And some of you may have heard of "information literacy",

but are not exactly sure what information literacy is.

It turns out, information literacy is a distinct set of skills that gives us the

ability to locate,

evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

Information literacy can be divided into five separate components.

Let's take a look at how each of these components applies to success in college

or university

and in real life. The first component is about identifying the nature and extent

of the information you need. Academic examples include:

writing a thesis statement, creating a timeline and plan to complete a

research paper,

and differentiating between primary sources of information like findings

from research

and secondary sources of information like a book about the results.

n the real world, the identify component shows itself as

devising a search strategy to find information on buying a new home,

dentifying the difference between a published court decision

and an article about that decision, and deciding to search for the most current

information about a medical issue so you're well-informed.

The second component means you can find

the needed information effectively and efficiently.

in academia and this means you can

use Boolean terms AND, OR, and NOT when searching online,

locate a book on the library shelves by its call number,

and choose the best keywords and phrases when searching online

or in library databases. Outside of school,

you are able to search the public archives for information on local

history,

request genealogical records through interlibrary loan,

and access a government website to find out your local crime statistics.

The ability to evaluate the information you find

and its sources critically is the next component. Academic examples include:

reviewing multiple points of view to construct your own opinion,

exploring different sources of information like the books,

databases, periodicals, and the internet to understand a topic,

and the ability to analyze the structure and logic of arguments made in lectures

and speeches.

In the real world, you can research the claims made in political ads on

television,

scrutinize a Wikipedia article for accuracy,

and check a website to make sure it is update regularly

and has current information. The fourth component is about applying that information

effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

In an educational environment, you can paraphrase an expert to support a

position in a persuasive speech,

ntegrate a direct quotation from an article

into a research paper, and download an image from a database

and then incorporate it into a visual presentation.

Away from the educational environment, you are able to develop a market survey

based on

gaps you identify by reviewing studies, reference experts to support a point

during a discussion,

and communicate the findings of a patent search to potential investors.

The final component of information literacy

is to acknowledge the sources of information you use.

To do this well, you must understand the ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues

surrounding information.

In the college or university, you can show your understanding by

creating a works cited, bibliography, or reference list,

understanding what constitutes plagiarism

and utilizing copyright, Creative Commons, public domain, and Fair Use guidelines.

Outside of the college or university, you will give attribution,

or credit, to a reposted image on your website,

recognize the limits and protections of free speech and censorship,

and know how to download legally purchased music.

In summary, the information literate person can

identify, find, evaluate, apply,

and acknowledge information.