Information Literacy

There is so much information at our fingertips. Sometimes it is difficult to decipher which information is credible and which information may have little relative integrity. So we work toward a skill which provides some navigational skills in the sea of information around us. Information literacy is: understanding the importance of assessing the credibility of a source; having the skills to carry out those assessments and regard the information accordingly; knowing how to seek good information; the ability to seek, review, comprehend and integrate quality information in a scholarly way.
Information literacy is an important skill because information is the basis of everything. What we know about things shape everything we do, think, feel and achieve. The more we know about the things we know, the more successful we will be as people, professionals, community members, and activists. I know I’ve achieved a dependable level of information literacy through my experiences in this program. When my default response to information is to ensure the credibility of the source, I know I can naturally think critically about what I’m learning or about to learn. I know when and how to find dependable information. The mere presence of these thoughts and skills show that I have a level of awareness surrounding the need for such questions to be asked and answered.
It was through a collection of conversations, experiences, lectures and assignments that helped me shape my own personal level of information literacy. Firstly, every paper that I wrote which required “peer reviewed journal articles”, I was practicing my skills in seeking and recognizing, reviewing and integrating quality information. More specifically, I point to my Research Methods class and my final paper which was the product of the entire quarters’ work. (appendix) In order to write that paper, learned how to navigate the world of journal articles. I read and analyzed many sources of information and became familiar with the nature of well regarded sources of information as well as where to find them. In my first quarter of the program I took an online library course which very thoroughly guided my thinking about information, ability to seek information, as well as recognizing types of information all in reference to their credibility.
As a result, I view the internet and readily available information differently than I did before. I do not consider Wikipedia the one stop shopping for answers. Additionally, in the realm of researchable information, when I know what I’m looking for, I am able to find it. And a lot more.