Week 7: Informational Literacy Guide

Informational Literacy Guide

Throughout our studies, we will be looking into informational literacy and relying on sources to learn material. Informational literacy includes the ability to access information and determine its usefulness, credibility and reflections on the source. One of the most important skills we will develop is how to critically evaluate information we will encounter, especially those from the Internet. Not everything on the Net is was it appears to be. To determine if a source is usable, we will go through a particular process.

The process to evaluate and use sources is as follows:

1.     Searching and Accessing: When looking for sources, we must consider what search engines we will use to find credible sources. A widely search engine we will be using often in this course is Google. To start, make sure you are gathering information from multiple sources, not just the first one that appears on the list. Searching and compiling a list will take time. Once you have a list together, condense your information and identify those that provide the most precise information we need. Also, make sure you are gathering sources that offer multiple aspects of the research topic. AVOID WIKIPEDIA AT ALL COSTS. Wikipedia offers little credible information because the site does not fact checks what is posted. Any user can go in and input information, fact or false.

2.     Evaluating: One of the key aspects of informational literacy is evaluating the sources to give you the most credible information in your piece. You will need to be the fact checker of information. This may consist of comparing sources to others and reverting to encyclopedias. When evaluating the sources, ask a few questions. Is it peer edited? Where did you locate the source? Does the source give well-rounded information? It may help to research the author of the source and see their background, to determine their credibility. Also, see of there are citations within the source and when the source was produced. Most recent articles will most likely have more credible information. And one last question, how does the source apply to the theme of your piece?

3.     Using the Source: Once you have narrowed the sources down to what you want to include in your piece, now it is time to use them. Make sure to use information that most applies the message you are sending in your piece. There are two ways to use sources.

a.     Direct quotes: Within your sources, if you find a quote or phrase that you would like to use as is, you must copy the text as is, and display with quotations. When you use this in your piece, DO NOT FORGET TO CITE THE SOURCE WITHIN YOUR PIECE. Please use Purdue Owl as a source on how to cite your source according to the format we will use. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

b.     Paraphrasing: If you find that you like the idea the source is conveying, but do not want to quote directly, you can rewrite in your own way. But, you must still CITE YOUR SOURCE. Whether you are using a quote or idea, you must cite the source. Again, refer to the link above to locate proper ways to cite in piece, and on citation page.

Remember to explain the quotations and ideas used throughout your piece. Incorporate a flow to show your knowledge of the topics and sources. When using sources, introduce the source author and title. This is another way to show credibility throughout your piece.

4.     Referencing: At the end of your piece, you must include a reference page listing the citations used throughout the piece. This is a bibliography will allow your audience to locate your sources. This will give you credibility to your audiences, especially teachers, when they finish going through your piece.