ODU Libraries, Information Literacy Modules -- Module 1 -- September 2013 Information BASICS Option: Print Module 1 This module offers an introduction to information literacy, a discussion of some characteristics of information sources, and a review of the cycle of information creation and dissemination. Having a basic understanding of these concepts should help you identify the type of information you need. Learning Outcomes After completing this module, you will be able to: identify and describe two distinct types of research describe characteristics of information sources differentiate between scholarly and popular sources; primary and secondary sources identify a variety of formats in which information is available describe the cycle of information creation and dissemination What is Information? from Dictionary.com -- Dictionary Collins English Dictionary, 10th ed., 2009 information -n from Dictionary.com -- Thesaurus Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition [Note: synonyms of informal/non-formal usage were deleted.] 1. knowledge acquired through experience or study 2. knowledge of specific and timely events or situations; news 3. the act of informing or the condition of being informed 4. a. an office, agency, etc, providing information b. ( as modifier ): information service 5. a. a charge or complaint made before justices of the peace, usually on oath, to institute summary criminal proceedings Main Entry: information Part of Speech: noun Definition: facts, news b. a complaint filed on behalf of the Crown, usually by the attorney general 6. computing a. the meaning given to data by the way in which it is interpreted b. another word for data 7. informal too much information I don't want to hear any more Antonyms: ignorance Synonyms: advice, ... clue, confidence, counsel, cue, data, .. dossier, earful, enlightenment, erudition, illumination, info, inside story, instruction, intelligence, knowledge, ... learning, lore, ... material, message, network, notice, notification, orientation, propaganda, report, science, ... tidings, tip, what's what, whole story, wisdom Differentiation between Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom: Information, knowledge, wisdom are terms for human acquirements through reading, study, and practical experience. Information applies to facts told, read, or communicated that may be unorganized and even unrelated: to pick up useful information. Knowledge is an organized body of information, or the comprehension and understanding consequent on having acquired and organized a body of facts: a knowledge of chemistry. Wisdom is a knowledge of people, life, and conduct, with the facts so thoroughly assimilated as to have produced sagacity, judgment, and insight: to use wisdom in handling people. The distinctions above between information, knowledge, and wisdom are key to understanding the following quotations: "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" --T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) "We are drowning in information and starved for knowledge." --Rutherford D. Rogers "In your thirst for knowledge, be sure not to drown in all the information." Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book "Data is not information, Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not understanding, Understanding is not wisdom." --Cliff Stoll & Gary Schubert "Information" is hard to define because it is many things. Perhaps the easiest way to think of it is somewhere between data and knowledge. In the Information Science and Knowledge Management fields, raw data becomes information when it has been interpreted or put into a context. * Statistics can be seen as raw data, simply numbers, until I view them in a particular context that is relevant to my needs. * A photograph is raw data made up of colors, shapes, textures -- it becomes information to me when I view and process it. Knowledge comes from sifting through information from many sources. It can be organized into disciplines that influence the way information is accessed. The three major disciplines of knowledge are: Science Social Science Humanities Your search for and use of information in these major disciplines will vary. Through your studies, hopefully your data, information and knowledge will eventually lead to wisdom, an indefinable human state. However we define it, we all know there is a lot of it. By some estimates, the amount of available information doubles about every four years, with digital content doubling every 18 months, especially since the advent of the Internet in the 1990s. NOTE: The terms "Internet" and "World Wide Web" are often used interchangeably, even though they are two different things. Very simply... Internet = a global network of tens of thousands of computer networks; many applications use the Internet World Wide Web (Web) = one of the applications that use the Internet; a protocol that allows you to view, link, download the information, images, videos, etc that are available to computers connected to the Internet Learning to filter through information to get the best for our purposes is what information literacy is all about. What is Information Literacy? According to the Association for College and Research Libraries (http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/infolit/overview/): Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." An information literate individual is able to: Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally Information literacy equips you "with the critical skills necessary to become independent lifelong learners." You need to be able to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information for your course projects, your job, your role as a citizen, and in your personal life. Throughout your life, you will have a variety of information needs (from research papers to finding out about a medical procedure for a family member) and the sources you choose will vary depending on your need. Are you E-Literate? Click on the url below to watch a 15-minute video to get a better idea of just how much information is out there. Note the following: 1. The kinds of information you may not have considered 2. Types of deceptive or misleading information 3. How many new websites came online while you viewed this video http://media.gseis.ucla.edu/newliteracies/e-literate_big.mov What is Research? Research is the process of gathering, evaluating, and interpreting information or data to answer a question or solve a problem. As students, you will apply information literacy skills to your research projects. The two types of research we are concerned with here are: Scientific research. Whether in a lab or out "in the field," researchers conduct studies of organisms, behavior, technology, organizations, etc. They may come up with a hypothesis to test, and theywill develop a methodology for their testing or experimentation. This type of research happens most often in the sciences and social sciences. The data they collect may be in the form of measurements, observations, interviews, etc. Existing information can be combined with original thought, experimentation and/or analysis to produce new information. Library or information research. Students and researchers use library and other information resources to study a topic. They research what has been written in order to find support for an argument or thesis statement, to expand a topic by bringing together various viewpoints, to trace the history of a topic, etc. In many cases, existing information is used to produce new information through analysis. For whatever type of research you are doing, the quality of the information you use is of utmost importance. An information literate individual "evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base" (ACRL Standards). This applies across all disciplines. Keep in mind that different disciplines use different research methods. They also use different citation styles when documenting sources. Characteristics of Information Information comes in all shapes and sizes. Knowing some of its characteristics will help you better identify your information need and evaluate what you are receiving. Do you need a quick fact or a critical analysis? Would you like unbiased information or someone's opinion? Would current information answer your question, or do you need historical information? Where you search and find your information will depend on what type of information you need. Factual vs Analytical Factual Information is usually brief. It gives indisputable answers to specific questions. No explanation or analysis is needed. Examples of sources for factual information are encyclopedias, statistical compilations and almanacs. A total of 1,670 general aviation accidents occurred during calendar year 2005. (National Traffic Safety Board. http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/ARG0901.htm) Analytical Information analyzes and interprets facts to form an opinion or come to a conclusion. The primary questions answered with analytical information are why? or how? Examples of sources for analytical information are books and articles. "Crash Risk in General Aviation" is an article hypothesizing about the risks of private air flights and why they crash, including bad weather conditions, pilot characteristics, environmental factors, airport features, terrain and role of alcohol. Your research papers will usually provide analytical discussion and interpretation of a topic. But, you will most likely need facts to back up your ideas. Subjective vs Objective Subjective information is one person's opinion. In a newspaper, the editorial section is the place for subjectivity. It can be based on fact, but it is one person's interpretation of that fact. In this way, subjective information is also analytical. Student research papers are usually subjective, in that the writer formulates a thesis statement and uses sources that support that thesis. Bear in mind that there is usually another equally valid viewpoint that can be supported with other sources. Objective information reviews many points of view. It is intended to be unbiased. News reporters are supposed to be objective and report the facts of an event. Encyclopedias and other reference materials provide objective information. Objective or Subjective? Read the paragraph below. In the blank spaces, indicate whether the statement is objective or subjective. 99% of U.S households have at least one TV set. television is more important than anything else. It is clear that even though many people are poor, Submit Current vs Historical Another characteristic of information to consider pertains to its currency. Depending on your topic or information need, the date can be very important. If you are reviewing the latest cancer treatments, current information will be most relevant. If you are reviewing attitudes toward cancer in the 1960s, you will probably need to review historical information. In many cases current and historical sources will be required for a thorough study of a topic. Always look at the publication date and think critically about whether you need the most current information, historical information, or both. Consider different disciplines: In the sciences, the most up-to-date information is often needed. In the humanities, historical information may be most important. In the social sciences, historical and current information are often consulted. Current or Historical? Topic: The development of the typewriter Which type of information should you consider? Current Historical Both current and historical Topic: The development of film animation Which type of information should you consider? Current only Historical only Both current and historical Topic: Causes and cases of 21st century H1N1 flu virus. Which type of information should you consider? Current Historical Both current and historical Scholarly vs Popular Some resources are scholarly (or academic), while others are considered popular (or general interest). In most cases, your professors will require that you find scholarly resources. How can you tell the difference? Scholarly resources Popular resources Authors written or reviewed by experts in the discipline written by the publication's staff writers Audience written for researchers or practitioners in a particular discipline written for the general public or lay person Publisher professional society or organization or university commercial publisher Content provide in-depth analysis of topic or report of original research review an event or research project, highlighting key points Language uses technical language which may not be understood by the understandable by the lay person lay person Appearance * illustrations include graphs and tables * articles are usually long References almost always include a list of sources consulted * often use slick paper and more color * many advertisements and graphics * articles are usually very short rarely include a list of sources consulted Examples Books Any type of publication can be scholarly or popular, including books. In some cases, the title will give you a hint. Scholarly or Popular? Review the book titles below, and try to determine whether they are popular or scholarly. 1. Act like a lady, think like a man: what men really think about love, relationships, intimacy, and commitment . 2. A psychosocial exploration of love and intimacy . Submit Always think about the audience and purpose of an information source. Popular books are written for the general public. Scholarly books, on the other hand, usually have an academic audience in mind. Their purpose is to educate, inform, and advance knowledge in the discipline. Journals and Magazines Articles will be an important resource for your research projects at ODU because most researchers will publish their findings as articles. Articles from journals will usually be scholarly, whereas articles from magazines are usually popular. You can't always tell by the title alone. Wall Street Journal -- journal or newspaper? Ladies Home Journal -- journal or magazine? Journal of the American Medical Association -- journal or magazine? NOTE: You may hear librarians and some professors use the term "periodicals." Periodicals are publications that come out "periodically" such as journals, magazines, and newspapers. Peer Review For journals, the most scholarly articles will be those that have gone through a review process before being published. These articles are referred to as PEER-REVIEWED, REFEREED, or SCHOLARLY. Oxford Reference Online defines "Peer Review" as: The process used by publishers and editors of academic journals to provide a chance for scholars to examine and critique a paper or monograph before it is published to help ensure its integrity and veracity. Journal publishers want to make sure that the articles in their publications meet high standards for their scholarly audience. Many articles have even been rejected until the author corrects errors in the citation list; this is why some of your professors are sticklers for correct citation format!! It is often impossible to tell if an article has been peer reviewed just by looking at it. Some of the search tools you will use to find articles will provide this information; some won't. In many of the library's databases, you can view the journal information. For example, EbscoHost's "Environment Complete" database gives the following information about the journal Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy & Management: Title: Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy & Management ISSN: 1464-3332 Publisher Information: World Scientific Publishing Company 5 Toh Tuck Link Singapore 596224 Singapore Bibliographic 03/01/1999 to present Records: Full Text: Link to this Publication: Publication 03/01/1999 to present (with a 12 Month delay) *Full text delay due to publisher restrictions ("embargo") http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eih&jid=8KJ&site=ehost-live Academic Journal Type: Subjects: Engineering; Environmental Studies; Law; Management; Public Administration Description: An interdisciplinary, peer reviewed international journal covering policy and decision-making relating to environmental assessment (EA) in the broadest sense. Publisher URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/ Frequency: 4 Peer Reviewed: Yes This information is also found on the journal web site. Activity Peer-Reviewed? 1. Go to the Library's Web site (www.lib.odu.edu) and click on "Find Journals & Newspapers." 2. Under "Find a Journal Title," type -- the international economy 3. You should be given several options. Click on "Business Source Complete" and review the information. Is The International Economy a peer-reviewed journal? Yes No Trade Publications Another type of "periodical" is a trade publication (sometimes called "professional publication"). These are generally written by someone working in a trade or profession. Their audience is practitioners or other members of the trade, rather than researchers or the general public. The authors share their experience and expertise to further the trade or profession and keep others up to date. Publishers of trade publications are generally professional associations. The American Library Association publishes American Libraries, which "provides current news and information concerning the library industry." WWD (Women's Wear Daily) "aims to serve as the voice of authority, international newswire and agent of change for the fashion, beauty and retail industries." ENR (Engineering News Record) "provides business information needs of contractors, engineers, owners, and other construction team members involved in engineering construction projects by offering news, feature stories, market statistics and analysis." [Information quoted from UlrichsWeb, a database providing detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on periodicals published throughout the world.] Which to use? Below is a chart developed at the University Libraries of The Pennsylvania State University to help you decide which type of resource you need. How to Evaluate Your Search: Should I use more scholarly resources? More popular resources? Depending on your purpose, you may need more scholarly or more popular resources. Use Scholarly Journals when you need... * articles written by researchers or experts in the field * documented sources * research findings, reports, or methodologies * reliable information reviewed by scholars Use Professional/Trade Publications when you need... Use Popular Periodicals or Magazines/Newspapers when you need... * articles written by members of the trade or profession or experts in the trade * information on the trends, standards, or new technologies in the trade or profession * articles written for the general public by publication staff writers * general information on a topic in which no expertise is required * current news stories * reliable information reviewed by an editorial board If you're ever in doubt about the type of publication you are planning to use, ask your professor. Or, ask a librarian. To get information about a journal you can check a database called UlrichsWeb. Search by the title of your publication and you will find everything you need to know about that publication (and more). Activity Activity: Scholarly or Popular? Click on the article link below, and then click on the "PDF Full Text Link". Review the article and answer the questions below. ARTICLE LINK What is the title of the article? (Fill in the first 6 words.) What is the title of the magazine or journal source the article appeared in? Is this a scholarly source (Yes or No)? Why? Submit Primary vs Secondary An important distinction among information types is whether they are primary or secondary. Different disciplines use primary and secondary sources differently. For Example: In the Sciences -- you may need to find the original research study to examine the data (primary source) presented. In Social Sciences -- to understand a new theory, you may need to trace it back to the original document (primary source) from which it was derived. In Humanities -- you may need to examine original documents or artifacts (primary sources) to analyze an historical event. For most of your research questions, it may be essential to look at both primary and secondary sources. Primary Information Sources A primary source is original, firsthand information. It hasn't been interpreted, analyzed, condensed, or changed. It can be in the form of a creative work, diary, speech, letter, interview, news film footage, autobiography, photograph, official record, historical document. It can be an email written by a researcher to a colleague which includes data from an experiment. It can be a professor's lecture. It can be a newspaper article written at the time of an event or the transcript of a television report of an event. It could even be a tweet or other dispatch via a social media outlet like facebook, as in the case of the events surrounding the "Arab Spring" or, more locally, in the case of the military jet crash in April 2012 in Virginia Beach, or the August 2011 earthquake in Virginia. Examples: A Letter from former A photograph taken in 1992 during the The Diary of Anne Frank Virginia Governor Almond Los Angeles riots. (an autobiography) Information may need to be constructed with raw data from primary sources. In the humanities, primary sources may be books or historical documents or artworks. In the social sciences, a primary source may be transcripts of interviews with people, or data collected from surveys. In the sciences, primary sources may be data collected from experiments. Secondary Information Sources A secondary source is one or more steps removed from a primary source and may interpret or analyze a primary source. They are usually written by someone other than the original researcher or author. News commentators provide secondary information about particular events. After a research study (a primary source) has been published, the research findings are often summarized for a wider audience through articles in magazines and newspapers. A literary scholar will publish an article or book analyzing the novel of a particular author. Your textbooks contain information gleaned from various sources. An encyclopedia presents objective reviews of concepts, events, people, etc. Your research papers are usually secondary sources, providing critical analysis of a particular topic supported by other secondary sources and/or primary sources. Tertiary Information Sources Even further removed from the original source is a tertiary source. An example is a bibliography (citation list) of primary and secondary sources about a person or topic. For example: A bibliographic guide to North American industry : history, health, and hazardous waste by Dale A Stirling. Publisher: Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009. Encyclopedias are often viewed as tertiary sources because they review a topic and usually include bibliographies of primary and secondary sources consulted. Databases and indexes are tertiary sources which provide access to materials on specific topics. Always Think Critically... A source must be evaluated for quality and accuracy. Here is an example of a secondary ("popular") source reporting on a research study. According to this article, I would recommend coffee drinking to my elderly mother who is having heart problems. If I were skeptical, I would find the original article (primary source) to review the research. Here are a few quotes from the Discussion section of the original article: "Our results do not allow us to conclude whether caffeine or the caffeinated beverages were responsible for the protective effect...." "Overall, our findings do not allow for a conclusion as to whether caffeine ingestion protects against heart disease mortality by inducing blood pressure increases that counteract postprandial hypotension..." "The current study has several limitations...." "This study does not provide a valid basis for recommending increased consumption of caffeinated beverage...." (Greenberg, J. A., Dunbar, C. C., Schnoll, R., Kokolis, R., Kokolis, S., & Kassotis, J. (2007). Caffeinated beverage intake and the risk of heart disease mortality in the elderly: a prospective analysis. Am J Clin Nutr, 85(2), 392-398.) If you were writing a scholarly paper about the effects of caffeine on the heart, would you cite the MSN article or the primary source? Activity Primary or Secondary? Think about the differences between primary and secondary sources, and choose the appropriate type for the following: 1. An article discussing the history of presidential acceptance speeches. Primary source Secondary source 2. A transcript of Obama's presidential acceptance speech. Primary source Secondary source Formats You may be most familiar with print and electronic resources, but information comes in many formats. Printed materials: Books (hard bound and paper bound), journals and magazines, newspapers, government documents, maps and atlases. Many print materials are being replaced by electronic formats because they are easily accessible, available from a computer, and cheaper to reproduce. Electronic (digital) materials: E-books, e-journals, web sites, databases that require computers or other specialized equipment to view. Digital materials are usually stored on a server accessible through the Internet or local server. Microforms: Microforms are usually print materials that have been photographed in reduced size and are viewable only on special reader/printers. Audio/Video: Analog or digital materials in specialized formats, such as music cds, LPs, dvds, vhs tapes, reel-toreel tapes, cassettes. Still Images/Art: Photographs, paintings, and other artistic formats need special handling. When identifying an information source, it is important to note its format. If it is digital and on the Web, you may have easier access than if it's a microfilm and only available when the library is open. NOTE: This doesn't mean you should only look for items on the Web; it just means you may need to plan ahead to get the items in less accessible formats. These may be the most valuable sources for your research. NOTE: More specifics about information sources are covered in Module 2: DEFINING the Information Need. Information Cycles "Information Cycle" refers to the succession of sources that are created and disseminated after an event occurs. Understanding this cycle and knowing when and why an information source was generated, should help you choose appropriate sources for many of your research projects or questions. Would you try to find a full length book to describe something that happened last week? The cycle for current events differs from the cycle for academic research. And, the cycle is a guideline -- it doesn't always happen in the same way. Idea What is the cycle of information generated when a scholar comes up with a research idea? A scientist wonders whether a particular gene could be related to the development of Multiple Sclerosis A sociologist suspects there could be a connection between serial killers and their having been abused as children An economist wonders what impact group psychology played on the worldwide economic collapse A literary scholar wants to know what impact modern technology has had on literary creativity 1st stage: Invisible College information -- email, memos, conversations, lab data -- is often how an idea develops among researchers. Invisible College information is not easily accessible, however, because it doesn't get published and is often only available to a small group of people; hence, "invisible." 2nd stage: Research reports (conference proceedings, unpublished papers, grant reports, letters to the editor) are the second stage. At conferences, researchers present their findings to an audience of peers, often to get feedback as their research develops. If a researcher gets a grant, they must write up their findings to justify the grantor's funding. These reports are usually published within a year, but may not be readily available through standard search tools. 3rd stage: Journal articles (more in-depth coverage; description of completed research) may follow within two years depending on whether they are published in print or electronically. In many cases, these articles will include a basic structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Popular books and articles may also come out in the 3rd stage in order to report on the research and make it accessible to the general audience. 4th stage: Scholarly books and textbooks, single-subject or interdisciplinary, may be compilations of differing viewpoints that refer to the original research. Book publishing may take an additional year after journal articles appear. 5th stage: Reference books (encyclopedias, etc) will place the research findings in the general context of all knowledge on a topic and may not be seen for 1-2 years after the books. NOTE: none of the above is absolute; it's just a guideline! Activity A Real Life Information Cycle Who is Dr. Sonenshine? He is a biologist and professor emeritus at ODU who has been working on ticks since the 1950s when he published his dissertation on a particular bat tick in 1959. He has written one of the most authoritative works The Biology of Ticks (1991), as well as several other books, research reports, and scholarly articles. Dr. Sonenshine has an IDEA about how to control the tick population: could a decoy tick (a bead), implanted with female pheromones, attract male ticks and then kill them? This idea begins an information cycle. Below are publications representing further steps in the cycle. Place a number from 1-5 in front of the citation indicating where it belongs in the cycle. [NOTE: The dates were left out so as not to make it too easy!] . Sonenshine, DE, & Mather, TN. Ecological dynamics of tick-borne zoonoses. New York: Oxford University Press. . Allan SA, Barre N, Sonenshine DE, Burridge MJ. Efficacy of tags impregnated with pheromone and acaricide for control of Amblyomma variegatum. Medical and veterinary entomology 12(2):141-150. . He confers with colleagues and other experts, as well as with student researchers at ODU. They correspond through email, memos, conversations = the INVISIBLE COLLEGE. . "Ticks." Encyclopedia of Entomology v. 3. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. . Sonenshine, DE. Pheromonal disruption of reproduction in ticks using the decoy system: project report. Richmond, VA: Center for Innovative Technology, Institute of Biotechnology, VCU. Submit Event When an event occurs, the cycle of information is somewhat different. Suppose you were on I-264 headed toward Virginia Beach when an airplane crashes nearby. You take a picture of the chaos with your cell phone and post it to Twitter and Facebook. Would your description be considered primary or secondary? Objective or subjective? A TV reporter is on the scene reporting what she sees. Primary or secondary? Objective or subjective? The information cycle has begun. Where are you likely to hear more about the crash very soon? Blogs, Facebook, Twitter Internet news Radio Television Newspaper How far the information cycle goes depends on: who crashed (president, celebrity, nobody) what crashed (747 on I64 at rush hour or private small plane) why it crashed (terrorism or engine failure) If the event was not significant outside the local area, perhaps the cycle would end here. Think about it ... Is there another information type that might include this information later, even if it wasn't significant? Click here Think about it ... If the crash were of a major jetliner and 100 people were killed and/or the incident were related to terrorist activities, the cycle would likely continue. What types of sources would talk about it? Click here Here is a graphic of the information cycle for a newsworthy event. Activity Video: Information Cycle “Information Cycle” is a short video that shows you how the Information Cycle works with an event in the news. Click on the image below to watch the video, produced by University of Tennessee Libraries, then answer the questions below. Questions about the video... Based on the video, answer the following questions. 1. What are some information sources that produce information as event occurs or soon after? Fill in the blank for at least two such sources. 2. When the academics (professors) began to write about Hurricane Katrina, what types of information resources did they produce? 3. Indicate with a T (true) or F (false) whether the following statements are true or false. 1. It took longer for the academic publications to be released because they were doing in-depth research about the events and related issues. 2. The publishing process for newspapers takes a longer time than for journal articles and books. 4. From the cycle of information portrayed, based on a news story, you might make some generalizations about information sources. What type of information sources come out even later than journal articles and books? Submit Summary In this module, we looked at the concepts of information, information literacy, and research. Regardless of how we define it, what we all know about information is that there is a lot of it. By some estimates, the amount of available information doubles about every four years, with digital content doubling every 18 months, especially since the advent of the Internet in the 1990s. Information Literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." Research is the process of gathering, evaluating, and interpreting information or data to answer a question or solve a problem. We reviewed various characteristics, types, and formats of information. Factual Information is usually brief, provides indisputable answers to specific questions. and no explanation or analysis is needed. Analytical information analyzes and interprets facts to form an opinion or come to a conclusion. The primary questions answered with analytical information are why? or how? Subjective information is one person's opinion. It can be based on fact, but it is one person's interpretation of that fact. Objective information reviews many points of view and is intended to be unbiased. Always look at the publication date of a source and think critically about whether you need the most current information, historical information, or both. Some resources are scholarly (or academic); others are popular (or general interest). In most cases, your professors will require that you find scholarly resources. For journals, the most scholarly articles will be those that have gone through a review process before being published. These articles are PEER-REVIEWED or REFEREED. It's important to know the difference between journals, magazines, and trade publications. A primary source is original, firsthand information. It hasn't been interpreted, analyzed, condensed, or changed. A source that is one or more steps removed from the original research or event is considered a secondary source. Different disciplines use primary and secondary sources differently. When you identify an information source, it is important to note its format. For items not readily available electronically, you may need to plan ahead to get these most valuable sources for your research. We learned how information is disseminated after an event occurs and after a new idea occurs to a researcher. Information about important events usually moves from the media and social networking sites, to newspapers, to magazines, to journals, to books, to reference materials. Ideas usually move from the informal "Invisible College," to research reports or conference papers, to journal articles, to books, to reference materials. Having an understanding of the basics of information should help you with your information needs throughout your life and especially while you're a student. Identifying your information need, knowing what type of information will meet that need, and knowing where in the cycle of publishing you can find it is a good start. Return to your Blackboard course for further assignments Feedback: Please take a few moments to complete a brief survey with your feedback on the module. Suggested Reading/Sources Consulted Morris, Bill. "Data Overload: Americans in the Digital Age." Sphere. December 16, 2009. http://www.sphere.com/tech/article/ucsan-diego-researchers-attempt-to-quantify-digital-revolution/19282576 List-Handley, C. J. (2008). Information literacy & technology (4th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. Penn State University Libraries (Producer). The Information Cycle. Retrieved from http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infocycle/infocycle.html University Libraries of The Pennsylvania State University. How to Evaluate Your Search, from http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infolit/andyou/mod7/eval_sch.htm University of California Berkeley. Glossary of Internet & Web Jargon, from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html University of California Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies (Producer). E-Literate. Retrieved from http://media.gseis.ucla.edu/newliteracies/e-literate_big.mov Copyright 2010-2013 Old Dominion University -- ODU Libraries, updated September 2013