Library Instructional Services

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

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. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• define different types of authority, such as subject expertise (e.g., scholarship), societal position (e.g., public office or title), or special experience (e.g., participating in a historic event);
• use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper this credibility;
• understand the increasingly social nature of the information ecosystem where authorities actively connect with one another and sources develop over time.
• develop awareness of the importance of assessing content with a skeptical stance and with a self-awareness of their own biases and worldview;
• question traditional notions of granting authority and recognize the value of diverse ideas and worldviews

Information Creation as a Process

Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• articulate the capabilities and constraints of information developed through various creation processes;
• assess the fit between an information product’s creation process and a particular information need;
• articulate the traditional and emerging processes of information creation and dissemination in a particular discipline;
• develop, in their own creation processes, an understanding that their choices impact the purposes for which the information product will be used and the message it conveys.
• value the process of matching an information need with an appropriate product;
• resist the tendency to equate format with the underlying creation process;
• understand that different methods of information dissemination with different purposes are available for their use.

Information Has Value

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.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation;
• understand that intellectual property is a legal and social construct that varies by culture;
• understand how and why some individuals or groups of individuals may be underrepresented or systematically marginalized within the systems that produce and disseminate information;
• recognize issues of access or lack of access to information sources;
• make informed choices regarding their online actions in full awareness of issues related to privacy and the commodification of personal information.
• value the skills, time, and effort needed to produce knowledge;
• see themselves as contributors to the information marketplace rather than only consumers of it;
• are inclined to examine their own information privilege.

Research as Inquiry

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.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• formulate questions for research based on information gaps or on reexamination of existing, possibly conflicting, information;
• deal with complex research by breaking complex questions into simple ones, limiting the scope of investigations;
• use various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry;
• monitor gathered information and assess for gaps or weaknesses;
• synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources;
• draw reasonable conclusions based on the analysis and interpretation of information.
• consider research as open-ended exploration and engagement with information;
• maintain an open mind and a critical stance;
• seek multiple perspectives during information gathering and assessment

Scholarship as Conversation

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.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level, such as local online community, guided discussion, undergraduate research journal, conference presentation/poster session;
• identify barriers to entering scholarly conversation via various venues;
• summarize the changes in scholarly perspective over time on a particular topic within a specific discipline;
• recognize that a given scholarly work may not represent the only or even the majority perspective on the issue.
• recognize they are often entering into an ongoing scholarly conversation and not a finished conversation;
• see themselves as contributors to scholarship rather than only consumers of it;
• value user-generated content and evaluate contributions made by others;
• recognize that systems privilege authorities and that not having a fluency in the language and process of a discipline disempowers their ability to participate and engage.

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

Examples of Knowledge Practices & Dispositions related to this Frame: 

• determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information needs;
• identify interested parties, such as scholars, organizations, governments, and industries, who might produce information about a topic and then determine how to access that information;
• match information needs and search strategies to appropriate search tools;
• design and refine needs and search strategies as necessary, based on search results;
• understand how information systems (i.e., collections of recorded information) are organized in order to access relevant information;
• use different types of searching language (e.g., controlled vocabulary, keywords, natural language) appropriately;
• exhibit mental flexibility and creativity
• seek guidance from experts, such as librarians, researchers, and professionals