Research Guides: Information Literacy: Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

Authority is Constructed and Contextual
"Authority of information resources depends upon the resources' origins, the information need, and the context in which the information will be used. This authority is viewed with an attitude of informed skepticism and an openness to new perspectives, additional voices, and changes in schools of thought."

Learning Activities

1. Ask students to find several scholarly sources on the same topic that take very different stands. How was it that the authors came to different conclusions? Does it have to do with authority?

2. Have students look at a blog, a video on YouTube, a collection of tweets, or some other type of social media regarding a contemporary event (e.g. demonstrations at Tahrir Square during the "Arab Spring" events). Ask them to describe how they would analyze and evaluate the authority of the author(s) of the information. Are there ways to determine whether the individual was an actual witness or participant in the events? Are there ways to identify whether the individual or group that developed a collection of information has a particular political bias? Can they determine whether the author(s) has a particular status within the group s/he represents or is the individual reporting as an "average citizen"?

- From the University of Washington University Libraries

Evaluating Resources
Materials related to the CRAAP Model

Some Learning Objectives

Students will recognize appropriate information resources per discipline.
Determine attributes of authoritative information for different needs, with the understanding that context plays a role in authority-based attributes
Recognize that traditional notions of granting authority might hinder diverse ideas and world views
Acknowledge that oneself may be seen as an authority in a particular area, and recognize the responsibilities entailed
Students will be able to recognize relevance of subject expertise as a kind of authority in order to gather appropriate articles for assignment

Students will be able to distinguish between scholarly and popular sources in order to select appropriate sources for academic research.
Students will be able to thoughtfully find published primary sources in order to include first-person perspectives in their research project.
Students will evaluate sources using a variety of criteria in order to cultivate a skeptical stance and a self-awareness of their own biases and world views.
Students will learn to distinguish a news from an editorial article so they will understand that information is created for a purpose.
Students will be able to distinguish between different types of sources in order to find credible sources on their topics.
Students will be able to express a desire to find better resources IOT improve the quality of their resources.
Students will be able to explain why the authority of a source matters, IOT choose appropriate sources
Students will be able to evaluate databases results IOT select relevant and credible sources
Students will be able to evaluate an author's use of sources
Students will be able to evaluate a source using specific criteria in order to determine whether it meets their information need.