"Information literacy is the 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."
ACRL, Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education. (2016). Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
“We don’t know what we don’t know.” You can discover much more than you were intending by using a variety of search strategies. Researchers need to be able to explore at their own level and pace, acquiring more ability to do more, and explore more. You can be a better researcher by learning about what makes information useful and reliable for your needs. Keep exploring and learning, that process is a valuable learning opportunity all its own.
Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.
Researchers might have general guidelines they are asked to follow (look only for “peer reviewed” or “scholarly resources”), but different communities may recognize different types of authority-voices of influence. Some types of authority (voices that are most influential) aren’t necessarily experts in the topic they are influencing. Looking for “authoritative” sources is based on the need for the quality and the context of information; not all authorities are experts & not all experts are authorities. Taken in context we look for expertise on a particular topic, not just a source that is influential. You have the ability to evaluate resources & determine how a resource can provide expertise on a subject, so don't just look for an authoritative source of information.
Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
The value of information can be seen in various contexts, including publishing practices, information access, the commodification of personal information, and intellectual property laws. Information has value when you want to know what's going on, follow an influencer, or purchase access to that information. For more ways you can think about why information has value look at this article: Does Information Have Value?
Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
You want to have knowledge, and working on problems means looking for new information to shape what you know about a situation/problem/condition. All the ups and downs of "learning" is the process of knowledge transformation & Evidence Based Inquiry. The process forms & shapes you into becoming a better information seeker.
Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
You can find a lot of research all working on the same type of questions. Not all research will agree on how to apply information. Seeking information, processing ‘truth’ and working together by sharing information and challenging findings is a process allowing for different perspectives, interpretation and adherence to standards. Scholarly research contributes to the ongoing process of determining real process towards using information to solve problems.
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.
The way you get information affects how you feel about it, trust it, or think about it. Reading something, or watching someone speak on that same topic can give two different impressions, influencing your reaction to that information. There is a process for creating & sharing information and this can create differences in what you get out of those sources.
Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
Threshold concepts are defined in the Framework as " ideas in any discipline that are passageways or portals to enlarged understanding or ways of thinking and practicing within that discipline."
The six frames below consist of concepts at the core of information literacy and show definitions from the ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education document. The link to each frame also includes knowledge practices and dispositions of students learning about the concepts.
Source:
Association of College and Research Libraries. Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. (2015, February 2). Retrieved November 10, 2015, from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
