what is information literacy anyway?
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has defined Information literacy as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."
Those who are information literate are those individuals that have learned how to learn. Those who are information literate understand how information is organized, how to find information and how to use information in an appropriate and ethical manner. These people are prepared for lifelong learning because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand.
why should I care about information literacy?
Having skills related to information literacy is becoming increasingly important in today's technological society. Students are faced with a vast amount of information, and this information can come from all kinds of sources, including textbooks, journals, the popular press and even the web. Some of this information has been peer reviewed or at least edited, but there is still a great deal of information that is left unfiltered. Having a solid understanding of the concepts and skills associated with information literacy will not only help you in conducting psychological research, but research in all disciplines, be it for academic, business or personal reasons.
the modules
Although these five modules were originally developed for PSYCO 104/105 students, they have been widely used by students in many disciplines at many levels.
These tutorials are for everyone, so please use, enjoy, and pass on the message!
