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Information Literacy Toolkit

Using the Information Literacy Toolkit

This Toolkit is a resource for Lynn faculty & staff that supports the Lynn Library Mission to teach students how to find, evaluate, and use information.

  • This Using the Toolkit tab includes a comparison chart of language commonly used to describe information sources with tips for clear usage

  • The Finding, Evaluating, & Using Sources tabs are a repository of librarian and instructor-created, classroom-ready activities that support information literacy skills 

  • The Information Literacy SLOs tab illustrates how the ACRL Standards & Framework for Information Literacy (as well as other widely-recognized information literacy standards for higher education) map to Lynn's Primary Skills SLOs

  • The Library PowerPoints tab includes up-to-date PowerPoint slides that explain basic APA or research-related concepts  

  • The AI Assignment Repository is a SPIRAL collection where instructors can share AI-focused assignments they have used in class

Useful Language to Describe Information Sources

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This chart includes language common in higher education that many students (especially first-year students) might be encountering for the first time. Instead of a definition, this chart gives specific examples of the types of information sources a term includes and what types it excludes. The "Notes" column includes tips for clear usage.   
Scholarly (ALSO: Academic)

INCLUDES:

Information sources created by and for academic researchers

  • Scholarly journals (all contents: studies, book reviews, letters to the editor, etc.)

  • Conference proceedings

  • Dissertations

  • Poster presentations

  • Some government reports (ex. U.S. Geological Survey)

  • Undergraduate and graduate textbooks

EXCLUDES:

Information sources created by non-academics/for a non-academic audience

  • News media (ex. The New York Times)

  • Trade journals (ex. Education Week, Design News)

  • Informal sources (wikis, blogs, company websites)

  • Books written by academic experts for a popular audience (ex. The Diversity of Life by E.O.Wilson)

  • Generative AI content

NOTES:

All peer-reviewed sources are scholarly, but not all scholarly sources are peer-reviewed!

Avoid conflating "scholarly" with "peer-reviewed"
Peer-reviewed (ALSO: Refereed) 

INCLUDES:

Scholarly works that have been published after systemic review and approval by academic researchers in the same field

  • Articles, books, presentations, or other scholarly works made available by a publisher or  organization that require peer-review

EXCLUDES:

Any works that have not successfully passed a scholarly peer-review process 

  • Scholarly sources (articles, conference presentations, etc.) if none or only part of the source have passed peer-review

  • Miscellaneous content in a peer-reviewed journal (letters to the editor, book reviews, etc.)

  • Investigative journalism and other news media

  • Most government or business reports

  • Interviews, letters, and most primary source documents

NOTES:

See "Scholarly"
Professional (ALSO: Trade publication)

INCLUDES:

Information sources created by and for members of a specific profession. Usually focused on current events, trends, & developments relevant to that profession

  • Trade publications (Forbes or School Library Journal)

  • News media with a specific topical focus (an article in The Economist)

EXCLUDES:

Information sources that are NOT created by or for members of a specific profession

Information sources intended to support academic research

  • News media for the general public

  • Most peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Informal/popular sources with non-expert authors (some blogs, "content mill" websites)

  • Books written by notable professionals (ex. Leading Change by John P. Kotter) are not considered professional sources if their intended audience is the general public

NOTES:

This term is sometimes used as a synonym for reputable or scholarly, but this use should be avoided

 
Reputable (ALSO: Respected, Authoritative)

INCLUDES:

Information sources created by an individual or published by an organization with a verifiable history of creating/publishing accurate, high-quality content

  • Scholarly publications

  • Books, articles, etc. that have passed a formal review process (fact-checking or quality-control), including but not limited to peer-review 

  • Investigative journalism from an established news media organization

  • Books, articles, interviews, etc. with an author who is an expert in the field (verifiable credentials)

EXCLUDES:

Information sources from an individual or organization whose expertise or quality-control procedures cannot be verified

  • Most popular information sources (social media posts, podcasts, etc.)

  • News organizations which routinely publish inaccurate or misleading information

  • Sources with no clear author (this does not exclude sources authored by an organization)

  • Predatory journals

NOTES:

This term should be supported with a clear definition and specific examples, as what sources it includes/excludes is context-dependent
Reliable

INCLUDES:

Sources of verifiably accurate information

EXCLUDES:

Sources of inaccurate information or whose accuracy cannot be verified

NOTES:

This term encompasses many of the information sources discussed in this chart! It should always be supported with a clear definition & context-specific examples

Potentially Confusing Language

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Credible

CLEAR USES:

"Chat GPT's answer might be credible, but you should still confirm the information's accuracy by using additional sources" 

CONFUSING USES:

"Make sure to use only credible sources"

  • "Credible" describes the apparent believability of an information source-- it does not describe the actual quality or accuracy of information 
Acceptable

CLEAR USES:

"Acceptable sources for this assignment include: [list describing source types or giving specific examples of sources]"

 

CONFUSING USES:

"Please use only acceptable sources of information to support your argument"

  • "Acceptable sources" means "sources that will be accepted", so it is not a good synonym for "reliable" or "scholarly"
Valid

CLEAR USES:

"Ensure that your argument is valid by checking to see if your premises properly relate to your conclusion"

"A valid driver's license is required"                                      

CONFUSING USES:

"Use valid sources of information in your research"

  • "Valid" is sometimes used colloquially as a synonym for "reliable", but this is incorrect
Reference

CLEAR USES:

"Use at least one reference book, like Encyclopedia Britannica, as one of your five sources"

"Make sure to cite any sources you use in your paper in the reference list at the end" 

CONFUSING USES:

"Use at least three reference sources in addition to the course text"

  • "Reference sources" is sometimes used as shorthand for "sources that will be cited in your references"-- this is not incorrect usage! But it is easily confused with the other meanings of "reference" (encyclopedias, etc.)