MODULE 4:
MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY
INFORMATION LITERACY
Information Literate Individual is one who can do the following:
Determine the extent of information needed
Access the needed information efficiently and effectively
Evaluate information and its sources critically
Incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base
Use information to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding access and use of information
Access and use information ethnically and legally
Information Literacy is an important skill in life. An individual who is literate in the location, access,
evaluation, and use of information also displays a certain sense of critical literacy. When you are
information literate, you are able to evaluate what information you need, what to discard, and how to use
the information you selected. As students, you unknowingly and unwittingly display information literacy
when you search for information to address certain tasks such as projects, assignments or research papers.
Information takes many forms. It is often interchanged with data which is essentially “raw
information” and knowledge which is characterized by effective use of information.
THE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT INFORMATION SEEKER
According to Callison and Tilley (2006), an effective and efficient information seeker is one who
can do the following:
Understands how to utilize a variety of information sources and agencies, as well as human
resources, in order to gain useful information
Understands the value of consulting with resource specialists and critical peers to reframe and
refine questions and inquiries, if necessary
Identifies information important to a need and assesses its reliability, bias, authority, and intent
Organized new information in meaningful ways to determine where gaps may exist and to
formulate the central question or thesis that can be addressed (Doyle, 1994)
Information Fluency refers to “the ability to analyze information needs and to move confidently among
media, information and computer literacy skills, resulting in the effective application of a strategy or
strategies that will best meet those needs (Callison & Tilley, 2006).”
Typology of Information
According to [Link], the kind of information you are looking for may be categorized as
the following:
1. Factual vs Analytical
Factual information is based on evidences and findings provided by reliable
sources. These sources may include academic texts such as books, encyclopedias,
periodicals or technical reports by agencies and institutions.
Analytical information is an analysis or interpretation of facts by an individual,
usually an expert on the subject. Examples of such would be feature articles,
commentaries or reviews
2. Subjective vs. Objective
Subjective information is about the discussion and elaboration of a thesis statement
which is still anchored on facts. When you consult an expert opinion, such as those
found in the editorial section of a newspaper or in Web log entries of prolific
writers, you are using a subjective kind of information.
Objective Information is if the information is unbiased and does not lead you to
judge the information in a certain way. Scientific papers and news reports are
common sources of objective information.
3. Current vs. Historical
The currency of information refers to how-up-to-date or how recent the information
is. It does not necessarily follow that the more current the information, the more
reliable and useful it is. There are information that are historical or old but are very
helpful in providing insights and comparison of events. Publication date of the
source material is the usual basis for currency. A combination of current and
historical information, especially in research, provides a more holistic picture. You
are able to establish trends or patterns when you make use of both.
But the requirement for the use of either current or historical information
depends on the discipline that makes use of them. In the hard or natural sciences,
the more recent findings are preferred. For the humanities, historical information is
primarily used to describe an event or phenomenon. The social sciences usually
consult both current and historical information.
4. Scholarly (Academic/Professional/Technical) vs. Popular
Scholarly information comes from academic sources. It is a product of an author’s
expertise and study on the subject matter. It is usually peer-reviewed.
Popular information appeals to general interest and is usually found in general
circulation materials such as magazines, coffee table books, or online feature
articles.
Scholarly Resources Popular Resources
Authors Written or reviewed by experts in the Written by the publication’s staff
discipline writers
Audience Written for researchers or practitioners Written for the general public or lay
in a particular discipline person
Publisher Professional society or organization or Commercial publisher
university
Content In-depth analysis of topic or report of Review of an event or research
original research project, highlighting key points
Language Use technical language which may not Understandable by a lay person
be understood by a lay person
Appearance Illustrations include graphs and Often use slick paper and ore
tables color
Articles are usually long Many advertisement and
graphics
Articles are usually very short
References Almost always include a list of sources Rarely include a list of sources consulted
consulted
Source: [Link]
5. Primary vs. Secondary vs. Tertiary
The origin and the levels of transfer of the information is also an important factor
to consider in our information search.
Information Source Characteristics Examples
Primary Original, first-hand Creative work
information Diary
Hasn’t been interpreted, Speech
analyzed, condensed or Letter
changed Interview
Information may need to be News film footage
constructed with raw data. Autobiography
Photograph
Official record
Historical document
Secondary One or more steps removed News commentaries
from a primary source and Articles in magazines and
newspaper
may interpret or analyze a Critical review of a literary
primary source scholar
Usually written by Textbooks
someone other than the Encyclopedias
original researcher or Research paper
author
Tertiary Topic review and usually Bibliography (citation list)
include bibliographies of of primary and secondary
primary and secondary sources about a person or
sources topic
Provide access to materials Encyclopedias
on specific topics Databases and indexes
6. Stable vs Unstable
Stability becomes a consideration especially when the information you have obtained is
published digitally over the internet. It is often difficult to know how long a certain web
site or page will last. But an online source may still be predicted to be stable or otherwise
by evaluation it based on the following question (Ballenger 2009):
Has it been around for a long time?
Is it routinely updated?
Are print versions of an online document available?
Is the site associated with a reputable institution?
If your answer to most of the question is “Yes”, you can be confident that the web site or page is stable
enough for you to use as information source.
References: Diwa Senior High School Series, Media and Information Literacy, p. 29-34