THE STAGES/ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION LITERACY

Information literacy is a crucial skill in the pursuit of knowledge. It involves

recognizing when information is needed and being able to efficiently locate,
accurately evaluate, effectively use, and clearly communicate information in
various formats. Information literacy has its own stages or levels and these
are composed of identify, find or locate, evaluate, apply, and
acknowledgement (Rold, 2018). Below, you can see the stages or level of
information literacy:

Stage 1: Identify
Identify information needs and determine the extent of information
needed. Clearly and concisely define the question to be answered, and
realize that the question may evolve.

Stage 2: Locate/FIND
You have to locate/find and retrieve appropriate sources of information.

First, understand the structure of information: how is it produced,

disseminated, organized, cataloged, stored, and retrieved, and how these
factors vary by discipline. For example, how do scholars or professionals
keep up to date in and contribute to their field.

Next, use indexes and other search tools effectively and efficiently to find
specific resources (e.g., select appropriate tools, formulate search strategies,
use appropriate search techniques, evaluate results)

Stage 3: Evaluate information and its sources critically.

First, understand different types of sources and formats, and how to use
them.

Next, evaluate the relevance and reliability of the information retrieved.

Stage 4: Synthesize/APPLY
In this stage, you have to synthesize and apply the information retrieved,
integrate it into one’s current knowledge base, and successfully apply it to the
original information need.

Stage 5: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Present/acknowledge this newly acquired knowledge so that others can
use it.
First, determine the audience’s needs and the best presentation format;
know the standards and criteria for presenting information in the relevant
subject/field/discipline.
Next, properly cite sources: direct the audience to sources of further
information and acknowledge one’s sources.

Ethical use of Information

Ethical Use of Information: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Citing

To use the work of others ethically, you will need to avoid plagiarizing by
understanding how to quote, paraphrase, and cite the work of others.

I. Citing

A. You should consider the question, Why cite?

1. To give credit to those whose work you have used (whether by

direct quote or by paraphrasing).
Academic ethics require that writers be credited for their work and
their writing.
If you intentionally or unintentionally use the work of another
without giving proper credit, you have plagiarized.
2. To provide evidence to support what you are saying.
A good bibliography of high-quality material demonstrates that
your project is based on credible evidence.
When well-integrated into your paper (or project), that evidence
creates a strong and convincing paper or project.
If your work is based on poor evidence, the credibility of your
project is undermined.
3. To allow your readers to find and read your sources.
Professionals often trace back to the original sources to expand
their own understanding and to use those sources in their own
research.
B. Next thing you should you have to consider is, Why a specific citation
style?
1. Using a consistent style in a bibliography (or reference list) lets the
reader know where in the citation to expect to find a title, where to expect
to find an author, etc -- without actually labeling the parts of the citation. It
makes it easier for your readers to understand your citations and find the
sources you have cited.
2. Although a variety of citation styles exist, each academic discipline
will usually use a specific style. By using a single style such as APA or
IEEE, a profession's readers are familiar with the style and understand
how to read and interpret it.
 C. What do I need to know about citing sources?
1. When to cite.
When using other people's words, put quotes around the words
and cite your source.
When paraphrasing other people's words, cite that source.
When you've borrowed an idea from someone else, cite them.
2. How to cite sources within the body of the paper and how to create
a list of sources cited in your paper -- the "bibliography" or list of
"references." If you need help with a specific citation style, see "Guide to
Citing Sources" for citation style guides such as APA, IEEE, and MLA.

II. Avoiding plagiarism

A. What is plagiarism?
1. Plagiarism is the accidental or intentional use of someone else's
ideas or work without properly citing the author. Whether accidental or
intentional, the consequences are the same. It is your responsibility to
understand and avoid plagiarism.
2. Consequences for plagiarizing. Plagiarism is considered a major
offense in academia. Depending on the situation, a student might fail the
assignment, fail the course, and/or be denied re-enrollment at the
university.
B. How do I avoid plagiarism? Be able to recognize it!
1. Read and understand the examples of word-for-word plagiarism.
2. Read and understand the examples of paraphrasing plagiarism in.
3. Do the practice exercise.
C. How do I avoid plagiarism? Be able to paraphrase and follow safe
practices!
1. Read and understand how to paraphrase in: "Paraphrase: Write It
in Your Own Words." In: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue University.
Note especially the "6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing."
2. Read and understand ways to avoid plagiarism in: "Safe Practices."
In: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue University.

III. Quoting, paraphrasing and citing: examples for information systems,

information assurance, and computer science

A. Quoting and Paraphrasing