Information Literacy

Information literacy is the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, apply, and attribute reliable sources of information.

Scholarly Sources: These documents are written by specialists in each field to present their findings to specialized audiences. Scholarly sources are peer-reviewed by experts, published in academic journals, use academic language, and provide in-text citations and a bibliography, giving proper credit to the original authors.

A word of caution: Be advised that in academia, researchers avoid using popular sources—articles published in newspapers or magazines and written by journalists to inform the general public—and social media platforms. Popular sources and social media platforms do not go through the strict vetting process of verification, evaluation, and peer revision that scholarly sources undergo.

Search Efficiently: Reliable places and tips to find scholarly sources:

Daisaku and Kaneko Ikeda Library: The library’s website links to databases and other references containing books, textbook articles, studies, reports, doctoral dissertations, and other scholarly sources suitable for research. Additionally, instruction and reference librarians are the best resources for learning how to conduct academic research. Databases provide access to multiple journals at once, e.g., PubMed and JSTOR. Database platforms, such as EBSCOhost and ProQuest, allow access to multiple databases simultaneously, expanding the scope of the search.

The Web: Google may be a good way to gain an overview of a topic, but relying on Google as the only source is a bad strategy. However, websites that belong to national or international organizations or institutions are reliable. Such websites have the following TLDs (Top-Level Domains): .edu, .gov, .mil, or .org.

Bibliographies and Citations: Scholarly sources always present the works that the author has cited. Skimming these lists is a useful strategy for finding additional reliable sources.

Evaluating the Reliability and Usefulness of a Source: Authors use reliable sources to establish credibility and authority.

Relevance: Is the source clearly related to the research topic or argument. Does the source provide answers to the research question? Will readers understand why the source is included in the argument?

Currency: How recent is the source? Is the information up to date? Does your topic require current information? Does the research need older sources, including primary sources from a historical period? Primary sources are original sources of information (e.g., the US Constitution). Secondary sources are usually non-contemporary documents that discuss primary sources (e.g., any document or historical analysis about the US Constitution).

Credibility: Where does the source come from? Who is the author? What are the author’s credentials? Is it academic, peer-reviewed source? Does it contain citations and bibliography? Does the author belong to a well-established institution or organization? Are the source’s ideas and research cited by other writers?

Bias: Does the author endorse political or religious views that could affect objectivity? Are evidence and counterevidence presented in a fair and objective way? Is the author engaging in a scholarly debate or giving a personal point of view?

Websites for Checking the Reliability of News: When using popular sources or social media articles or post in their research, serious researchers verify the reliability of news. The following websites are a great tool to verify news:

  • FactCheck.org
  • Snopes.com
  • PolitiFact.com
  • AllSides.com
  • mediabiasfactcheck.com
  • CQ Researcher
  • RumorGuard
  • TinEye (images)
  • REVEye (images)
  • InVid (videos)

Finding Authoritative Sources on the Open Web: The Internet offers many authoritative and reliable sources such as Google Scholar. However, there are at least two secure ways to start researching: consulting with a reference librarian or asking your professor for a basic bibliography on the topic of study or research. Professors and reference librarians are the best allies when doing research. A word of caution: Google Advanced Search is an amazing research tool, but in some cases, there is no way to find out if an article is peer-reviewed or backed by a reliable institution or organization.

References

Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2021). A writer’s reference (10th ed., Instructor ed.). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Lunsford, A. (2023). The everyday writer (8th edition). Bedford/St. Martin’s.