ENG 310 Research Writing

What is information literacy?

According to the American Library Association, information literacy is defined 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."

Why is it important?

"Information literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, false. The amount of information available is going to keep increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and create information will likewise expand. As a student who is information literate, you will be able to locate and use resources for your classes through both the library and the internet. You will also be able to use these resources effectively at each stage of a project, from defining a topic to critically evaluating the information found. Some of the information literacy skills you'll learn in this tutorial include developing research strategies, learning search techniques, and effectively evaluating resources. (University of Wisconsin Library)."

What will I learn?

By reviewing the information in this guide , you will learn:

• How to follow and understand the various steps in the research process
• How to select information sources appropriate for a particular need
• How to use standard research techniques for searching library catalogs and electronic databases
• How to understand the differences between searching library catalogs, periodical databases, and the World Wide Web
• How to critically evaluate resources
• How to understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it

Please move on to "Research Strategies" by clicking on the tab to the right of this one.