This document provides prompts and questions to guide reflection on concepts from the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. It is organized into cards for each of the six core concepts. The purpose is for librarians to use the cards to critically reflect on their work and stay engaged with professional ethics, scholarship, and instruction. Users are encouraged to randomly select cards and journal responses to the prompts to develop skills for helping students become thoughtful information consumers and contributors.

1. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
The deck is organized by each of the six core concepts of the “Framework for Information Literacy
for Higher Education”;¹ there is a card for each, and cards for related concepts.
It is our hope that this deck can be used as a tool for critical self-reflection to help us as librarians
stay engaged with professional ethics, scholarship, and instruction in a way that is creative,
curious, and mindful. It is through this kind of conscious engagement that we are able to help the
next generation of researchers develop the skills necessary to become thoughtful, discerning, and
ethical information consumers and contributors.
How to Use the Cards & Guidebook
Shuffle the deck several times and then choose a card/cards at random. Think about how the
concepts represented on the cards are interconnected.
For inspiration:
● Find the corresponding prompts in the guidebook and consider the prompts and questions
● Think about which frame/frames best relate to the concept
● Pull an additional card for a different perspective
Note: If you pull a card you don’t connect with, choose a new one! There are no rules.
You can expand your thoughts further by writing in a journal or discussing with a colleague. Or, if
you are using it in instruction, by posing the prompts to the students and have them either discuss
or journal their own ideas.
Resources
¹"Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education", American Library Association,
February 9, 2015. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework (Accessed October 21, 2020)
Document ID: b910a6c4-6c8a-0d44-7dbc-a5dcbd509e3f
Contact Us
Katie Shepard
Web Services Librarian, Mercer University
shepard_ke@mercer.edu
Molly Kernan
Catalog & Government Information Librarian, Mercer University
kernan_mr@mercer.edu
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2. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
2
Card Prompts Keywords
What is authority? How would I define it?
What types of authorities exist in this subject area?
What types of authorities are recognized by the
different communities within this subject?
Are the "standard" authorities for this subject enough,
or are there different or diverse voices I can seek out to
balance the weight of tradition?
Tradition
Power
Explore Different
Voices
What makes an authority trustworthy?
How do I determine which authorities to trust?
When am I able to trust my own knowledge about a
subject?
Can I trust myself to think critically about the
authorities I rely on?
Question
Think Critically
Trust Yourself
What makes someone an expert?
What do I do when experts in the same field disagree or
offer conflicting information?
How do I hold experts accountable to the standards of
my field?
When do I question an expert's opinion, and when do I
take them at their word?
Accountability
Application of
Standards
Credibility
Qualifications
Why should I think critically about my sources?
How does my research benefit from critical
examination of the various authorities in my field?
How do I think critically while maintaining an open
mind?
Informed
skepticism
Self-evaluation
Open-mindednes
s

3. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
3
Where might biases exist in the communities that
confer authority?
How do my own privilege/biases influence my
understanding of certain authorities?
Is this authority drowning out other voices?
What do I need to think about when examining an
authority through the lens of privilege?
Bias
Influence
Self-awareness
Responsibility

4. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Information Creation is a Process
4
Card Prompts Keywords
What are some different processes of information
creation in my discipline?
How have these processes evolved over time, and what
might they look like in the future?
What effect does the process have on the final
product?
Evolution
Process
What are the appropriate formats for my research area
or discipline?
What are some benefits/drawbacks to these formats?
How do these formats affect the way I interpret/use the
information?
Do I make assumptions about quality or authority based
on format?
Interpretation
Assumption
Quality
Structure
How are information creations valued differently in
different contexts?
Are certain elements of the creation process more
important in some contexts than others?
How do current methods of creation fit into the
accepted context of traditional methods (eg.
born-digital versus print publishing)?
Value
Comparison
Tradition

5. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
5
Am I aware of how my choices impact the way my
information creation is used?
Is the message being conveyed to the users of my
product the one that I intended?
How can I cultivate comfort with change through the
information creation process?
Choices
Changes
Is this creation process a good fit for the need I am
trying to fill?
Is the format I'm using appropriate for this topic?
Does the creation process have to be a fresh idea or can
it be iterative?
Fresh
Iteration

6. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Information Has Value
6
Card Prompts Keywords
What does value mean in the information world?
What sort of value do I assign to my own work?
What sort of value does the information world place on
my work?
How do I ensure that I always respect the value of
others' original ideas?
Value
Respect
Originality
What is my current role in the information marketplace?
Consumer, producer, or both?
How does my role as a consumer influence the way I
assign value to information?
How can I ensure that I make ethical choices when it
comes to consuming information?
Consumer
Producer
Ethical
What are some different factors that influence the
production and dissemination of information?
How can this influence be wielded to silence or
marginalize certain voices?
How can I use my own influence as a creator of
information to effect change/lift up marginalized
voices in the community of scholarship?
Power
Leverage
Marginalized
voices

7. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
7
How does treating information as a commodity affect
the type of value we assign to it?
How does the commodification of information affect
issues of accessibility?
Does the cost of an information product affect my
perception of its academic value?
Am I diligent about protecting my personal information?
Why is it important?
Accessibility
Perception
Protection
What are the different ways we value information
monetarily versus the work required to produce it?
Am I mindful of the time and effort required to create
the information I consume?
Am I appreciative of the time and effort I put into my
own work?
Cost vs. Effort
Appreciation
Self-worth

8. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Research as Inquiry
8
Card Prompts Keywords
Why is it important to identify gaps in knowledge or
weaknesses of sources?
Does this mean the information is still valid or usable?
Do I consider multiple perspectives in my inquiry
process?
How do I react when my research brings me information
I disagree with?
Questions
Refine
Investigate
When researching, am I considering non-typical
sources?
Why is it important to look beyond the first search
results when researching?
How do I define an ethical process for gathering
information?
What are some ways to break down complex questions
and topics into smaller, more answerable inquiries?
Gather
Explore
Discover
Do I maintain an open mind when considering
information I didn't expect or disagree with?
Why does a critical stance matter when evaluating
information that I agree with?
When can we bring about positive results from conflict?
Agree
Disagree

9. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
9
What criteria is important for evaluating information?
What do I do when evaluating information to
acknowledge my bias and work to minimize its effect?
How does considering the limits of my own experience
and knowledge affect how I evaluate a source?
Criteria
Analysis
Bias
Intellectual
Humility
What steps should I take to ensure that synthesizing
information includes giving proper credit to a source?
How does ambiguity positively affect my research
process?
What is the ethical way to present the opposing point of
view to my own research?
How does the way I organize information affect how it is
understood?
Ambiguous
Credit
Discomfort
When should theoretical research include practical
application?
How do I let my curiosity and creativity guide my
research?
How do I determine the scope of a research project?
How do I know when I have fully answered a research
question?
Scope
Solutions

10. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Scholarship as Conversation
10
Card Prompts Keywords
Where are some different places in my research area
that scholarly conversations are taking place?
What are some different ways that I can participate in
these conversations?
Where do I fit into these conversations currently?
Where will I fit into these conversations in the future?
Participation
Response
Belonging
What is my current perspective on conversations in my
research area?
How has the general scholarly perspective in my area
changed over time?
Am I okay with the idea that my perspective may change
over time?
What is my current comfort level with seeking out
perspectives that differ from the ones I am familiar
with?
Change
Unique Voices
Different
Perspectives
What are some barriers that prevent people from
joining scholarly conversations?
Am I acting in a way that helps to prop up these
barriers?
How can I work to dismantle barriers I encounter that
prevent me or others from participating?
What are the systemic issues at the root of these
barriers?
Exclusion
Privilege
Self-analysis

11. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
11
How often do I listen or read without rushing to
judgment?
How important is context in scholarly conversation?
When is it appropriate to suspend my judgment, and
when is it time to ask questions?
How comfortable am I with trusting my own judgment
when evaluating an idea/argument?
Listening
Suspension
Context
Evaluation
What is my current level of understanding when it
comes to the language of my discipline?
When is jargon useful/helpful?
Is the use of jargon always a reliable indicator of one's
readiness to join the conversation?
How is jargon used as a barrier to
participation/engagement in scholarly conversation?
Barriers
Gatekeeping
Imposter
Syndrome
How aware am I of the gray areas in my research?
Is there a "correct" end to a given conversation?
Likewise, is there an uncontested answer to my current
question?
How do I break out of "black and white" thinking?
Competing
perspectives
Nuance
Multifaceted
conversations

12. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
Searching as Strategic Exploration
12
Card Prompts Keywords
How can I incorporate flexible strategies for searching
for information?
What are some tools I can apply to my search strategies
to change my results?
Why is a plan for a search helpful?
When can sticking only to a search plan be harmful?
Strategies
Planning
Balance
How does stumbling upon an unexpected source affect
my searching approach going forward?
Does serendipitous discovery influence my choices for
what information to use?
When is a broad search and browse method helpful to
research?
Discover
Browse
Unexpected
What are some methods for finding alternative search
terms or strategies?
In what ways can I evolve my research topic as I search
for information?
How can I creatively bridge the gap between an
information need and successfully locating a solution?
Alternatives
Evolution
Ingenuity

13. “Oracle of the Delphi Study” Deck
13
When do I need guidance?
Whom can I ask for help when searching for relevant
information?
How do I determine who to ask for guidance?
Assistance
Direction
How do I keep track of my research?
When do I have enough information gathered to begin
analyzing and synthesizing?
How do I prioritize sources as being useful to my
research?
Structure
Form
What skills are needed to understand how information
systems are organized?
Are there ways to mitigate the intimidating nature of
using complex information systems?
How does a patron's previous experience affect the way
I assist them with searching for information?
How do I feel about searching for information?
Library Anxiety
Perception
How can I develop the skills to be mentally flexible when
searching is not straightforward or productive?
How can I creatively restructure a search that is not
providing the needed results?
When is it more important to ask for guidance than to
persist?
Flexibility
Restructure
Perseverance