Scholarly Information Discovery in the Networked Academic Learning Environment

Scholarly Information Discovery in the Networked Academic Learning Environment

First Edition

LiLi Li

Table of Contents

Cover image

Title page

Copyright page

List of figures and tables

List of abbreviations

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Preface

Purpose of this book

Primary features of this book

How this book is organized

Who needs to read this book?

Pedagogical suggestions

About the author

Part 1: Understanding information and information literacy

1: Information in the digital age

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

What is information?

Relationships among data, databases, experience, information, and knowledge

Understanding information formats and media

Rethinking information in the age of information

Information explosion in the digital age

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

2: Information literacy in the networked academic learning environment

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

What is information literacy?

Computer literacy, information literacy, and library literacy

Information literacy competency standards for the twenty-first century

How to improve information literacy competency?

Information literacy assessment and evaluation

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

Part 2: Delivering academic and scholarly information in cyberspace

3: Computer networks in academic learning environments

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Information networks in academic learning environments

The popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)

Computer security and personal privacy in cyberspace

Recommended antivirus software to defend your Internet security

How to prevent computer viruses in our networked world?

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

4: Scholarly information delivery in the information age

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Ever-changing academic learning environments

Some new features of academic learning environments

First glimpse at academic literature

Academic and scholarly publications in the information age

Scholarly information delivery in our networked academic world

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

Part 3: Discovering academic and scholarly information in our networked academic world

5: Academic and scholarly search: strategies, methods, and roadmaps

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Information-seeking behavior in academic learning environments

Academic information search guided by information literacy models

General strategies for searching for academic and scholarly information

Common search methods in today’s information society

Academic roadmap for seeking scholarly information

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

Case study questions

6: Academic and scholarly research over the Internet and the WWW

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Confusion of junior and senior undergraduates about information access

Effective web search in cyberspace

Special search engines for academic and scholarly information

Open-access academic publications

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

7: Academic and scholarly search in academic libraries

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Academic libraries in a changing academic landscape

Popular academic databases and search engines

Specific tools and services for searching academic library collections

Academic library consortium resources and services

Information discovery in academic libraries

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Real World Example 4

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

8: Using information ethically, legally, and safely

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

General criteria for information evaluation

Using information ethically: citations, quotations, references, and plagiarism

Using information legally: copyright, intellectual property, and fair use

Using information safely: privacy and web security

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

Part 4: Searching for academic and scholarly information in the future

9: Evolving academic libraries in the future

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Emerging IT in the post-PC age

Vigorous academic libraries in the twenty-first century

Information services in the academic library of the future

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Real World Example 4

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

10: Beyond the academic world: succeeding in the real competitive world

Abstract

Introduction

Learning outcomes

Questions to be answered

Education is an investment

Secrets to career success in the real world

Final advice for college and university graduates

Summary

Real World Example 1

Real World Example 2

Real World Example 3

Real World Example 4

Self-review exercises

Brainstorming and discussion

Mini-quiz

Case study

Note

Appendix 1: A brief guide to customizing the privacy and security settings in Firefox

Introduction

Step 1: download Firefox

Step 2: open the Menu Bar of Firefox

Step 3: click the Tools option on the Menu Bar

Step 4: General Tab

Step 5: Privacy Tab

Step 6: Security Tab

Appendix 2: Answers to Mini-quiz sections

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Appendix 3: A select list of academic and scholarly information sources

Academic databases

Acronyms and abbreviations

Almanacs and factbooks

Citation styles

Cloud storage

Education

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and translations

Dissertations and theses

Encyclopedias

Information literacy

IT trends

Libraries

Library search engines

Newspapers

Open access

Rankings

Research

Research guides

Searching methods

Subject index

Translations

U.S. government information

Web antivirus software and firewalls (free software)

Web privacy software

Web search engines

Website builders

Other academic information resources

Appendix 4: Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

Introduction

Standards, Performance Indicators, and Outcomes

Appendix I Selected Information Literacy Initiatives

Glossary

Index

Copyright

Chandos Publishing

Elsevier Limited

The Boulevard

Langford Lane

Kidlington

Oxford OX5 1GB

UK

store.elsevier.com/Chandos-Publishing-/IMP_207/

Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier Limited

Tel: + 44 (0) 1865 843000

Fax: + 44 (0) 1865 843010

store.elsevier.com

First published in 2014

ISBN: 978-1-84334-763-7 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-78063-444-9 (online)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014946702

© L. Li, 2014

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. This publication may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior consent of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions.

The material contained in this publication constitutes general guidelines only and does not represent to be advice on any particular matter. No reader or purchaser should act on the basis of material contained in this publication without first taking professional advice appropriate to their particular circumstances. All screenshots in this publication are the copyright of the website owner(s), unless indicated otherwise.

Project management by Neil Shuttlewood Associates, Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK

Printed in the UK and USA

List of figures and tables

Figures

Tables

List of abbreviations

ACI   Autonomous Citation Indexing

ACRL   Association of College and Research Libraries

AI   Artificial Intelligence

ALA   American Library Association

AOL   America Online

APA   American Psychological Association

API   Application Programming Interface

ASCII   American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASRS   Automated Storage and Retrieval System

AVAST   AntiVirus and Anti-Spyware software

AVG   AntiVirus and anti-spyware software

BASE   Bielefeld Academic Search Engine

BMP   Bitmap image file

bps   bits per second

CAS   Chemical Abstracts Service

CD   Compact Disk

CRL   Center for Research Libraries

DD   Document Delivery

DDC   Dewey Decimal Classification

DMCA   Digital Millennium Copyright Act

DMOZ   Directory MOZilla

DNS   Domain Name Service

DOAJ   Directory of Open Access Journals

DOC   DOCument

DTR   Data Transfer Rate

DVD   Digital Video (Versatile) Disk

EDS   EBSCO Discovery Service

ERIC   Education Resources Information Center

FBI   Federal Bureau of Investigation

FCC   Federal Communications Commission

FTP   File Transfer Protocol

GALILEO   Georgia Library Learning Organization

GIF   Graphics Interchange Format

GKR   GALILEO Knowledge Repository

GPA   Grade Point Average

GUI   Graphical User Interface

HAN   Home Area Network

HD   High Definition

HDTV   High Definition TeleVision

HSU   Humboldt State University

HTML   HyperText Markup Language

HTTP   Hypertext Transfer Protocol

HTTPS   Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure; Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol

IDC   International Data Corporation

IEEE   Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IES   Institute of Education Sciences

ILCSHE   Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

ILL   Interlibrary Loan

ILL/DD   Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

IM   Instant Messaging

IP   Intellectual Property

IP   Internet Protocol

IPO   Initial Public Offering

IR   Institutional Repository

ISBN   International Standard Book Number

ISEP   International Student Exchange Program

ISP   Internet Service Provider

ISSN   International Standard Serial Number

IT   Information Technology

JPG, JPEG   Joint Photographic Experts Group

LAN   Local Area Network

LCC   Library of Congress Classification

LCSH   Library of Congress Subject Headings

LIS   Library and Information Sciences

MAN   Metropolitan Area Network

METRO   New York METROpolitan Library Council

MLA   Modern Language Association of America

MP3   Encoding format for digital audio

MT   Machine Translation

NASDAQ   Stock market

NCES   U.S. National Center for Education Statistics

NSA   National Security Agency

OAJSE   Open Access Journals Search Engine

OCLC   Online Computer Library Center

ODP   Open Directory Project

OOH   Occupational Outlook Handbook

OPAC   Online Public Access Catalog; Web Online Public Access Catalog

OS   Operating System

OU   Open University

OWL   Online Writing Lab

PC   Personal Computer

PDA   Personal Digital Assistant

PDF   Portable Document Format

PMC   PubMed Central

PNG   Portable Network Graphics

Protect IP Act   Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA)

PS   PostScript

RDBMS   Relational Database Management System

RPI   Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute287

RTF   Rich Text Format

SAILS   Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

SERP   Search Engine Results Page

SFTP   Secure File Transfer Protocol

SMTP   Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

SOPA   Stop Online Piracy Act

TCP   Transmission Control Protocol

TIF   Tagged Image Format

UCLA   University of California Los Angeles

URL   Uniform Resource Locator

USB   Universal Serial Bus

VoIP   Voice over Internet Protocol

WAN   Wide Area Network

WAV   WAVeform audio file

WLAN   Wireless Local Area Network

WOT   Web Of Trust

WWW   World Wide Web

Dedication

To students striving for academic and vocational achievement

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Glyn Jones of Chandos Publishing for his valuable advice and guidance and inspiring me to undertake this project. It was his enthusiasm, motivation, and advice that helped me select the subject matter of this book. I would also like to thank Jonathan Davis, ex-Commissioning Editor of Chandos, for showing me how to organize the topics in the book.

Special thanks go to the copy-editor Neil Shuttlewood, whose working attitude and talent made it all possible. Without his assistance, the manuscript would not be as polished and the path for ambitious undergraduates and graduates to follow to improve personal academic performance and enhance their job prospects would not be as clear.

My sincere gratitude goes to George Knott, Assistant Commissioning Editor at Chandos, and Fenton Coulthurst, Production Editor at Chandos. Without their input, the book would not have navigated the various stages on the way to the press.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bede Mitchell, Dean of Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University. He has given me a lot of support and encouragement to participate and present at many international and national conferences, which has enabled me to think more creatively and innovatively about instructing students in academic information literacy.

I am indebted to my colleagues for volunteering to take over my library instruction and reference desk duties while I concentrated on writing the book. Their thoughtful comments and reviews highlighted many areas where the instruction of information literacy in academic library settings could not only be enhanced but become more integrated.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife Mingfang Tang for her constant dedication and for the sacrifices she has made in support of me pursuing excellence in teaching, and my clever daughters Anji and Anyuan. Without the help and support given me by my family, the book would have been so much more difficult to write.

Preface

The cutting-edge and emerging technologies of the digital age are coming up with ever more innovative ways of delivering and disseminating information. Although web search engines are becoming increasingly powerful in today’s information society, many undergraduates still do not have the key skills to access and search for peer-reviewed scholarly information from academic information resources. When they switch between computer games, Facebook accounts, and other social media applications, the street-smart skills of many undergraduates are not enough to improve their academic performance. Faced by increasing global competition and the challenge of ever-changing career arenas, undergraduates and graduates must improve their information literacy competencies if they are to survive in the networked academic learning environment, let alone the highly unpredictable business world.

Many colleges and universities worldwide have set up campus-wide mandatory courses for first-year undergraduates so that they can adjust to the dynamic academic learning environment they have just entered. When preparing his teaching syllabus, the author’s attempts to find an appropriate textbook focusing on information literacy competencies in today’s information society have come to nothing. Moreover, there are few books teaching college students how to write academic papers, none of which however show how scholarly information can be delivered in our networked academic learning environment. Furthermore, few books are available to teach students how to access, search for, and use information ethically, legally, and safely in public access computer environments.

Purpose of this book

The purpose of this book is to provide a practical guide for undergraduates and graduates striving for academic and vocational achievement. Students in dynamic and interactive academic learning environments are required to display qualified information literacy competencies while critically evaluating electronic and print information for its currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, and purpose. However, many undergraduates and some graduates still encounter difficulties when searching for peerreviewed scholarly information across heterogeneous applications, databases, networks, platforms, and systems.

This is a show-me-how-to-do-it book. It is unique in that it is written to show undergraduates and graduates, especially first-year students, where and how to access and locate print and online scholarly information resources and services in our networked academic learning environment. The book should further assist them to use information ethically, legally, and safely in cyberspace. Exercises and mini-quizzes related to the subject matter of each chapter are designed to strengthen the knowledge gained from each chapter and promote skills in critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving.

Primary features of this book

1. 

This book is a new, comprehensive reference guide to illustrate the various ways of delivering and disseminating academic and scholarly information in our networked academic world.

2. 

This book is a roadmap to show undergraduates and graduates, especially first-year college students, where to access and search for academic and scholarly information in the dynamic academic learning environment.

3. 

This book teaches junior and senior college students how to utilize academic information resources and services across applications, databases, platforms, and systems.

4. 

This book presents many real-world examples that show undergraduates and graduates how to use academic information ethically, legally, and safely in public access computer environments.

5. 

This book includes abstracts, key words, learning outcomes, real-world examples, and summaries to help students review essential concepts, knowledge, and skills applicable to academic information in networked environments.

6. 

This book arranges brainstorming and discussion, case studies, self-review questions, and mini-quizes to promote skills in critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving.

How this book is organized

This book consists of four parts and ten chapters. Part 1, Understanding information and information literacy, explores the basics of information and information literacy. There are two chapters in this part:

■  Chapter 1 focuses on information as a concept and information features like the multiple formats and media used for information delivery in networked environments. Also discussed are the relationships between information, data, knowledge, and experience.

■  Chapter 2 defines information literacy and demonstrates its implications for undergraduates, especially first-year college students, when they adjust themselves to an interactive and dynamic academic learning environment.

Part 2, Delivering academic and scholarly information in cyberspace, discusses primary ways of delivering and disseminating academic and scholarly information via computer networks. There are two chapters in this part:

■  Chapter 3 reviews the network services available in the academic learning environment. The focus of this chapter is to give a good grounding of these services. Also discussed are the benefits and challenges of using the Internet and the WWW, plus recommended antivirus applications to protect personal computing security.

■  Chapter 4 outlines the means of information delivery in the academic learning environment. This chapter gives students an insight into scholarly publications in the networked academic community.

Part 3, Discovering academic and scholarly information in our networked academic world, demonstrates ways of accessing and searching for academic and scholarly information. There are four chapters in this part:

■  Chapter 5 provides strategies, methods, and roadmaps on how to search for academic and scholarly information. This is the core chapter when it comes to demonstrating which information literacy skills are needed to improve academic performance in the dynamic academic learning environment. Also discussed are the reasons college and university students need to pay additional attention when they apply information search strategies, methods, and roadmaps to searching for academic and scholarly information in the various academic learning environments.

■  Chapter 6 demonstrates how specific web search engines can be used to retrieve scholarly information in cyberspace. Also discussed are open-access information sources over the web.

■  Chapter 7 looks at the many ways of searching for academic and scholarly information in academic library settings. Also discussed are popular academic library databases and fast-evolving discovery services.

■  Chapter 8 debates the key issues involved in using information ethically, legally, and safely in cyberspace. Using examples from academic communities, Chapter 8 lists the common approaches and criteria expected of well-educated undergraduates and graduates when they use information. Chapter 8 looks into the differences between copyright, fair use, and plagiarism. Also discussed are practical suggestions and recommended software to bolster cyber security and personal privacy in private and public access computer environments.

Part 4, Searching for academic and scholarly information in the future, explores IT trends in the post-PC era and the survival strategies of students looking for long-term success in the increasingly competitive world expected of the future. There are two chapters in this part:

■  Chapter 9 explores IT trends and the future of academic libraries. Inspired by the information explosion and the digital revolution, academic libraries worldwide are getting ever more inventive and innovative in meeting the dynamic need to support academic study and scholarly research.

■  Chapter 10 discusses the critical skills needed to survive in the future competitive world. This chapter points up the communication skills and strategies that newcomers need to possess in the career arena. Also discussed are four secrets and related information resources about long-term success in the workplace.

Who needs to read this book?

This book is primarily written for junior undergraduates who have just started to make progress in the ever-changing academic world. Senior undergraduates and graduates will also benefit from reading this book because they too need to keep up to date with innovative academic and scholarly information resources and services, especially now that we have entered the age of cloud computing.

This book provides academic administrators, executives, faculty, and other professionals with an innovative approach to improve excellence in teaching and learning. It can be used as a reference guide for academic instructors who need to show their students how to search for academic and scholarly information. Academic instruction will benefit from the contents (or partial contents) of this book getting embedded in existing learning modules in different subject fields. By combining information literacy instruction with syllabuses, students would be better positioned to search for scholarly information more effectively and efficiently.

This book should help academic librarians become more engaged in the teaching of information literacy and in the information literacy programs of libraries. It provides librarians with new approaches to integrating computer literacy and library literacy into the teaching of information literacy (library literacy is not the same as information literacy). The real challenge facing academic information services librarians is predicting the information literacy competency that will be needed to access and search for future information resources and services currently unknown to librarians.

This book provides library and information science (LIS) faculty and students with a new perspective from which to look at the teaching of information literacy and at the information literacy programs of academic learning environments. The discussions and real-world examples in this book demonstrate how cutting-edge and emerging technologies will bring about ever more innovative information resources and services in the future information world. They should also greatly help LIS staff understand the IT knowledge and skills they need to possess before they can provide the highly qualified information services demanded by academic instructors and students in the ever-changing academic landscape.

This book should be of benefit to information services librarians in public libraries since it investigates the experience, knowledge, and skills community users will need when they try to access and search for print and online information sources. Information services librarians in public libraries need to update their information literacy skills so that they can promote lifelong learning to help community users survive in the information age.

This book provides K-12 schoolteachers with many real-world examples of the importance of promoting information literacy skills for middle-school or high-school students. The big gap between secondary education and the higher education system is the main reason many firstyear freshmen do not have the information literacy competency expected of them in higher education institutions.

Parents might find this book invaluable as a means of preparing their children for college. Apart from providing financial support, parents wanting to teach their children how to survive in the competitive academic and business world need look no further. Like Webster’s New World Dictionary and the Oxford Thesaurus (American Edition), this book could be used as a desk reference whenever their children have difficulty searching for academic and scholarly information.

Pedagogical suggestions

The educational purpose of this book is emphasized and organized in every chapter by means of dynamic teaching and learning activities. Experienced academic instructors, for example, may select just the content they need to customize their own teaching portfolios. New faculty members will need to pay more attention to the innovative discovery tools that are increasingly available in academic library settings. To improve excellence in teaching and learning, information services librarians may be called on to demonstrate how to access and search for the academic information resources and services needed.

Information services librarians should find this book invaluable in that it offers a number of approaches that enhance the teaching of information literacy and improve information literacy programs at libraries. Although library instruction is not the same as information literacy instruction, librarians should help students understand how scholarly information is delivered and distributed across the academic campus during library instruction. Also discussed are the impacts innovative information media and formats have in today’s information society. In addition to introducing different search methods, library instruction should compare the search results offered up by different academic databases and web search engines. If library instruction is not of a high enough standard to fully explain how academic and scholarly information is delivered in today’s information society, undergraduates and graduates will never be able to improve their information literacy competencies in the ever-changing information world.

Library and information sciences (LIS) faculty may find it useful to select the whole book or just the chapters on cutting-edge and emerging technologies applicable in academic learning environments or just the chapters that discuss information literacy competencies to customize their own teaching modules. The Brainstorming and discussion, Case study, Real World Example, and Summary sections in each chapter provide LIS instructors with real-world examples in academic library settings. To promote academic intellectual freedom, no so-called standard answers to the Brainstorm and discussion and Case study sections are given in this book. The author believes that different academic perspectives will help LIS students think critically about the best solutions.

Finally, it is the sincere hope of the author that this book will enable undergraduates and graduates to enhance their information literacy skills in both the dynamic academic learning community and the competitive working environment. Were this book used as a reference guide to improve the academic performance of students and inspire them in their pursuit of lifetime goals that would be more than sufficient reward for the time and effort spent writing the book.

LiLi Li lilili@georgiasouthern.edu, Associate Professor/E-Information Services Librarian, Georgia Southern University Library, Statesboro, GA 30460, U.S.A.

About the author

LiLi Li is Associate Professor/E-Information Service Librarian at Georgia Southern University. In addition to a master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences, he gained a second master’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) in 2004.

Between 1998 and 2001 he worked in IT at a number of companies as IT consultant, programmer/analyst, and software engineer/developer. During his IT career he designed, developed, enhanced, and maintained client/server apps for major enterprises. It was also at this time that he built up valuable real-world IT experience in the fields of computer software life-cycle design and development, client/server architecture, database design and maintenance, web applications, and user technical supports.

Since the summer of 2002 the author has been busy promoting web-based academic library information services and instructions at Georgia Southern University Library. He uses HTML, XHTML, DHTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript, PHP, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Access2010, and MySQL to design, develop, and enhance web-based library applications. He is the university library liaison to the Department of Computer Science and Department of Information Technology. He has presented papers on academic library technology innovation at different state, national, and international conferences. His first book Emerging Technologies for Academic Libraries in the Digital Age was published in 2009. Since then, over 228 academic libraries in 25 countries and regions have purchased the work.

Full contact information

LiLi Li LiLiLi@GeorgiaSouthern.edu, Associate Professor/E-Information Services Librarian, Georgia Southern University, P.O. Box 8074, Statesboro, GA 30460, Office: 912-486-7960, Fax: 912-486-7821

Part 1

Understanding information and information literacy

1

Information in the digital age

Abstract

An essential feature of today’s information society is the high speed of information delivery and dissemination. With the prosperity of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), cutting-edge and emerging technologies are providing us with more and more innovative media to access, display, transform, transmit, and store information across heterogeneous applications, databases, networks, platforms, and systems. This is the reason faculty and scholars have expressed concern about information overload in the age of the information explosion. To help students learn more about information and the information explosion, this chapter explores the definition of information and its primary features in the digital age. Also discussed are some differences and associations among information, data, knowledge, and experience. Finally, this chapter highlights the information explosion and its implications for students in dynamic and interactive academic learning environments.

Key words

data

databases

experience

format

information

information explosion

information overload

knowledge

media

Introduction

In today’s information society, information is the key to open the door to knowledge and success. In the competitive business world, whoever is first to hold key information has the advantage of being more successful. In dynamic and interactive academic learning environments, college and university students who can access and search academic information more effectively will have a greater chance of achieving more academically than their classmates or schoolmates. Therefore, this chapter focuses on defining information and its primary features in the digital age. The discussions about information, data, knowledge, and experience will help students know more about the role of information in the generation of data, experience, and knowledge during the course of cognition. The discussion about information formats and media is key to understanding dynamic ways of delivering information in our networked information society. The real value of exploring the information explosion and information overload is to help students improve their learning efficiency when they access and search for information in different formats.

Learning outcomes

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Understand what information is in our networked information society.

2. Explore the primary features of information in the digital age.

3. Distinguish the relationship among information, data, knowledge, and experience.

4. Discover innovative formats and media for information delivery and dissemination.

5. Understand how information is transformed into data in a computing system.

6. Understand the implications of the information explosion on today’s information society.

Questions to be answered

1. What is information?

2. What is the relationship among information, data, knowledge, and experience?

3. What is data?

4. How is information converted to data in a computing system?

5. What is an information format?

6. What are information media?

7. Why do we have multi-formats and multi-media in the digital age?

8. How can information features be understood?

9. How can the information explosion in the digital age be understood?

10. How will the information explosion impact information search in academic learning environments?

What is information?

As early as 1997, David Shank advised us in his book, Data Smog: Surviving the