What is Information Literacy?
The Association for College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education defines Information Literacy as “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.”
This definition is supported by the following framework of six interconnected concepts that point to knowledge practices and dispositions related to information literacy:
Furthermore, Critical Information Literacy is “a theory and practice that considers the sociopolitical dimensions of information and production of knowledge, and critiques the ways in which systems of power shape the creation, distribution, and reception of information” (Drabinski and Tewell, 2019).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the landscape of online academic research, fundamentally altering how scholars and students approach every stage of their work. From the initial exploration of topics to the final publication of findings, AI tools are enhancing efficiency, enabling deeper insights, and fostering new collaborative possibilities. This transformation is driven by AI's ability to process vast amounts of data, recognize intricate patterns, and generate content, thereby augmenting human capabilities rather than simply replacing them.
“How do I know if I can trust the information produced by an AI tool?”
A lot of people have concerns about this question. Generative AI tools produce a lot of information that often presents the information confidently or authoritatively. The question of whether you can trust this information is fundamentally about information literacy.
AI uses a Large Language Model (LLM) that has been trained on a massive dataset of text and code to understand and generate human-like language. These models can be used for various tasks, including answering questions, translating languages, summarizing text, and even creating different kinds of creative content.