Information Literacy

Information Creation as Process

Information creation is a process refers to the understanding that the purpose, message, and delivery of information are intentional acts of creation. While published information used to be physically "packaged" - in a book or newspaper, for example - in the digital age, information is published in formats that reflect how it is gathered and the purpose for which it is intended. Recognizing the nature of information creation, information literate individuals look at the underlying process of creation as well as the final product to critically evaluate the usefulness of the information on the basis of its timeliness, accuracy, audience, complexity, and other attributes.

Objectives:

Students should be able to:

  • Understand the process through which any given piece of information was created.
  • Recognize the implications of information formats that contain static or dynamic information.
  • Articulate the traditional and emerging processes of information creation and dissemination in a particular discipline. 
  • Connect format to purpose and identify source types appropriate to a need.
  • Recognize that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is packaged.
  • Understand that different methods of information dissemination with different purposes are available for their use.

 

Big Questions

Big Questions:

  • How might information be perceived differently based on how it's published? For example, why might there be an expectation to use scholarly sources in a college paper?
  • How might a tweet have a place in an academic paper?
  • How is authority related to format?
  • How does one match an information need with the right type of information source?
  • What are the implications of viewing students as content creators and not merely consumers?

Video: How Library Stuff Works: Information Creation as a Process

Source: "How Library Stuff Works: Information Creation as a Process" by McMaster Libraries, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

Learn about how different types of information sources are created and available depending on much time has passed.