Information Literacy Competencies and Criteria for Academic Libraries in Wisconsin

Adopted by the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians October 9, 1998

"In a complex and rapidly changing environment, higher education must help students to become information literate. Information literacy enables students to recognize the value of information and use it to make informed choices in their personal, professional and academic lives. An information literate student effectively accesses, evaluates, organizes, synthesizes and applies information from a variety of sources and formats in a variety of contexts. Information literacy requires an ongoing involvement in learning and in evaluating information so that life long learning is possible."

WAAL Information Literacy Committee, Fall 1998

The student who is information literate is able to:

1. Identify and articulate needs which require information solutions.

1.1 Recognize a specific information need.
1.2 Focus and articulate the information need into a researchable question.
1.3 Understand that the type and amount of information selected is determined in part by the parameters of the need, as well as by the information available.

2. Identify and select appropriate information sources.

2.1 Recognize the availability of a variety of sources and of assistance with using them.
2.2 Identify types of information resources in a variety of formats (e.g., primary or secondary, books or periodicals, print or electronic) and understand their characteristics.
2.3 Select types of information resources appropriate to a specific information need.

3. Formulate and efficiently execute search queries appropriate for the information resource.

3.1 Understand that different information sources and formats require different searching techniques, including browsing.
3.2 Select the search strategies appropriate to the topic and resource.
3.3 Understand that various resources may use different controlled vocabularies to refer to the same topic.
3.4 Use search language appropriate to the source, such as a controlled vocabulary, key words, natural language, author and title searches to locate relevant items in print and electronic resources.
3.5 Use online search techniques and tools (e.g., Boolean operators and symbols, limiters, and truncation) to locate relevant citations and to further refine the search.

4. Interpret and analyze search results and select relevant sources.

4.1 Understand that search results may be presented according to various ordering principles (e.g., relevance ranking, author, title, date, or publisher).
4.2 Assess the number and relevance of sources cited to determine whether the search strategy must be refined.
4.3 Recognize the components of a citation and differentiate between types of resources cited, such as a book, periodical, or government document, as well as the format (e.g., electronic or physical).
4.4 Use the components of a citation (e.g., currency, reputation of author or source, format, or elements of a URL) to choose those most suitable for the information need.
4.5 Perceive gaps in information retrieved and determine whether the search should be refined.

5. Locate and retrieve relevant sources in a variety of formats from the global information environment.

5.1 Understand the organization of materials in libraries and use locally produced location guides.
5.2 Understand how to use classification systems and their rationale.
5.3 Use location information in the bibliographic record to retrieve locally owned resources.
5.4 Use local resources to locate information sources in the global information environment.
5.5 Understand that libraries have developed methods for locating and sharing resources not owned locally and use the appropriate resource sharing system, such as interlibrary loan or document delivery, to retrieve information.
5.6 Understand that the Internet may be a useful resource for locating, retrieving and transferring information electronically.

6. Critically evaluate the information retrieved.

6.1 Use a variety of criteria, such as author's credentials, peer review, and reputation of the publisher, to assess the authority of the source.
6.2 Assess the relevancy of a source to an information need by examining publication date, purpose, and intended audience.
6.3 Recognize omission in the coverage of a topic.
6.4 Recognize and evaluate documentation for the information source, such as research methodology, bibliography or footnotes.
6.5 Distinguish between primary and secondary sources in different disciplines and evaluate their appropriateness to the information need.
6.6 Apply evaluation criteria to all information formats.

7. Organize, synthesize, integrate and apply the information.

7.1 Use appropriate documentation style to cite sources used.
7.2 Summarize the information retrieved (e.g., write an abstract or construct an outline).
7.3 Recognize and accept the ambiguity of multiple points of view.
7.4 Organize the information in a logical and useful manner.
7.5 Synthesize the ideas and concepts from the information sources collected.
7.6 Determine the extent to which the information can be applied to the information need.
7.7 Integrate the new information into existing body of knowledge.
7.8 Create a logical argument based on information retrieved.

8. Self-assess the information-seeking processes used.

8.1 Understand that information-seeking consists of evolving, non-linear processes that include making multiple decisions and choices.
8.2 Describe the criteria used to make decisions and choices at each step of the particular process used.
8.3 Assess effectiveness of each step of the process and refine the search process in order to make it more effective.
8.4 Understand that many of the components of an information seeking process are transferable and, therefore, are applicable to a variety of information needs.

9. Understand the structure of the information environment and the process by which both scholarly and popular information is produced, organized and disseminated.

9.1 Understand that information structure, e.g., how information is produced, organized, and disseminated, can vary from discipline to discipline.
9.2 Understand that the value of a particular type of information resource (e.g., book, article, conference proceeding) may vary from discipline to discipline.
9.3 Understand that the information structure in a particular discipline can change and modify search strategies to accommodate these changes.

10. Understand public policy and the ethical issues affecting the access and use of information.

10.1 Understand the ethics of information use, such as knowing how and when to give credit to information and ideas gleaned from others by appropriately citing sources in order to avoid plagiarism.
10.2 Respect intellectual property rights by respecting copyright.
10.3 Understand concepts and issues relating to censorship, intellectual freedom, and respect for differing points of view.
10.4 Understand the social/political issues affecting information, such as:

a) privacy
b) privatization and access to government information
c) electronic access to information
d) the exponential growth of information
e) equal access to information

Information Literacy Committee
Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians
A Division of the Wisconsin Library Association, Inc.

Copyright © 1998 Wisconsin Library Association, Inc.

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