Concise Guide to Information Literacy

by Scott Lanning, Caitlin Gerrity

Overview

This flexible text can serve as the basis of a course in information literacy or as a supplemental text or basic research guide in any course.

Both a students' textbook and an instructional reference for educators, this brief but information-rich text teaches students what information literacy is and why it's such an important skill to develop. Authors Scott Lanning and Caitlin Gerrity concentrate on developing skills and behaviors that positively impact the information literacy process. They teach such skills as evaluating and using information and behaviors like exploring, analyzing, and creating.

Updated to incorporate the new AASL standards, this third edition of Concise Guide to Information Literacy includes new information on the value of curiosity and choice in the research process, offers a new model of the research process (the Reflective Inquiry Model), and updates the Decision Points Information Seeking Model that describes how student researchers choose to use the information they've found. This book has proven to be invaluable for high school and college students learning about information literacy and librarians and teachers in upper high school and community college settings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440878190
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Edition description:	3rd Revised ed.
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Scott Lanning is professor in the department of library and information science at Southern Utah University, USA. He teaches reference services and information literacy courses.

Caitlin Gerrity is associate professor in the department of library and information science at Southern Utah University, USA. She earned her BA in English and communications from Temple University and her MLIS from Drexel University. She teaches college-level research and information literacy skills and directs the School Library Endorsement Program, which prepares teacher librarians for the state of Utah and beyond. Her research investigates best practices in school librarianship related to collaboration, information literacy instruction, educational standards, and professional development, especially concerning student preparedness for higher education. Gerrity was named the 2019 Librarian of the Year by the Utah Library Association.

Table of Contents

List of Figures xiii

Preface xvii

Chapter 1 Information and Information Literacy 1

Questions to Guide Your Reading 1

Introduction 1

What Is Information? 2

Information Sources 3

What Does It Mean to Be Literate? 4

What Is Information Literacy? 6

Why Is Information Literacy Important? 7

Vocabulary 9

Questions for Reflection 10

Assignment 10

References 13

Chapter 2 Information Literacy and the Library 15

Questions to Guide Your Reading 15

Introduction 15

Library Anxiety 16

The Librarian 18

Research Help 19

Interlibrary Loan 19

Library Instruction 20

The Research Process 21

Vocabulary 22

Questions for Reflection 23

Assignment 23

References 26

Chapter 3 Curiosity, the Information Need, and the Research Question 29

Questions to Guide Your Reading 29

Curiosity 29

Curiosity and Learning 30

Curiosity and Motivation 31

Information Need 31

Formulating and Reformulating the Research Question 35

Vocabulary 39

Questions for Reflection 39

Assignment 39

References 44

Chapter 4 The Types of Information and Its Sources 47

Questions to Guide Your Reading 47

The Organization of Academic Knowledge and Publishing Literacy 47

Parts of Information 50

Origin 50

Audience 51

Time 52

Formats of Information 54

Physical 54

Digital 54

Types of Information 55

Background Information Sources 55

Books 56

News Sources 57

Magazines 58

Journals 58

Including Diverse Perspectives 59

Vocabulary 60

Questions for Reflection 60

Assignment 60

References 64

Chapter 5 Exploring the Information Landscape and Finding Resources 65

Questions to Guide Your Reading 65

Choosing the Right Search Tool 66

What Is a Database? 66

Free Databases 68

Fee Databases 68

Searching Library Databases 68

Choosing a Database 69

Accessing the Information in Databases 69

Federated Searching and Discovery Layers 70

Searching Databases 70

Basic Search 72

Advanced Search 72

Phrase Searching 73

Boolean Operators 73

Nesting 77

Stemming 79

Revising the Search 79

Choosing Keywords 80

Using Subject Searching and Field Searching 81

Facets 83

Searching the Library Catalog 85

Retrieving Materials 87

Searching the Web 89

Web Search Engines 90

Advanced Searching 91

Vocabulary 92

Questions for Reflection 93

Assignment 93

References 97

Chapter 6 Evaluating Research and Information 99

Questions to Guide Your Reading 99

Evaluation and Critical Thinking 99

Evaluating Sources Found through the Library Catalog 101

Relevance 101

Purpose 102

Scope and Depth 102

Style 102

Validity 103

Timeliness 103

Authority 104

Accuracy 105

Evaluating Articles 106

Relevance 106

Purpose 107

Scope and Depth 107

Style 107

Validity 109

Timeliness 109

Authority 110

Accuracy 111

Evaluating Websites 113

Relevance 113

Purpose 113

Scope and Depth 113

Style 113

Validity 114

Timeliness 114

Authority 115

Accuracy 116

Evaluation of Your Research Process 116

Research Question 117

Search Statement 118

Keywords 119

Database Selection 120

Diverse and Inclusive Sources 121

Vocabulary 122

Questions for Reflection 122

Assignment 123

References 130

Chapter 7 Research Management and Your Role in the Research Community 133

Questions to Guide Your Reading 133

Using Information Ethically 133

Citations 134

Citation Styles 136

Style Guides 137

Research Management 137

Database Research Management 138

Research Management Software 139

Inserting Citations and Bibliographies into Research Papers 140

Research Community 141

Scholarly Communications 142

Vocabulary 142

Questions for Reflection 142

Assignment 143

References 146

Chapter 8 Creating a Product and Using Information 147

Questions to Guide Your Reading 147

Using Information 147

Intellectual Property and Copyright 148

Fair Use 149

Plagiarism 151

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Information 152

Synthesizing Information 153

Using Library Resources 156

Using Electronic Sources 158

Using Web Sources 159

Vocabulary 160

Questions for Reflection 160

Assignment 160

References 166

Chapter 9 Critically Reflecting and Sharing Your Product 169

Questions to Guide Your Reading 169

Organization 169

Logic 171

Proofreading 172

Critically Reflecting 173

Communicating Your Findings 176

Classroom Communication 176

Professional Communication 177

The Takeaway 178

Vocabulary 179

Questions for Reflection 179

Assignment 179

References 183

Bibliography 185

Index 193

Editorial Reviews

Overall, the Concise Guide to Information Literacy provides a thorough overview of the academic research process. The authors have thoughtfully edited the content and reframed the text using the Reflective Inquiry Model without diminishing the source material. This is an improved edition that is well worth including in an academic collection.” —Journal of Education for Library & Information Science

From the Publisher