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Research Help Guide: Information Literacy

This is an interactive guide to help students at McDowell Technical Community College. Included are resources for general research, history, and literary research as well as many sources for pictures that students can use freely without worry.

Definition of Information

 

Information is knowledge acquired in any manner; facts; data; learning; lore... information applies to facts that are gathered in any way, by reading, observation, hearsay, etc., and does not necessarily connote validity.1

Information Graphic

 

This link will show you how quickly new data is generated

 

The Internet in real time 

Accuracy Video

Definition of Information Literacy

 

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Information literacy, as defined by the American Library Association, is the ability to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."3 

Information literacy skills are not just for classroom use; they are life skills.

Information Literate People

 

"...information literate people are those who have learned how to learn... they learn how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand."2

The CRAP test

 

It is challenging to determine whether information from the Web is credible and can be trusted. Is it factual? Biased? Relevant to your topic?

Here is a handy acronym to help you determine if a source may be CRAP.

 

   

 

 

  • CURRENCY:  How recently was this information published/posted? Can you find a publication date?
  • RELIABILITY:  Is the information supported by evidence? Can it be confirmed by other sources?
  • AUTHORITY:  Who wrote the information - are they an expert or knowledgeable in their field? (i.e. For health information, did a doctor or nurse write it?)
  • PURPOSE / POINT OF VIEW:  Why was it written? To sell something? To sway opinion? Is it biased toward a particular point of view?

What is Information Literacy Video

5 Things to Consider when determining the reliability of a website

 

Before using information found on a web page for your research project, consider the following criteria to evaluate its credibility.