Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.
Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. Authority is contextual in that an information need helps to determine the level of authority required. Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used.
Information Creation as a Process
Information in any format is produced intentionally to convey a message and is shared via a selected format. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
Information possesses several dimensions of value, including 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.
Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a broad range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding is developed.
Association of College and Research Libraries (CC BY 4.0)
This document is an adapted version of the full Framework, which includes more details for each concept as well as the associated knowledge practices and dispositions. It is available here:http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework