Research & Information Literacy

Information Literacy Framework

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education presents six interconnected core concepts for critically engaging with information. This framework was defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2015.

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information Has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

"Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information needed may help determine the level of authority required." —ACRL.

Authority varies depending on the information, the audience, and the context. It should be viewed with an attitude of informed skepticism and an openness to new perspectives, additional voices, and changes in schools of thought.

Check out these related guides:

• Criteria for Evaluating Information
• Fake News

Information Creation as a Process

"Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.... Format is the way tangible knowledge is disseminated. The essential characteristic of format is the underlying process of information creation, production, and dissemination, rather than how the content is delivered or experienced." —ACRL.

Learners should recognize that there is a process behind the production of all information sources. Knowing how information is created and produced for specific formats helps learners to evaluate the quality of a resource and illuminates benefits (e.g., the review process for an article) & constraints (the lack of currency of a book) of those resources.

Information Has Value

"Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination." —ACRL.

Creating information and products requires time, original thought, and resources that need to be respected by those seeking to use these products or create their own work based on the work of others. Information is intellectual property produced for various purposes. Its value is based on several factors, such as the producer, intended audience, and content. Both creators and consumers of information have responsibilities to use information ethically.

Research as Inquiry

"Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field." —ACRL.

This refers to an understanding that research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex questions whose answers develop new questions or lines of inquiry in any field. One thing leads to another. It is important to stay open to the process and to new ideas.

Scholarship as Conversation

"Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations." ---ACRL.

This refers to the idea of sustained discourse within a community of scholars or thinkers, with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of competing perspectives and interpretations. While many questions can be answered with a single, authoritative source—for example, the capital of a country or the average rainfall in L.A.—scholarly research resists simple answers. Rather, scholarship is a discursive practice in which ideas are formulated, debated, and weighed against one another over extended periods of time.

Searching as Strategic Exploration

"Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops." —ACRL.

Locating information requires a combination of inquiry, discovery, and serendipity. There is no one-size-fits-all source to find the needed information. Information discovery is nonlinear and iterative, requiring the use of a range of information sources abroad and flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding is developed. Depending on the specific information needs and context, the learner may need to consult a variety of resources ranging from databases and books to observations and interviews.