| name | information-literacy |
| description | Skills for finding, evaluating, and using information effectively and ethically across print and digital sources. Covers the research process (question formulation, source identification, evaluation, synthesis, citation), digital literacy (search strategies, database navigation, Boolean operators), source evaluation frameworks (CRAAP, SIFT, lateral reading), media literacy (news literacy, algorithmic curation, filter bubbles), ethical use of information (plagiarism, citation, fair use, intellectual property), and reading across multiple sources to build knowledge. Use when conducting research, evaluating sources, navigating digital information environments, teaching research skills, or addressing plagiarism and citation. |
| type | skill |
| category | reading |
| status | stable |
| origin | tibsfox |
| modified | false |
| first_seen | "2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z" |
| first_path | examples/skills/reading/information-literacy/SKILL.md |
| superseded_by | null |
Information Literacy
Information literacy is the ability to recognize when information is needed, find it efficiently, evaluate it critically, and use it effectively and ethically. In a world where anyone can publish anything instantly, the bottleneck has shifted from information scarcity to information evaluation. The functionally literate reader of the 21st century must not only read well but search well, judge well, and synthesize well.
Agent affinity: achebe (source perspective, whose voice is represented), rosenblatt (reader as active constructor of meaning from sources), clay (assessment and scaffolding of research skills)
Concept IDs: read-informational-text, read-primary-sources, read-digital-reading, read-technical-documents
The Research Process
Research is not a linear sequence but a recursive cycle. Researchers move between stages, refining questions as they learn and circling back to earlier stages when new information changes the picture.
Stage 1 -- Formulate a Research Question
A good research question is:
- Focused -- narrow enough to be answerable within the scope of the project
- Open -- not answerable with a simple yes/no or a single fact
- Arguable -- reasonable people could disagree about the answer
- Researchable -- evidence exists or can be gathered to address it
Weak: "What is climate change?" (Too broad, factual.)
Better: "How have Pacific Northwest salmon populations responded to warming stream temperatures since 2000?" (Focused, researchable, arguable.)
Stage 2 -- Identify Sources
| Source type | Characteristics | When to use |
|---|
| Primary sources | Original documents, data, artifacts -- the raw material of research | When you need firsthand evidence: speeches, letters, data sets, original research studies, interviews |
| Secondary sources | Analysis, interpretation, or synthesis of primary sources | When you need expert analysis: textbooks, review articles, documentaries, biographies |
| Tertiary sources | Compilations and summaries of secondary sources | When you need background: encyclopedias, Wikipedia, almanacs (starting points, not endpoints) |
Stage 3 -- Evaluate Sources
See "Source Evaluation Frameworks" below.
Stage 4 -- Synthesize Information
