WEEK TEN: Lecture notes to Introduction to Information Literacy

Introduction

This unit will introduce students to the introductory concepts that give an i n i t i a l

understanding of information literacy (IL) through definitions and brief explanations.

Defining Information

The American Library Association (1987) defines information as “…all ideas, facts,

and imaginative works of the mind which have been communicated, recorded,

published and/or distributed formally or informally in any format”.

Definition of information literacy

Set of skills, which requires an individual to: “recognize when information is needed

and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. “It is the

knowledge of commonly used research techniques. Information literacy forms the

basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments,

and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend

their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their

own learning.”

Information Literacy is the capacity of people to:

1. Recognize their information needs;

2. Locate and evaluate the quality of information;

3. Store and retrieve information

4. Make effective and ethical use of information, and

5. Apply information to create and communicate knowledge.

Capabilities of an Information Literate Individual

▪ Access information effectively and efficiently

▪ Evaluate information critically and competently

▪ Use information accurately and creatively

 ▪ Be an independent learner and pursue information related to personal interest

▪ Strive for excellence in information seeking

Information Sources

To obtain timely, relevant and quality information for your study or research work,

one needs to know the various sources of information available. This module is

expected to deepen one’s knowledge of sources of information in print, non-print

and electronic formats. It presents the definition, types, formats, and categories of

information sources.

Definition of Information Sources

Information sources are the various means by which information is recorded for use

by an individual or an organization. It is the means by which a person is informed

about something or knowledge is availed to someone, a group of people or an

organization. Information sources can be observations, people, speeches, documents,

pictures, organizations. Information sources can be in print, non-print and

electronic media or format.

Types of Information Sources

Information can c o me fr o m v i r t u a l l y anywhere: personal experiences, books,

articles, expert opinions, encyclopedias, the Web. The type of information needed will

change depending on its application. Individuals generate information on a daily basis

as they go about their work. In academic institutions, staff and students consult

various sources of information. The choice of the source to be consulted is usually

determined by the type of information sought. The three types of information sources

are:

a) Primary sources

b) Secondary sources

c) Tertiary sources
a) Primary sources

Primary sources are original materials on which other research is based. This

is information before it has been analyzed, interpreted, commented upon,

spun or repackaged. They are usually the first formal appearance of results in

physical, print or electronic format. They represent original thinking, unedited,

firsthand, access to words, images, or objects by persons directly involved in an

activity or event or speaking directly for a group.

Examples include:

▪ Artifacts (e.g. coins, plant specimens, fossils, furniture, tools, clothing)

▪ Audio recordings (e.g. radio programs)

▪ Diaries

▪ Internet communications on email, list serves

▪ Interviews (e.g., oral histories, telephone, e-mail)

▪ Journal articles published in peer-reviewed publications

▪ Letters

▪ Newspaper articles written at the time

▪ Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate, will, marriage license, trial transcript)

b) Secondary sources

Secondary sources a r e less easily defined than primary sources. Generally, they

are accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are

interpretations and evaluations of primary sources written significantly after events

by parties not directly involved but who have special expertise. They may provide

historical context or critical perspectives. Secondary sources are thus not evidence, but

rather commentary on and discussion of evidence. However, what some define as a

secondary source, others define as a tertiary source.

Examples include:
 ▪ Bibliographies (also considered tertiary)

▪ Biographical works

▪ Commentaries, criticisms

▪ Dictionaries, Encyclopedias (also considered tertiary)

▪ Textbooks (also considered tertiary)

▪ Web site (also considered primary)

d) Tertiary sources

Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of

primary and secondary sources. They are twice removed from the original source and

their main purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or other

information.

▪ Almanacs - yearbooks

▪ Bibliographies (also considered secondary)

▪ Dictionaries and Encyclopedias (also considered secondary)

▪ Directories

▪ Guidebooks (on tourism, hospitals…)

▪ Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources

▪ Manuals

▪ Textbooks (also considered secondary)

Categories of information sources

There are various categories of information sources and different assignments

require information from a variety of sources. The selection of information sources to

be used is largely determined by the information needs and requirements.

Books, Periodicals, References Sources, Databases, Internet, Bibliographies, Abstracts,

Indexes, Theses and Dissertations.

Information Organization

There are several ways to organize information in order to find it easily. Libraries use

organization schemes to classify information according to the academic discipline

or area of knowledge (class) the information fits into.

Why is it important to organize information?

In order to retrieve the information you need, it's really important to know how

the information is organized. Organization is thus the key to easy retrieval of

information or accessing a library’s collection.

How information is organized in the library

The Library two main approaches to organize information sources namely content and

format. The content is composed of the subject and the characteristics of

information. Format refers to the medium used to present or store information.

Therefore materials will be located in different physical locations based on subject or

physical format type.

Access Tools and Information Retrieval

There are various access tools available for information retrieval in both print

and electronic formats. These include:

i. Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC),

ii. search engines,

iii. portals,

iv. gateways,

v. databases,

vi. institutional
vii. repositories and

viii. library websites.

Library Websites

Academic library websites function mainly as gateways to sources and

resources and they resemble characteristics of a portal. Being able to use these

resources will help you in your studies.

Kirinyaga University Library Website

KyU website https://library.kyu.ac.ke/ is the gateway sources and

resources. Via the KyU library website one can access OPAC, past exam papers,

database, e-journals, e-books and e-thesis databases and the Institutional repository.

The Library Catalogue

The Library Catalogue is a database of all the information resources in the library.

It is a general tool for locating or searching information resources. It will help one to

identify and locate books in the collection including reference sources and

periodicals. The catalogue could be a paper card book or computerized catalogue

often referred to as Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). In most universities the

catalogue is computerized and searchable on the Internet.

Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)

The OPAC is an online bibliographic database of all the information resources in the

library. These resources include both print and electronic.

The most basic function of the OPAC is the ability to browse the entire library

collection. It can be used to look for something specific or general. The default

mode is the basic search function, but there is also an advanced search option. The
advanced search screen allows one to conduct a multiple term search while the basic

search only offers one entry box. Multiple term searches are helpful if one is searching

for something specific and one wants to be as precise as possible.

Other functions of OPAC

I. Suggest a purchase

II. Make a general suggestion

Advantages of Using OPAC

1. It is specific i.e. Shows the actual location of the item

2. It shows the status of the book (is it available or not)

3. It is fast and efficient

4. It enables you to carry out simultaneous searches

5. No geographical boundaries (remote access)

6. It enables you to limit your search to a particular section of the library

Search Engines

A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web.

The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to

as search engine results pages (SERPs) or hits. The information may consist of web

pages, images, information and other types of files.

How does a search engine work?

A search engine operates in the following order: Web crawling, Indexing and

Searching.

Web search engines work by storing information about many web pages, which

they retrieve from the internet. These pages are retrieved by a Web crawler

(sometimes also known as a spider) — an automated Web browser which follows

every link on the site. The contents of each page are then analyzed to determine how

it should be indexed (for example, words can be extracted from the titles, page
content, and headings). Data about web pages are stored in an index database for

use in later queries.

Directories

Directories use subject headings to categorize their information, e.g. Business

Management could be a heading. Examples of web directories are Lycos and Yahoo.

Directories usually contain links (pointers) to sites that have got the information one

is looking for.

Examples:

• Yahoo Directory (www.yahoo.com)

• Open Directory (www.dmoz.org)

• Open Science Directory (www.opensciencedirectory.net/)

• Directory of Institutional Repositories ( www.opendoar.org)

• Directory of Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org )

Search Tools in a Document

Table of Contents

It is a list of the parts of a book or document organized in the order in which the

parts appear in the document. The contents usually includes the titles or

descriptions of the first-level headers, such as chapter titles in longer works, and often

includes second-level or section titles within the chapters as well, and occasionally even

third-level titles. Printed tables of contents indicate page numbers where each part

starts, while online ones offer links to go to each part.

Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of books, articles and other sources of information that form

the literature of a subject. A bibliography may include additional resources to those

directly used in the paper.

Good bibliographies should include the following:

• The authors’ names

• Title of the books, works or objects referred to in the research paper or thesis.

• Date of publication

• Names of publishers and their locations

• If there were multiple volumes in a given source volume, then page number(s) must

be included

The exact method and formatting required, will depend on the referencing style that

your institution uses.

Thesaurus

Thesaurus is a reference work for finding synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words.

They are often used by writers to help find the best word to express an idea: ...to find

the word, or words, by which [an] idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed.

A s y n o n y m thesaurus is a book that lists words or phrases that mean the same

thing or almost the same thing–a book of synonyms. Some thesauruses list words in

alphabetical order, just like a dictionary.

Why is a thesaurus important?

Thesauruses provide easy access to a seemingly endless number of synonyms.

Synonyms improve your writing because they help you avoid empty words and allow

you to more accurately express yourself.

Internet

Internet is an electronic communications network that connects computer networks

and organizational computer facilities around the world —used with the except when

being used attributively

Index

It is a list of words or phrases ('headings') and associated pointers ('locators') to

where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document. In a

traditional back-of- the-book index the headings will include names of people, places

and events, and concepts selected by a person as being relevant and of interest to a

possible reader of the book.

Evaluation of information sources

This section the foundation needed in the evaluation of Information Sources.

Evaluation is meant to assess whether information accessed meets the needs of the

reader or is able to help the reader to accomplish a task at hand. Therefore, critical

evaluation of the information found is essential in conducting quality research. With

so much information available, in different formats, from so many different

sources, each piece of information that selected must be carefully reviewed to

ensure the quality, authority, perspective, and balance that best support the research.

Why evaluate information sources

1. To decide whether the Internet source should be linked to a resource guide

or library website.

2. To judge the quality and appropriateness of information for a particular

query or user.

3. To determine the authenticity of the source

4. To verify the validity and reliability of the information

Evaluation Criteria

(a) Authority: The source of the information.

Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?

What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?

Is the author qualified to write on the topic?

(b) Objectivity: The clarity and factualness of the content or subject.

What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or

persuade?

(c) Coverage: The scope and relevance of the information to your needs.

Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?

 Who is the intended audience?

(d) Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.

Where does the information come from?

Is the information supported by evidence?

Has the information been reviewed or refereed?

(e) Currency: The timeliness of the information.

When was the information published or posted?

Has the information been revised or updated? Is it a date appropriate for the subject

matter?

COPYRIGHT, PLAGIARISM, REFERENCING AND CITATION

A copyright is an intellectual property right granted to the creator of original work

for the exclusive use and distribution of the work.

Copyright automatically protects the original expression of an idea provided that the

concept is in tangible form. Copyright does not protect the idea or concept but the

expression of the idea in a tangible form.

Section 22 of the Kenya Copyright Act, 2001 provides for the works that are eligible for

copyright as follows:

Musical works

Audio-visual works

Sound recordings

Literary works

Artistic works and

Broadcast

Copyright is relevant because it constitutes the ownership of the work.

The five fundamental rights that the bill gives to copyright owners:

1. the exclusive rights of reproduction,

2. adaptation,

3. publication,

4. performance, and

5. display—are stated generally in section 106.

What are the legal implications of copyright?

Legally, the term is used when an individual uses any works protected by copyright

law, without permission, which then leads to the infringement of any exclusive rights

granted to the copyright holder.

The rights granted to the copyright holder include the right to reproduce, distribute,

display or perform any of the protected work. In some cases, copyright can be infringed

when someone recreates any form of content and creates a derivative work associated

with it.

While some content creators such as bloggers are able to implement an online plagiarism

checker to ensure that their content is completely unique, many do not comply with this and

are often duplicating content across the web, which leads to further saturation.

With the advancements in technology and the growth in the use of the internet,

copyright infringement laws are beginning to expand in order to recognise indirect

infringers and distributors, which are unknowingly facilitating and encouraging the

act.

The legal implications of copyright infringement.

Any individual or business that infringes copyright can face legal action. Infringement

is usually treated as civil offence but can, in certain circumstances, be deemed a

criminal offence, and with damages awarded by a court. Depending on the severity of

the infringement, the result can be a fine or even imprisonment.

Copyright infringement can be defined in numerous ways, some of which include

piracy, theft and freebooting.

Fair Use

Fair Use is a way that provides for a limitation of those rights granted to the owner by

providing situations or what I would call ‘exceptions to the rule’ which one would use

a copyrighted work. Factors that must be included in a fair use determination being;

a) Purpose and character of the use

b) Nature of the copyrighted work

c) Amount and substantiality of the portion of the work used and

d) Effect of the use on the potential market or value of the work.

Introduction to Plagiarism

At university we advance knowledge by building on the work of other

people.

Academic integrity means that we are honest and accurate in creating and

communicating all academic products. Therefore this unit is going to focus on

how best Kirinyaga University can uphold “Academic Integrity through a number

of ways discussed below. Acknowledgement of other people’s work must be done

in a way that does not leave the reader in any doubt as to whose work it is.

Academic integrity means trustworthy conduct such as not cheating on

examinations and not misrepresenting information. (Academic integrity is the

pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner.

Plagiarism defined

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means

To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own

To use (another's production) without crediting the source

To commit literary theft

To present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone

else's work and lying about it afterward.

According to the University of Manchester Definition, “Plagiarism is the theft or use

of someone else's work without proper acknowledgement, presenting the material as

if it were one's own.”

Let’s look at a few other definitions for plagiarism.

– Being dishonest.

– Lying.

– Stealing someone’s idea.

– Cheating.

– Disrespecting yourself and the academic community.

– Copyright infringement (Nova Southeastern University NSU)

“To use another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without

acknowledging the source is to plagiarise. Plagiarism, then constitutes

intellectual theft and often carries severe penalties, ranging from failure in a

course to expulsion from the school”

Types of plagiarism

There are two broad categories of plagiarism under which other types fall into,

these are intentional/semi aware and unintentional/accidental plagiarism

I. Unintentional

This is when one fails to acknowledge sources of information consulted in a

write-up

unknowingly. Main reasons include

➢ Poor understanding/ignorance of referencing and plagiarism

➢ “Surface” conceptions of learning as reproduction of knowledge

 ➢ Failure to understand role of academic tasks in preparing them for

future professional work

➢ Careless paraphrasing

➢ Poor documentation

➢ Quoting excessively

➢ Failure to use your own voice

II. Intentional

This is when one fails to acknowledge sources of information consulted in a write-

up unknowingly. Main reasons include:

• Time constraints- too much pressure (time/workload)

• Easier to plagiarize than do the work over-assessment

• Poor time management

• Pressure to succeed

• Lack of language proficiency

• Fear of failure

• Laziness peer complicity

• Competitiveness

• Belief that will not be caught

• Perception that offence/consequences not serious

• Indifference to the course or topic (unmotivated)

• Temptation due to internet (but few use essay services)

• Copying a friend’s work

• Buying or borrowing papers

• Cutting and pasting blocks of text from electronic sources without

documenting