SHORT GUIDE FOR THE INFORMATION LITERATE STUDENT

by Stan Nenov

Short Guide for the Information Literate Student

Probably, the first thought that comes to your mind while reading the above title is:

Why do I need to be an information literate student? and What is information literacy anyway?

Let’s answer those questions first and then you can make up your mind.

What is information literacy?

Information literacy enables individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”

(Source: Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, Approved by the Board of Directors of Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), January 2000)

Is there a need for information literacy? 16 years ago in a report the American Library

Association predicted that the development of information and computer technology will change the life of every American.

Librarians warned that new technologies will also require new information literacy skills to manage the overload of information.

Let’s look at the numbers and see whether librarians were able to correctly predict the pros and cons of the Information Age.

Are we super-informed?

"A weekday edition of the New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in seventeenth-century England.“

(Source: Richard Saul Wurman, Information Anxiety, 1989)

Is there an information overload?

“More new information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5000. About 1000 books are published internationally every day, and the total of all printed knowledge doubles every eight years.”

(Source:Large, Peter. The Micro Revolution Revisited,1984 )

How much information is out there?

“The storage of new information has been growing at a rate of over 30% a year.”

“The amount of new information stored on paper, film, magnetic, and optical media has about doubled in the last three years.“

(Source : “How much information? 2003”, study produced by faculty and students at the University of California at Berkley)

What do we do? Don’t panic. You can manage the explosion of

information out there by learning information literacy skills.

Remember: - your college and public library are your best partner in

the new learning process. -consult with your librarian before starting a research

project. -attend as many information literacy classes as you can. Start with this one.

What are the benefits of being an information literate student?

Your college grades and work will improve.

Possessing research skills will save you time.

You will be more competitive when looking for a job.

Friends, colleagues and peers will be impressed by you and your knowledge and competence.

Who is an information literate student? According to the standards of the Association of

College and Research Libraries an information literate student :

1. Determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

2. Researches information effectively and efficiently. 3. Evaluates information and its sources critically.4. Uses information and technology knowledge

effectively. 5. Accesses information ethically and legally.

Determine the information you need

First find out what is your research project?

- essay, oral presentation, report, research paper

Clarify with your instructor and classmates the type of research material needed:

- books, magazines, journal articles, websites, movies, CD’s

Do you need popular or scholarly kind of information? Instructors often require the use of scholarly

articles and books.

Scholarly articles & books are: -written and reviewed by experts in the field with additional information (bibliography)

Popular articles & books are : - written for everybody, not reviewed by experts, and no additional information is provided

Deciding where to look first

What do you need

Where to find it

Books Library Catalog

Popular

Articles

Popular Magazines and Newspapers

Scholarly Articles Periodical Index; Online Database

Websites Search Engines, Internet Directories

Current News Search Engines

Develop a search strategy The first step in your research is to browse

encyclopedias, articles, and the Internet for information and additional ideas.

Next, identify the main concepts in your search. Think of keywords that best describe your concepts.

If your research topic is about the spread of AIDS in the US, the keywords (concepts) would be spread, AIDS, USA

Broaden your search strategy Use a thesaurus dictionary to find similar words to

broaden your search.

-for example: America for USA; HIV for AIDS; growth for spread

Start with those six keywords to search the library catalog, online databases and search engines.

If you get too many results limit your search to the three basic keywords: USA ; HIV ; spread

How to search information effectively? Use the Boolean operator OR to group your key

words (concepts) with the same meaning

America OR USA ; HIV OR AIDS ; growth OR spread

Use the Boolean operator AND to connect the main concepts (keywords) of your search:

America OR USA AND HIV OR AIDS AND growth OR spread

Evaluate your search results

As a rule of thumb, you have to carefully examine all of your research results.

Even scholarly articles and books need to be re-examined, although they have undergone some review by experts already.

You and only you are the final authority on what to include and exclude from your research project.

Be extra careful with websites

Nobody regulates the Internet. Anyone can create a website on the World Wide Web.

A published site on the Internet does not make anybody an expert.

Always check who is the author of a website and if you are not able to contact him by e-mail or phone, don’t use the site.

Simple rules for evaluation Always examine your print or online sources for:

1. Author- what expertise and affiliation 2. Audience - who is it written for general public,

students, experts 3. Scholarship-is there a thorough bibliography 4. Bias/Objectivity- is someone’s opinion

dominating 5. Currency- how current is the information

presented

Ethical way to use information If you don’t want to be accused of plagiarism, when

you use someone else’s work (words, pictures, data, graphics e.t.c ) always give proper credit by citing the original author.

You have to cite the sources that you use within your project and in a bibliography at the end of your work.

Consult with your instructor which style guide (MLA, APA, etc.) to use when citing your sources for your bibliography.

Legal way to use information

Information is an intellectual property and as such is copyrighted.

“Fair Use” of a copyrighted work is allowed for scholarship, teaching, news reporting, comment and research.

Usage of copyrighted work for profit is not allowed and it is against the law.

Information Literacy as a lifelong skill Information literacy is a lifelong learning process.

Knowing where and how to find the information you need is a powerful and liberating tool.

One thing is for sure with information literacy you are in for a long and interesting ride.

Good Luck and Bon Voyage!