Information literacy

Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, organize, use, and communicate information in all its various forms, especially in situations that require decision-making, problem-solving, or knowledge acquisition.

Defining Information Literacy

The term information literacy has been used for over 40 years, with various definitions proposed during this period.

In 1989, The American Library Association's (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report, described the information literate individual as someone who has the ability to recognize an information need, and can locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

In 2016, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) published the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and included the following definition:

“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”.

In other words, information literacy involves an understanding of how information is created, accessed, shared, and valued and the abilities and mindset necessary to be able to locate, evaluate, use, and create information sources ethically and effectively.

Citing Your Sources

Citation Guides

Harvard Style

Chicago Style

MLA Style

APA Style

APA Style (American Psychological Association)

Primary Use: Widely used in the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, education), as well as nursing and some business fields.
Key Feature: Author-Date System: APA primarily uses an author-date system for in-text citations.

In-text: (Author, Year, p. X) or (Author, Year) if paraphrasing.

Example (Quote): "Research shows a clear link" (Smith, 2023, p. 45).
Example (Paraphrase): Smith (2023) argued that research demonstrates a strong connection.

Reference List: The full citations are listed alphabetically on a "References" page at the end of the document.

Book Example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
Journal Article Example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), pages. DOI (if available)

Emphasis: Focuses on the date of publication, which is important for disciplines where research evolves rapidly. It also has specific rules for headings, tables, and figures.
Capitalization: In reference lists, only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns are capitalized for book and article titles. Journal titles are capitalized traditionally.

MLA Style (Modern Language Association)

Primary Use: Predominantly used in the humanities (e.g., literature, language, film studies, cultural studies).
Key Feature: Author-Page Number System: MLA uses an author-page number system for in-text citations. The year of publication is generally omitted from in-text citations but appears in the Works Cited list.

In-text: (Author Page Number)

Example (Quote/Paraphrase): "Poetry often reflects society's values" (Wordsworth 123).

Works Cited Page: The full citations are listed alphabetically on a "Works Cited" page at the end of the document.

Book Example: Author, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Journal Article Example: Author, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pp. Page numbers.

Emphasis: Focuses on the author and page number, as specific page references are often critical in textual analysis. Less emphasis on publication date than APA.
Capitalization: In Works Cited entries, major words in titles of books, articles, and other works are capitalized (Title Case).

Chicago Style (Chicago Manual of Style)

Primary Use: Highly versatile, used across a wide range of disciplines, especially in history, art history, and some social sciences, as well as for publishing books and journals.
Key Feature: Two Main Systems: Chicago offers two distinct citation systems:

Notes and Bibliography System:

In-text: Uses footnotes or endnotes to cite sources. Each note provides full bibliographic information the first time a source is cited, and a shortened form thereafter.
Bibliography: A complete alphabetical list of all sources consulted (not just those cited) is provided at the end.
Example (Footnote): 1. John Smith, The History of Everything (New York: Publisher, 2020), 45.

Author-Date System:

In-text: Similar to APA, using (Author Year) or (Author Year, page number).
Reference List: A list of "References" at the end, formatted similarly to APA, but with distinct punctuation and ordering rules.

Flexibility: Chicago's versatility allows authors to choose the system best suited to their topic and audience. The "Notes and Bibliography" system is popular in humanities for its detailed textual references, while the "Author-Date" system is preferred in sciences.

Harvard Referencing Style

Primary Use: Widely adopted in the UK and Australia, across a broad range of disciplines, including business, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Key Feature: Author-Date System: Very similar to APA in its core approach, using the author-date system for in-text citations. In fact, APA is sometimes considered a "variant" of the author-date style often associated with Harvard.

In-text: (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. X)

Example: (Jones, 2021) or (Jones, 2021, p. 78).

Reference List: A list of "References" at the end of the document, typically arranged alphabetically by author.

Book Example: Author, A. (Year) Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher.
Journal Article Example: Author, A. (Year) 'Title of article', Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp. Page range.

Distinction: While similar to APA, Harvard often has slight differences in punctuation, capitalization, and the order of elements within the full reference list entry, which can vary between different universities and institutions that use it. It's more of a general style concept rather than a single, rigidly defined manual like APA or MLA.

Summary Table of Key Differences:

Feature	APA Style	MLA Style	Chicago Style	Harvard Style
Primary Field	Social Sciences, Education, Nursing	Humanities (Literature, Language, Arts)	History, Arts, Humanities (flexible)	UK/Australia, broad disciplines (Business, Sciences)
In-text Citation	(Author, Year, p. X) / (Author, Year)	(Author Page Number)	Notes & Bibliography (footnotes/endnotes) OR Author-Date	(Author, Year) / (Author, Year, p. X)
Reference List Title	References	Works Cited	Bibliography (for notes) or References (for author-date)	References
Date Emphasis	High (appears prominently in-text)	Low (only in Works Cited)	Varies by system (prominent in author-date)	High (appears prominently in-text)
Capitalization (Titles in Ref. List)	Sentence case for article/book titles (first word, proper nouns)	Title Case for article/book titles	Varies by system (notes often title case, author-date sentence case)	Varies, often sentence case for titles

Evaluating Sources

How to evaluate any source: a guide to sharpening your critical thinking?

In today's digital age, where information flows from everywhere online, the ability to evaluate the credibility and integrity of sources has become an indispensable skill. Whether you are a student, a researcher, or simply a reader seeking knowledge, understanding how to filter information is key to developing sound critical thinking and avoiding falling into the trap of misinformation.

The evaluation process begins by asking fundamental questions about the source. First, think about the author: Who is the author of this work? What is their background or experience in this topic? Research their qualifications or affiliations, which can reveal their motivations or ability to provide accurate information. Next, evaluate objectivity and bias: Does the source provide balanced information? Is there an attempt to hide opposing viewpoints or present only one side of the story! Remember that bias does not necessarily mean that a source is useless, but it does require you to recognize and account for that bias when analyzing the information. Third, check the date and timing: When was this resource last published or updated? In fields like science and technology, information can become outdated very quickly. For example, an article about the AI (Artificial intelligent) five years ago wouldn't be very useful today. Fourth, consider the evidence and sources: Does the source support its claims with strong evidence? Reliable sources often include references or bibliographies that allow you to verify the accuracy of the information. Finally, understand the purpose and audience: What is the goal of this resource? Is it informing, persuading, selling, or entertaining? And who is it directed at? An advertisement differs from a research paper, and both serve a different purpose. Understanding the purpose helps you put the information into its correct context.