Information Literacy

Introduction

People will often talk about the importance of information literacy, but just what does it mean to be information literate? The American Library Association defines information literacy as the ability to

“recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”[1]

The Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) 7 Pillars of Information Literacy provides a framework strategy for assembling material for your research project.

The pillars are as follows:

  • Identify what you need to find out.
  • Assess current knowledge, identify your personal knowledge gaps, and understand what types of information are available.
  • Plan where you’ll locate data and how you’ll use it.
  • Gather data needed, keeping track of where you found your information
  • Evaluate both your research process and the information your find; compare and analyze data.
  • Manage the information you’ve gathered professionally and ethically—cite all of your sources.
  • Present the knowledge you’ve gained, disseminating information to others and apply your knowledge to your life.

Information Literacy

The following video explores the definition of information literacy and provides examples of the components that are most applicable to collegiate-level writing:

“5 Components of Information Literacy.” By Seminole State Library. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ronp6Iue9w Licensed under: CC-BY

Summary

Information literacy is increasingly more important for students obtaining a college education. There are many approaches to ensure you are obtaining the most accurate and relevant information available on the internet and within your library databases.

Strategies that you can use in your academic writing include: using specific search terms, evaluating information critically, considering multiple points of view, identifying gaps in information, and providing the correct form of attribution for your source.

Sources:

“5 Components of Information Literacy.” By Seminole State Library. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ronp6Iue9w Licensed under: CC-BY

“Information Literacy.” By Lumen Learning. Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/information-literacy/ Licensed under: CC-BY

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

ENG124 KnowledgePath – Research and Writing in the Disciplines Copyright © by The American Women's College and Jessica Egan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.