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What is Information Literacy?
The National Forum on Information Literacy (“NFIL”) is the go-to group for information literacy. Experts there say that to be information literate a student must be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information for the issue or problem at hand. Information literacy is such an important 21st century skill, it’s even the subject of a presidential proclamation: “Every day, we are inundated with vast amounts of information…Rather than merely possessing data, we must also learn the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decision making. [There is a need for] all Americans be adept in the skills necessary to effectively navigate the Information Age.” President Barack Obama, 2009 PRODUCT PREVIEW Seems like a simple question, but information is actually a complex concept. Information comes in many forms. The NFIL categorizes information as factual, analytical, subjective, and objective : Factual information consists of short facts or statements, without explanation or elaboration. It’s the type of information you find in reference materials like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs. It includes facts like dates, names, places, or statistics. Government agencies produce a lot of factual information. Analytical information interprets or analyzes factual information. It is often published by experts, such as an automotive association analyzing the gas mileage statistics of various car models, or an association of healthcare professionals analyzing a report on disease control. Subjective information is information presented from one point of view, such as an opinion piece in a magazine, newspaper or blog. Movie, restaurant, and fashion reviews are subjective information. Political and news blogs are subjective information because they are written from the point of view of the blogger. What is Information? Objective information encompasses many points of view, presenting all aspects of an issue or story with factual accuracy, and without judgement or opinion. Objective information includes fact-based, informative journalism that recounts important events and newsworthy issues, such as a war, elections, or natural disasters.
THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY SKILLS 241
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