Information Literacy Core Competencies

The Core Competencies

To further the goal of developing information literacy in WMU students, WMU Libraries has developed a set of information literacy core competencies. They are a guide for faculty, staff, and students at WMU seeking to integrate information literacy into the university curriculum., and a tool to encourage and facilitate conversation.

Using the Core Competencies

Faculty could use the core competencies to:

Develop curricula at the department or course level
Facilitate assignment creation
Coordinate syllabi within a department
Provide a framework for faculty workshops and training
Write learning outcomes for student assessment
Make information literacy more transparent

Expandable menu button Table of Skill Goals and Objectives

Skills Goals

Objectives

I. Construct a question or problem statement
Able to articulate need for existing information and literature and develop a research question or thesis statement.

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Define the topic and the information needed
Develop and refine a preliminary thesis or opinion on the topic
Seek information beyond course materials as necessary
Develop a manageable focus appropriate to criteria of assignment

Major Program:

Actively and independently seek sources beyond course materials
Articulate research question or thesis statement within confines/context of discipline
Use discipline-specific terminology

Graduate Programs:

Develop an original research question which contributes to the body of knowledge in the field

II. Locate and Gather Information
Able to execute a plan for locating information by developing a search strategy and identifying sources of information

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Create a plan for searching
Identify sources of information inside and outside of the library
Develop awareness of information life cycle and ability to determine which types of information are appropriate for topic
Identify various sources of help in searching (e.g. library and classroom faculty, other experts, peers, etc.)

Major Program:

Identify core subject research databases
Use advanced search features in subject research databases
Use effectively designed search strategies
Identify a breadth of primary and secondary sources of information in the field (e.g., scholarly journals, trade publications, books, government information, web-based resources, subject experts, etc.)
Interpret and use citations to find additional literature
Recognize tools for acquiring resources outside of WMU collections (e.g. Document Delivery, Interlibrary Loan, etc.)

Graduate Programs:

Seek primary sources from foundational theorists and practitioners
Construct advanced searches that are efficient and yield pertinent information

III. Evaluate Sources
Able to evaluate the quality, usefulness, and relevance of the information they discover

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Differentiate between scholarly, trade, and popular sources
Evaluate resources for authority, accuracy, reliability, objectivity, coverage, and timeliness
Evaluate found resources for relevance to the topic and adjust topic accordingly if necessary

Major Program:

Identify possible biases within an information source
Define “peer review” and articulate its value
Seek feedback from peers and professors
Make use of review tools to evaluate information sources (e.g., book reviews, annotated bibliographies, etc.)
Judge a source’s ability to fit the criteria of a given project

Graduate Programs:

Differentiate between types of research (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, etc.)
Evaluate research methods within studies
Identify research biases within studies
Apply evaluation criteria in the identification and use of key sources of information (e.g., journal impact factors)

IV. Manage Information and Communicate Knowledge
Able to manage and synthesize information from a variety of sources in order to communicate content effectively

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Develop a strategy for managing information found
Synthesize information from various sources
Organize content for clear communication to intended audiences
Recognize information overload and develop strategies to manage information anxiety

Major Program:

Demonstrate awareness of the breadth and depth of research on a topic
Synthesize and integrate information from subject-specialized sources
Communicate effectively to an audience with subject specialization
Use appropriate technology to manage and communicate information

Graduate Programs:

Integrate information gathered with original research
Organize and effectively manage voluminous information, including that relevant to original research
Effectively communicate original work to professionals in subject discipline

V. Use Information Ethically
Understand the legal and ethical implications of using information appropriately and responsibly

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Understand the basics of plagiarism and copyright
Cite sources appropriately

Major Program:

Demonstrate an increasing awareness of responsible use of information and types of plagiarism
Recognize ethical and legal considerations specific to the discipline
Use information ethically as global and local citizens

Graduate Programs:

Attentive to how original research will be impacted by ethical and legal considerations.
Share findings with peers in open forums

VI. Develop Subject Knowledge
Understand the disciplinary and societal context in which information is presented and created, and is able to contribute to that body of information

General Education and Basic Skills Courses:

Be aware of subject-specific resources (e.g., subject guides, subject-specific databases, liaison librarians, etc.)

Major Program:

Comprehend the academic process in specific disciplines
Consult with university subject experts (e.g., instructors, librarians, other specialists)
Use advanced subject-search features in research databases
Be able to select a breadth of discipline-specific materials (e.g., scholarly journals, trade publications, books, government information, web-based resources, etc.)
Be aware of post-graduate resources to foster professional membership, leadership, and community involvement
Be familiar with primary sources

Graduate Programs:

Be familiar with seminal works and experts in the field
Be able to articulate the standards of the field
Contribute to associations and networks related to the discipline
Participate in the academic process of one's discipline (e.g. discovery, proposal, funding, research design, dissemination, etc.)

The Information Literacy Committee at the University Libraries of Western Michigan University compiled this set of Information Literacy Competencies based on a variety of sources. We are especially indebted to Grand Valley State University for providing us with the framework of the document, and for allowing us to adopt parts of their program for our own.

Primary resources:

(External) Information Literacy Competencies Standards for Higher Education (developed by ACRL, approved by AAHE & Council of Independent Colleges):

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