INFORMATION LITERACY

What is Information Literacy?

• Information literacy is defined as: A set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." (Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education---American Library Association)

Information Literate People Can...

• Determine the extent of information needed.
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently.
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base.
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.

What is Academic Research?

• Definition of academic: The definition of academic is something or someone that is considered to be scholarly.
• Definition of research: Careful, systematic, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles.
• (From Yourdictionary.com)

Information Resource Types

• Magazines
• Journals
• Databases
• Books
• Encyclopedias
• Websites

Searching Online Databases

• Pick out key concepts
• Start with general search
• Use advanced search
• Use subject headings
• Narrow search by year to limit results

Locating and Creating Citations

• When searching databases, citations will appear at the beginning of your article. This is one of the many benefits of using an online library.
• Locating citations when you are using the web requires a bit more effort.
• Sites like Knightcite and other citation generators can be helpful in completing this activity.

Searching Google for Research

• Hit Control +F to find sites with specific, highlighted text.
• Use +/- .edu, .com, .gov, .net, .org.
• Add quotation marks to keep phrases together.
• Use "intitle” to search for terms in the title of a site.

Googling Research...

• Search within a URL: topicinurkcsiro.
• For specific file types use "topic’filetype: ppt (or doc, etc.).
• Show search tools: Search by date ranges, within content such as images.
• Use the advanced search to show pages with specific terms, languages, reading level.
• (Taken from Don't Fight 'Em, Join Em!-Trish Dollyhigh)

This presentation was presented by CM King