Research Guides: Information Literacy: Information Has Value

Information Has Value

Information Has Value
"Information has Value acknowledges that the creation of information and products derived from information requires a commitment of time, original thought, and resources that need to be respected by those seeking to use these products, or create their own based on the work of others. In addition, information may be valued more or less highly based on its creator, its audience/consumer, or its message."

This frame reminds us that users, whether college students or not, start with the perception that information is “free” and lack understanding of how personal information is being commodified.The third frame – “Information has value” – addresses the complex values associated with information by introducing concepts of publishing and intellectual property. It speaks of information “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.”

Some Learning Objectives

Students will recognize what constitutes plagiarism.
Students will be able to cite a source correctly and understand the reason for doing so.
Distinguish between plagiarism and copyright violations
Identify scholarly publication practices and their related implications for access to scholarly information
Identify why some groups/individuals may be underrepresented or systematically marginalized within the systems that produce and disseminate information

Student is willing to commit resources (time and/or $) to keeping current with chiropractic research for the benefit of practice management and patient care.
Students will be able to apply the four factors of fair use in order to determine the potential use of a copyrighted image in their work.
Students will be able to explain the value of citing sources in order to effectively use information sources in their writing.
Students will be able to evaluate a source using specific criteria in order to determine whether it meets their information need.

Learning Activities

From the University of Washington University Libraries

Think/pair/share on consequences of NOT using and benefits of using recommended resources
Think aloud: why do library databases exist?
Create a contest between two groups (Google vs. Academic Search Complete)
Brainstorming how using and citing information sources will help with their individual paper topics - various ways
Jigsaw - small groups become expert on assigned format (reputable blog, scholarly journal, magazine…) Might provide example of each format or assignment ahead
Jigsaw - each group is assigned to evaluate based on a particular criteria (authority, etc.) of that source