Information habits as a student and a professional
In the Introductions Forum, you shared a little bit about how you find and share information in your life. For this written assignment, dig a little more deeply and reflect on your information habits as a student and a professional, as well as in your personal life.
In a short reflection essay, respond to the following questions:
Where do you start a search for information? Does your searching differ depending on whether your needs are professional, academic, or personal? Explain.
Is there a form of information you're likely to trust at first glance? Either a publication like a newspaper or a format like a scholarly article?
Can you think of some voices that aren't present in that source of information?
Where might you look to find some other perspectives?
Is there a source you are least likely to trust at first glance? Why?
Think about the purpose that drives the creation of different types of information (newspaper articles, explainer videos, etc.). How might the purpose influence the reliability of the information?
What was the last thing you researched that you were really excited about? Do you struggle when you are asked to "research something that interests you"? (Instead, try asking yourself, "What makes me really angry?" You might find you have more interests than you realized!)
What are three things you hope to get out of this course to improve your information literacy skills?
Where do you start a search for information? Does your searching differ depending on whether your needs are professional, academic, or personal? Explain.
When I start a search for information, I usually start with a search engine like Google or DuckDuckGo. I will try to use as specific keywords as possible to narrow down the results. If I'm looking for information for a professional or academic purpose, I will also check my university's library databases. For personal research, I might also check social media or other online forums.
My searching does differ depending on my needs. For professional or academic research, I need to be able to trust the information I find. I will look for information from reputable sources, such as scholarly journals or government websites. For personal research, I am more likely to trust information from sources that I am familiar with, such as my own social media network or blogs that I follow.
Is there a form of information you're likely to trust at first glance? Either a publication like a newspaper or a format like a scholarly article?
I am more likely to trust scholarly articles at first glance. Scholarly articles are peer-reviewed, which means that they have been reviewed by other experts in the field. This helps to ensure that the information in the article is accurate and reliable. However, I would not automatically trust any source of information, regardless of its format. I would always take the time to evaluate the source before I use it.
Can you think of some voices that aren't present in that source of information? Where might you look to find some other perspectives?
There are many voices that are not present in traditional sources of information, such as newspapers or scholarly articles. These voices may be from people who are marginalized or underrepresented. To find these voices, I would look for sources that are specifically designed to represent these perspectives. For example, I might look for blogs or websites that are created by people from underrepresented groups.
Is there a source you are least likely to trust at first glance? Why?
I am least likely to trust information from sources that are not transparent about their funding or their biases. For example, I would be wary of information from a website that is funded by a corporation or a political group. I would also be wary of information from a source that is clearly biased in one direction.
Think about the purpose that drives the creation of different types of information (newspaper articles, explainer videos, etc.). How might the purpose influence the reliability of the information?
The purpose of a source of information can influence its reliability. For example, a newspaper article is typically written to inform readers about current events. This means that the article is likely to be accurate and objective. However, an explainer video is typically written to persuade viewers to believe something. This means that the video may be biased or inaccurate.
What was the last thing you researched that you were really excited about? Do you struggle when you are asked to "research something that interests you"? (Instead, try asking yourself, "What makes me really angry?" You might find you have more interests than you realized!)
The last thing I researched that I was really excited about was the history of the internet. I was fascinated to learn how the internet came to be, and how it has changed the world. I did not struggle to research this topic because I was already interested in it. However, I can see how it might be difficult to research a topic that you are not interested in. If you are struggling with this, try asking yourself, "What makes me really angry?" You might find that you have more interests than you realized!
What are three things you hope to get out of this course to improve your information literacy skills?
I hope to get out of this course three things to improve my information literacy skills:
- I want to learn how to evaluate sources of information more critically.
- I want to learn how to find information that is relevant to my needs.
- I want to learn how to use information effectively to communicate my ideas.