Information Literacy Guide: About

This guide is developed to share skills on information Literacy and concepts in higher education. Information  Literacy is for  lifelong learning and  is applicable to all levels of information searching and use. The guide has been adapted specifically for the University of Botswana staff and students guided by the five Association of College & Research Libraries Information literacy standards of 2000. The standards provides a framework in assessing information literate individual.

 IN THIS GUIDE:  

The guide covers
Determining  Information Need

Finding Information

Evaluating Information

Communicating information

Legal and Ethical Use

After completing this guide, you will be able to:

• define your information need 
• find the correct information
• evaluate the information found
• understand the legal and ethical implications when using information
• communicate the information effectively

This guide will enable students to:

• Demonstrate the ability to analyze and articulate their  information need.
• Demonstrate an understanding in formulating an information  search strategy
• Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate information using information evaluation criteria.
• Understand and  be aware of the legal and ethical implications of using information to avoid plagiarism 
• Demonstrate the ability to organize information and apply correct  writing and referencing styles  e.g.  Harvard, APA and etc.

American Library Association (2000) defines 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.” 

Information Literacy looking at the definition promotes self directed learning and forms a foundation  for lifelong learning.

The picture below illustrates five components of information Literacy

source: mtu.edu