Information Literacy

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Information Literacy

• Master Program Introduction
• Anders Eklund
• Birgitta Hansson
• Örebro University Library september 2006

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Definition of Information Literacy

• recognize a need for information
• formulate questions based on the information need
  
• identify potential sources of information
• develop successful search strategies
• evaluate search result - regarding relevance and
  credibility (source criticism)
• organize information for practical application
• integrate new information into your own knowledge
  base
• communicate your new knowledge to others
• consider research ethics

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The Degree Ordinance for bachellor degree from
autum 2007

• show ability to search, collect, value and
  critical interpret relevant information

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19 september and 26 september

• Scientific Publication (formal communication)
• Primary sources
• Accessability - Technical solutions
• Knowledge Organisation
• Sources of Information
• Information Retrieval

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The university libraries web in English

• Örebro university library webpage
• Information retriewal and search assistance

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• How do you usually search for information -
  private and in educational situations?

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Scientific publicationWhere do researchers
publish?

• Universities/academic institutions
• Government
• Organisations
• Companies
• Comersial publishers

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Primary sources

• Journal articles
• Reports
• Thesis or dissertations
• Conference proceedings

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Assessability of databases

• University library
• The libraries webpage
• On campus
• Remote access by password library card or campus
  card

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Knowledge organization

• Introduction. www vs. libraries
• Document description - cataloguing
• Classification systems DDC, SAB
• Subject headings LCSH, MeSH. Indexing
  thesauri
• Algorithms in search engines

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Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)

• The ten main classes are
• 000 Computers, information general reference
• 100 Philosophy psychology
• 200 Religion
• 300 Social sciences
• 400 Language
• 500 Science
• 600 Technology
• 700 Arts recreation
• 800 Literature
• 900 History geography

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Principle of hierarchy

• 600 Technology (Applied sciences)
• 630 Agriculture and related technologies
• 636 Animal husbandry
• 636.7 Dogs
• 636.8 Cats

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Outline of the Swedish Classification System (SAB
system)

• A Books and Libraries
• B General
• C Religion
• D Philosophy and Psychology
• E Children and Education
• F Linguistics
• G Literary History
• H Poetry and Fiction
• I Fine Arts, Music, Theatre and Cinema
• J Archaeology
• K History
• L Biography and Genealogy
• M Ethnography, Social Anthropology, Ethnology
• N Geography (Example Nc Swden Nca central
  Sweden Ncad Örebro county)
• O Social Sciences and Law
• P Technology, Manufacturing and Transport
• Q Economics, Trade and Industry
• R Sports and Games
• S Military and Naval Systems

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• How do you spell ??????

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The correct spelling of Tchaikovsky?

• Cajkovskij (Libris)
• Chaikowskii
• Chaikovskogo
• Chaikovskoho
• Chaikovskie
• Tchaikovsky (BL, LC)
• Tjajkovskij
• Tschaikowski
• Tschaikowsky
• Tshaikovsky

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Summary 19th september

• Definition of Information Literacy
• Where researchers publish
• Primary sources
• Accessability of databases
• Knowledge organization
• Page rank (Google)

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Strategies for information retriewal

• The information need is the starting point!
• References in articles
• TOC Table of Content
• Citations
• Snowball
• Step by step Seven Steps

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Information retriewalSeven steps 1

• Define some different kind of information need.
• Example
• One owerview article
• Latest conference paper in a specific field

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Seven steps 2

• Formulate the search question using words
  connected to the subject/problem.
• Example Information Literacy
• Synonyms
• Related terms
• Broader and narrower terms
• Alternative expressions

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Seven steps 3

• Choose databases and other information sources
  with regard paid to subject, level etc.
• multidisciplinary  information sources
• subject specific sources
• If relevant
• law texts
• EU projects and reports
• conference documents
• discussion lists.

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Sources of information

• Library catalogues
• Books and e-books
• Theses and proceedings
• Databases
• Journals, e-journals and open archives
• Search engines and subject directories

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Library catalogues

• Libris (the Swedish national catalogue)
• Örebro University Library catalogue
• Library of Congress
• Copac (a union catalogue of 24 major university
  libraries in UK and Ireland plus the British
  Library the National Library of Scotland, and the
  National Library of Wales/Llyfrgell Genedlaethol
  Cymru.)

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Books and e-books

• Interlibrary loans
• Ebrary
• Books and e-books

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Theses and proceedings

• Libris (choose extended and then dissertations in
  the publication type field)
• DiVA

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Databases

• Databases at Örebro University Library
  (alphabetical list in Swedish)
• Example Web of Science (Web of
  Knowledge)Journal Citation Reports, JCR

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Journals, e-journals and Open archives

• Elin_at_Örebro
• DOAJ
• Tool SFX

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Search engines and subject directories

• Scirus
• Google scholar
• Intute
• Search engines and subject guides

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Seven steps 4

• Develop a search strategy with synonyms, logical
  operators (Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT),
  limitations and extensions (truncation and
  wildcards, subject words etc.)
• Give example of truncation signs
• How do you search a phrase?

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• If you would like to get more and probably better
  search results you can add synonyms.
• Which operator (And, , NOT, OR, other) do you
  use to combine synonyms?

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Seven steps 5-7

• Make a test search, take a look at the subject
  words, the titles etc. and then modify the
  strategy if necessary.
• Assess the result and modify the search if
  unsatisfactory.
• How do you then keep up to date?

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Alerting services

• Alerts (in Swedish)
• RSS
• Discussion lists, mailing lists, (Listserv), blogs

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And then

• organize information for practical application
• integrate new information into your own knowledge
  base
• communicate your new knowledge to others by
  writing or presenting oral
• consider research ethics

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Help from the library

• Ask a librarian or e-mail a librarian
• Consultat the subject librarian
• Get help in the library