Information Literacy
What is Information Literacy
Information is all around us. Knowing how to identify the information we need to answer our questions is an essential life skill that we develop during our time at university.
Information literacy describes our ability to find the information we need when we want it.
At university students are encouraged and required to find information for assignments and learning, to figure out which sources and decide what types of data are most relevant to their research questions.
This is information literacy. Like all skills information literacy needs to be nurtured and developed.
Key components of information literacy include:
Clearly describing a problem or question
Investigating the problem or question
Identifying reliable information which will answer your question
Choose credible and reliable sources to answer your question
Analysing and using the information in an ethical way
How to use Information Literacy Skills
You will use your information literacy and research skills every time you are set an assignment topic at university.
In each stage of the assignment process, it’s necessary to apply information literacy skills to identify the information you need.
Whether you have been set a presentation, essay, literature review, annotated bibliography, case study or group seminar work your research process will broadly follow these steps:
Step 1: Brainstorm research topics and questions to investigate.
Step 2: Conduct preliminary research on relevant topics to understand the range of the information available.
Step 3: Narrow or expand the search parameters.
Step 4: Review and evaluate the sources identified.
Step 5: Assess the credibility of the sources.
Step 6: Identify similar themes across multiple sources.
Incorporating these steps into your research process not only aligns with the fundamental principles of information literacy but also serves as a roadmap for producing well-rounded and substantiated academic work.
Developing your Information Literacy Skills
Information literacy is a valuable skill in education and beyond.
The ability to research and use information from various sources is essential to succeed in university. The university environment and course learning objectives encourage the critical assessment and evaluation of data required to be information literate.
However, it is not enough to expect our studies to help us develop all the skills we need. Information literacy is an ongoing skill that we must invest in over time.
The more time and effort you invest in developing these skills the greater the impact on your research process and assignment submissions.
There are steps you can take to develop your skills:
Step 1 – Develop Your Search Skills:
Invest in understanding effective search strategies to locate information efficiently.
Master advanced search techniques, including Boolean operators, phrase searching, and wildcards.
Learn to apply these skills to library catalogues, specialized databases, and subject-specific sources for targeted results, saving valuable time.
Step 2 – Evaluate Your Sources:
Develop the ability to choose trustworthy sources, going beyond mere alignment with your search query.
Prioritize quality over quantity by assessing the credibility of sources using the CRAAP framework – current, reliable, authoritative, accurate, and purposeful.
Recognize that academic writing thrives on scholarly sources, ensuring accuracy and credibility.
Step 3 – Practice Academic Integrity:
Embrace academic integrity as a fundamental aspect of your conduct throughout the research process.
Adhere to ethical research practices, report based on facts, acknowledge sources, and avoid using others' work as your own.
Uphold information usage within copyright laws, fostering a mindset of honesty, trust, and responsibility.
Step 4 – Use a Notetaking Method:
Choose a notetaking method that aligns with your learning goals and assignment requirements.
Experiment with popular methods like the Cornell Method, Mindmap Method, or SQ3R Method to enhance focus and organization.
Recognize that effective notetaking supports assignment completion, minimizes errors, aids in proper referencing, and boosts overall learning.
Step 5 - Don’t Plagiarise:
Understand that presenting someone else's work as your own, intentional or not, constitutes plagiarism.
Mitigate the risk of accidental plagiarism by refining notetaking, referencing, and analytical skills.
Recognize diverse forms of plagiarism and proactively avoid them to safeguard your academic progress.
Step 6 – Use Citations and Referencing:
Diligently record bibliographic information for each source, incorporating proper citations and references in your assignments.
Acknowledge the contributions of other sources, demonstrating the foundations of your argument, and adding credibility to your work.
Adhere strictly to the rule: every inclusion of another author's work demands a corresponding citation and reference.
Step 7 – Practice to Improve:
Actively engage in research projects aligned with your interests to hone your skills.
Gain practical experience and expand your knowledge base through consistent research practice.
Embrace continuous improvement as you apply these skills to diverse subjects, deepening your expertise over time.
Benefits of Information Literacy
The ability to critically evaluate a range of sources and datasets is particularly important because most assignments require some element of self-study, research, and investigation to answer a specific question.
The advantages of developing robust information literacy include:
1. Independent Thinking:
Information literacy empowers students to develop a sense of independence in their thinking.
It encourages the cultivation of unique viewpoints by evaluating diverse datasets and sources critically.
2. Critical Appraisal and Evaluation:
At university students are required to critically appraise and evaluate sources with discernment.
Strong information literacy skills form the foundation for assessing the reliability, credibility, and relevance of various information sets.
3. Academic Task Mastery:
A proficiency in information literacy is instrumental in conquering various academic tasks.
Information literacy skills provide the necessary tools to navigate and comprehend complex subjects and produce assignments such as literature reviews to research proposals and dissertations.
4. Self-Study and Research Excellence:
Most assignments require an element of self-study, research, and investigation.
Equipping students to interrogate diverse sources to answer specific questions.
Summary
Information literacy enables us to sort through a sea of information, data, opinions, and other distractions, and appraise the whole dataset to develop a unique perspective on a situation or question.
Strong information literacy skills will provide support in completing assignments such as literature reviews, research proposals, dissertations, and many other tasks required during our studies.
When you can identify what you need, seek out resources, analyse them, and then use them to develop your thoughts on a topic while acknowledging the work of others, you will be demonstrating a thorough understanding information and application in the context of university.
