Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.
The previous ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards and the new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education describe and define the skills, concepts, and behavior demonstrated by information literate persons. These skills, concepts, and behaviors are essential for academic research and writing. Librarians use these standards to define and teach research skills, but they are also applicable to disciplines and uses outside of the library.
The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is a re-envisioning of information literacy in response to changes in higher education and society. Information literacy is presented as a set of core concepts or frames. The Framework offers an expanded definition of information literacy and also includes elements of metaliteracy. This is an abbreviated version of the six concepts or frames of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The Framework is organized into six frames, each consisting of a concept central to information literacy, a set of knowledge practices, and a set of dispositions.
The six concepts that anchor the frames are presented alphabetically:
|
Authority Is Constructed and Contextual Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
Information Creation as a Process Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
Information Has Value Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
Research as Inquiry Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
Scholarship as Conversation Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
Searching as Strategic Exploration Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops. |
In 2007, a committee of English subject librarians in the Association of College and Research Libraries developed a set of "Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English" based on the ACRL Information Competency Standards for Higher Education.
These guidelines are meant to define specific research skills students should possess in order to effectively conduct research in English literatures.
The entire text of the Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English along with background information can be found at the Association of College and Research Libraries' website, and is also linked from this guide.