibliographies and other sorts of classroom assignments, we use and need information in every aspect of our lives. Think about all of the informal research we do each day. We look up movie and book reviews, how-to videos on YouTube, product reviews, and strategies for parenting. We Google how to fill out some field on our tax forms, we look up job ads and tips on job interviews, how to spell or define some unfamiliar word or acronym. We all have information needs, and being able to effectively identify and meet those needs is at the core information literacy. Being able to differentiate quality information from questionable information is also critical. Is that shocking article your sister posted on social media actually true? What about health advice offered by a friend? What about some surprising statistic you heard cited by a politician or political candidate?
The American Library Association asks to think about information literacy in six ways:
1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
When you use information, or choose one source of information over another, you presume a certain amount of expertise on the part of the information’s author on the topic they are writing about. What gives the author that authority? What makes some information more authoritative than other information? What makes a piece of information authoritative can vary from discipline to discipline and be based on context. So for example, an author may be an authority on a given topic because of extensive experience, or because of extensive education. Even without deep experience or education, an author may bring authority to their writing based on their having witnessed or participated in some major event. In both cases, their authority is contextual. A physics professor may have authority when writing within their field, but be considered far less authoritative when writing in an unrelated field.
2. Information Creation as a Process
Information appears in a variety of forms. Depending on whether it is in the form of a newspaper article, a scholarly book, or a formatted report, the creation of information requires a process. Understanding how and why authors publish in a particular format, what those formats require in terms of fact checking, or sourcing, or expertise, what editorial oversight exists, the role of publishers—all these considerations may play into your thinking about the relevance of a particular information source to your research question.
3. Information Has Value
Information has value, and this fact has very real implications to researchers and information consumers in both how information is produced and how it is disseminated. It has economic value as a commodity, for example, as evidenced by intellectual property rights and other legal considerations, and by the considerable role of the publishing industry. Information also has educational and social value, with its ability to inform, educate, and persuade.
4. Research as Inquiry
One can think of research as an inquiry. A researcher asks a question, or identifies some gap in our current understanding of a topic, and in the process of filling that gap, new questions and new avenues for further research emerge.
5. Scholarship as Conversation
Scholarship on a given topic will grow and evolve over time. New theories, new interpretations, new experiments, new facts are always being discovered and debated. As the references or citations of any scholarly article demonstrate, every researcher is building on the work of many other researchers. Conscientious scholars will always go to great effort to indicate what previous work has informed their own work. College students are expected to adopt this practice as well, citing the work that informs their own work and situating their ideas and theories within the larger conversation taking place in their respective discipline.
6. Searching as Strategic Exploration
Over time, as you gain experience and your research needs grow more complex, you will likely develop sophisticated strategies for locating relevant information. Searching for information is rarely as simple as just plugging a keyword into a search engine or library database and getting all the books and articles you need. You’ll likely try different ways of searching for information, and in different places. You may want to brainstorm, or talk to a librarian. The five chapters in this text each look at a different aspect of information literacy but will collectively provide you with an overview of those concepts most critical to navigating today’s information environment. After each chapter you will have the opportunity to test your understanding with a brief reflection. We begin by looking at the research process.
Sources Used to Create this Chapter
The majority of the content for this section has been adapted from the following OER Material:
- Information Literacy Concepts by David Hisle and Kathryn Webb, which was published under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Starting the Journey: An Intro to College Writing Copyright © by Leonard Owens III; Tim Bishop; and Scott Ortolano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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Media and information fluency.
- Information Literacy Defined
- Videos Covering the Basics of Information Literacy
- The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
- Fact Checking
- Social Media
- Newspaper Databases
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Definitions & Standards
" What is Information Literacy? " created by Modern Librarian Memoirs on YouTube . Accessed 2024.
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." 1 Information literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources. Because of the escalating complexity of this environment, individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices--in their academic studies, in the workplace, and in their personal lives. Information is available through libraries, community resources, special interest organizations, media, and the Internet--and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability. In addition, information is available through multiple media, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it. The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society. The sheer abundance of information will not in itself create a more informed citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively.
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education . American Library Association. 2006. (Accessed June 4, 2013). Library instruction sessions, LibGuides and the Research 101 course are based on these standards. Information literacy skills are essential in today's world. Student development of information literacy is a process that spans the entire college experience.
Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner. http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/advocacy-campaigns-awards/advocacy-campaigns/information-literacy/information-literacy Information literacy is the ability to recognize the extent and nature of an information need, then to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information. (Plattsburgh State Information and Computer Literacy Task Force, 2001) http://www.plattsburgh.edu/library/instruction/informationliteracydefinition.php Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to:
- Determine the extent of information needed
- Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
- Evaluate information and its sources critically
- Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
- Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally http://libguides.unitec.ac.nz/infolitstaff (from Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand)
- Information literacy is…..the set of skills enabling students to recognize when they need information, how to competently locate it from appropriate sources and evaluate its use and potential. Being able to critically evaluate and effectively use information does not just create successful students, it makes them independent lifelong learners, helping them succeed in the workplace and beyond.
Through IL instruction, students learn to:
- Recognize the need for information and determines the nature and extent of the information needed.
- Find needed information effectively and efficiently.
- Critically evaluate information and the information seeking process.
- Manage information collected or generated.
- Apply prior and new information to construct new concepts or create new understandings.
- Use information with understanding and acknowledge cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information.
Definitions & Standards continued
Information Literacy Defined http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." 1 Information literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources. Because of the escalating complexity of this environment, individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices--in their academic studies, in the workplace, and in their personal lives. Information is available through libraries, community resources, special interest organizations, media, and the Internet--and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability. In addition, information is available through multiple media, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it. The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society. The sheer abundance of information will not in itself create a more informed citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively. Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to:
- Information literacy is…..the set of skills enabling students to recognise when they need information, how to competently locate it from appropriate sources and evaluate its use and potential. Being able to critically evaluate and effectively use information does not just create successful students, it makes them independent lifelong learners, helping them succeed in the workplace and beyond.
At Unitec all our information literacy classes are based on the Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy (ANZIIL) standards . Students learn to:
- Recognise the need for information and determines the nature and extent of the information needed.
- Use information with understanding and acknowledge cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information. http://unitec.v1.libguides.com/content.php?pid=294846
Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy
UNESCO Launches Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy
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- Last Updated: Sep 10, 2024 4:18 PM
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Information Literate Individual: Great Mind, Greater Responsibility
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