What is Information Literacy?

What is Information Literacy? And why should I care?




School research is a training ground for real life.



Information literacy skills are skills you will need through your life. We are always seeking information. What car or stereo should I buy? Which college should I choose? Which book should I read next? How can I sell this idea to my boss? How can I convince the school board to act on my proposal? Information helps us reach conclusions, make our choices, and communicate more effectively. But the good stuff is often buried in heaps of junk. We need to continue to improve our searching, evaluating and communication skills in a changing information environment.



Remember computer literacy is not information literacy. For a comparison, read this article.



This summary is loosely based on a model for information skills called the Big6 by Michael Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz. Please take time to visit the Big6 Website.



So, how should I approach research as an information literate student?



1. Defining your problem and asking the good questions

What is my thesis or problem?



What information do I need?



What do I already know?



What more do I need to find out?



Remember: Try to make the most out of any research problem. The better your question, the more you will learn. For more information about defining a problem and asking good questions, read http://www.joycevalenza.com/questions.html and Dr. Jamie McKenzie's Questioning.org



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