Information Competency Definition Proposal

Information Competency Definition

Presented to the Academic Policies Committee
by the Information Competency Subcommittee, 2 November 1998

Information Competency is the ability to define a reserach need; formulate a research strategy; select and utilize effectively print and electronic databases; and acquire, interpret, organize, evaluate, and communicate information.

An information competent student is able to

1. articulate an information need or research question, and/or plan a research project;
2. select the appropriate print and/or electronic information source(s) for a particular question or research project;
3. use effective research protocols and strategies for the chosen information sources;
4. interpet bibliographic citations and their electronic equivalents to retrieve the desired information;
5. evaluate the results of the research based on the following criteria: (a) the   reliability of the author(s), editor(s), and/or publisher(s), and/or electronic repositories; (b) the accuracy of the information; (c) currency when applicable;   (d) point of view or bias; (e) relevance to the research question or project;
6. analyze and organize the retrieved information;
7. synthesize and communicate the information in various formats, including   traditional research papers, multimedia presentations, and web-based projects;
8. recognize the ethical and legal issues surrounding information such as copyright   and the responsibility to properly credit information sources, with particular attention to these issues as they apply to the electronic environment.

Information Competency Subcommittee/Academic Policies Committee,
City College of San Francisco

Inez Cohen
Bonnie Gratch
Elmer Jan
Bob Manlove
Chi Wing Tsao (F98 sabbatical)

Return to Christine Francisco's homepage

[ CCSFweb] [ CCSF Information] [ Events and Publications] [Academic Departments]