Information literacy
Under Information Literacy (English Information Literacy ) is the ability to competently deal with information and knowledge. What is meant is self-determined, confident, responsible and focused to deal with any information. Therefore apply to the individual as the basic principles of ethical and responsible as well as the economic, efficient and effective handling of information (s).
The term information literacy is originally from the librarianship and refers here primarily on information retrieval approaches in scientific work. An enhanced understanding of the term, based on the handling of information of all kinds to - including information from the Internet - relates is comparatively new. Information literacy is in modern highly dynamic information society is a key skill to address problems; they belongs to the area of soft skills and generally comprises a set of skills to individuals to competent, efficient - taking account of conditions, such as time programs - and responsible use of information made possible. These skills relate to all aspects of the problem-related knowledge of a need for information, their location, their organization, their purposeful selection through analysis and evaluation and its purpose optimized design and presentation.
Development
The term information literacy emerged in the 1970s in the British and American librarianship on against the background of an ever-growing amount of information. It is mainly used in reference to the library information service (catalogs, databases, e-journals, e-books ), where, increasingly, for the efficient use of the information is discussed as a form of individual knowledge management.
Influenced by reports from the U.S. and the UK, started in Germany also in the coined by educational reforms and rising student numbers seventies a comparatively hesitant development in librarianship. This expressed itself through increased user orientation of the libraries through structured training mediated their customers knowledge about use and access conditions, research tools and catalogs. The relevance of this development for active information management has been recognized but also in other areas. So Dieter Mertens described the ability to obtain and process information 1974 as part of the labor market and occupational research as a key qualification.
In the following years, several studies called for the expansion and development of user training. However, few of the demands and results of these research projects have been implemented since the libraries faced in the eighties with the resource- consuming conversion of their tasks by a computer program and a lack of personnel.
Only in the nineties there came through the technical development of the Internet and the networking of job area again to numerous initiatives in the area of information literacy. Recent research and publications relate not only to libraries, but also bring the concept in other areas of life for discussion. After the American librarianship already standards for information literate students have been developed, a German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF) commissioned study of information literacy at German universities employed. Published in 2001 SteFi ( Studying with electronic information ) mentioned study calls for increased involvement of the development of information literacy in university teaching. The Science comes in a published in the same period publication produced similar results and recommends next to a better supply of research and teaching with digital information, a stronger cooperation of information and competence centers of the universities. Also in the context of the much discussed PISA defines the OECD expertise in the use and organization of knowledge and information as key to a successful life.
In January 2006 Research by a working group of Baden -Württemberg libraries were first own in Germany " standards of information literacy for students " adopted. These standards form the basis for further development of library training activities and a grounding in the subject curricula of individual subjects. In the U.S. z.T. exist already subject-specific standards, such as "Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates " of the Special Libraries Association Chemistry Division.
The UNESCO dedicated to the Information Literacy own, comprehensive initiative. The social significance of information literacy as a key skill of the 21st century has also been underlined by the proclamation of October 2009 to the Information Literacy Awareness Month by President Barack Obama.
Implied skills
Information literacy is always in reference to various internal and external factors. Internal factors include the technical knowledge, linguistic knowledge, creativity and ambitions of a person, while external factors play a role as culture, society, forms of information, technical development and life situation. The individual characteristics of information literacy, and thus the expression of the skills listed below is therefore also dependent on these factors.
- The ability to recognize a need for information
In general, finding the insight of a person is preceded by information that their knowledge in certain areas is insufficient to solve a problem, complete a task or answer a question. It is this insight is motivation for further actions.
- The ability to locate information
In order to allow efficient searching of information, a search strategy should be developed, which includes the precise formulation of information needs. Further steps could be the selection of the most important terms and their synonyms or defining higher-level topics. The identification of suitable sources of information is also included. These can be, for example, libraries, archives, or the Internet, but also the survey by competent persons or institutions. To navigate within these differently structured information spaces, or the seekers assistants, known as finding aids or retrieval systems are available with reference information such as library catalogs, databases and search engines available, then facilitate the implementation of the developed search strategy. So can exclude certain terms from the search terms used to link together or to narrow the search area, for example, when searching using search engines and databases on the Internet, but also in electronic library catalogs.
- The ability to organize information
This ability includes, inter alia, the mastery of various structuring techniques such as clustering and mind mapping, methods for specific processing of the information and strategies for appropriate management and security. The preparation as to the problem, or issue can occur under various objectives such as clarity or reduction of the subject, but is especially meaningful and useful if it can be evaluated with the inclusion of a variety of information and media to disinformation by a confusing and difficult may oversupply.
- The ability for the targeted selection of information
Not always, the information found in researching suitable for preparation and processing, since the sources in different points may differ. An analysis by basic commonalities, similarities and differences in structure and content, and an evaluation according to criteria such as credibility, reliability, timeliness, authorship and audience relation is therefore necessary and appropriate for a targeted selection of the information. In this way is important from the unimportant, be Credible of untrustworthiness and updates from Outdated separated and purposefully selected to address the problem, answering the question or solving the problem.
- The ability to appropriately optimized design and presentation
In order to provide information specifically their intentions and target group -oriented design and presentation is necessary. All aspects of the mediation process on a specific goal and a specific target group to be aligned. In all areas of life, a variety of technical implementation options has become more relevant, but the exchange of information on verbal communication is also crucial. Partly subject-specific - - In addition to the knowledge of different medial- technical design and presentation possibilities therefore, fundamental rhetorical skills as well as knowledge of copyright and citation are required.
Adjacent competencies
Since it is more than an intellectual tool to a tangible object or a measurable quantity in information literacy, a clear and unambiguous distinction from other skills is difficult. They are often confused, equated with each other or implied as part of competence. The following skills are often cited in connection with information literacy:
- Library skills (Library Literacy ): to be able to ability, a library and use their services independently.
- Computer skills ( computer literacy ): ability to safely deal with information technology and, for example, to use the computer and its software as a tool.
- Digital competence (Digital Literacy ): Ability to understand and apply the information presented via computer in different formats.
- Internet skills ( Internet Literacy ): ability to use the Internet and to know its basic concepts and modes of operation.
- Communication skills: The ability to issue situation-and what adequate communications and receive.
- Reading skills: ability to understand written texts, to use and to reflect on them.
- Media Literacy (Media Literacy ): to be able to ability, media and mediated by media content to use their own goals and needs effectively.
- Writing skills: ability, his thoughts with the help of the media to formulate writing and so to others.