Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

1. Standard 1

1.1. "determines the nature and extent of the information needed"

1.1.1. "defines and articulates the need for information"

1.1.2. "identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information"

1.1.3. "considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed information"

1.1.4. "reevaluates the nature and extent of the information need"

2. Standard 2

2.1. "accesses needed information effectively and efficiently"

2.1.1. "selects the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information"

2.1.2. "constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies"

2.1.3. "retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods"

2.1.4. "refines the search strategy if necessary"

2.1.5. "extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources"

3. Standard 3

3.1. "evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system"

3.1.1. "summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the information gathered"

3.1.2. "articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources"

3.1.3. "synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts"

3.1.4. "compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information"

3.1.5. "determines whether the new knowledge has an impact on the individual’s value system and takes steps to reconcile differences"

3.1.6. "validates understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners"

3.1.7. "determines whether the initial query should be revised"

4. Standard 4

4.1. "uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose"

4.1.1. "applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product or performance"

4.1.2. "revises the development process for the product or performance"

4.1.3. "communicates the product or performance effectively to others"

5. Standard 5

5.1. "understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally"

5.1.1. "understands many of the ethical, legal and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology"

5.1.2. " follows laws, regulations, institutional policies, and etiquette related to the access and use of information resources"

5.1.3. "acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance"