a quick overview of the ACRL information literacy standards along with some helpful hints to get students started with research

1. Information Literacy
A Five Minute Introduction
Ben Bryson
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Altamaha Technical College
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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2. Information Literacy
"To be information literate, a person must be able to
recognize when information is needed and have the
ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the
needed information."
(ALA, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougbelshaw/4194288017/
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3. Information Literacy Competency
Standards in Plain English
(adapted from ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education
[http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm])
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/annarbor/4350629792/)
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4. You can:
Identify what kind of information
you need and how much
("Standard One" in ALA, Information Competency Standards for Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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5. You can:
Quickly find the information you’re
looking for
("Standard Two" in ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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6. You can:
Judge the quality of the
information you find
("Standard Three" in ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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7. You can:
Use it to increase your knowledge
("Standard Three" in ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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8. You can:
Communicate what you have
learned to others
("Standard Four" in ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards in Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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9. You can:
Give credit where credit is due
("Standard Six" in ALA, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathbrandon/3187207970/
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10. Essential Questions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/o5com/4951006091/
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11. How do I know what kind of
information I will need?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4556156477/
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12. What is the best way for me to find
this information?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4556156477/
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13. How can I judge the quality of the
information I find?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4556156477/
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14. How can I best use and communicate
the information I find?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4556156477/
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15. What can I do to credit my sources
properly?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/4556156477/
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16. Make It Happen
with a Research Strategy
(adapted from The Seven Steps of the Research Process [http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm]
with permission from Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services Cornell University Library Ithaca, NY, USA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annarbor/4350629792/
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17. Strategy for Success #1
Identify and Develop Your Topic
- State your topic as a question
- Identify the main concepts or keywords in your
question
(Step 1 in "The Seven Steps of the Research Process")
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkexpress/2189398600/in/photostream/
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18. Strategy for Success #2
Find Background Information
- Use keywords to search encyclopedias or
subject dictionaries
(Step 2 in "The Seven Steps of the Research Process")
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkexpress/2189398600/in/photostream/
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19. Strategies for Success #3
Look for information in a variety of
places.
- Search the library catalog for books.
- Search online databases for journal articles.
- Search the internet for appropriate web pages.
(Steps 3, 4, and 5 in "The Seven Steps of the Research Process")
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkexpress/2189398600/in/photostream/
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20. Strategy for Success #4
Evaluate the information you found.
- Is it relevant to your topic?
- Check the authority of the source.
- Find supporting information.
(Step 6 in "The Seven Steps of the Research Process")
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkexpress/2189398600/in/photostream/
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21. Strategy for Success #5
Cite what you find and use in a standard
format.
- MLA for English and other Humanities courses
- APA for Psychology and other Social Science
courses
(Step 7 in "The Seven Steps of the Research Process")
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawkexpress/2189398600/in/photostream/
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22. Works Cited
American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy:
Final Report. Rep. Chicago: American Library Association, 1989. ALA
| Home - American Library Association. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.
American Library Association. Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education. Working paper. Chicago: American Library
Association, 2000. ALA | Home - American Library Association. Web.
12 Oct. 2010.
Olin Library Reference. "The Seven Steps of the Research Process." The
Seven Steps of the Research Process | Olin & Uris Libraries. Cornell
University Library, 22 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougbelshaw/4194288017/