Discover Information Literacy

Information literacy is a term that describes a person’s ability to determine what needs to be investigated, locate required information on that topic, analyze it, and come to a conclusion.  The entire process should be as efficient as possible.  Achieving information literacy allows people to analyze and interpret the information they find in a meaningful way.  It is so easy to get bogged down in the details and vast amount of information available on the web.  I have personally had this happen to me several times when writing reports and preparing presentations for some of my other classes at the Mount.  I start doing research on a topic and at times the sources of information can feel like they are endless.  I would end up spending so much time reviewing articles, journal entries and research papers and would get so bogged down with information that I would not know where to start actually writing.  After getting more practice, I was better able to filter through the sources and could proceed with writing a paper more efficiently.  This one example from my life goes to the heart of the need to achieve information literacy. 

Following the DISCOVER methodology can help develop information literacy.

D – Define

I – Inquire

S – Search

C – Collect

O – Organize

V – Verify

E - Express

R – Reflect

For more information on information literacy and the DISCOVER methodology, watch this video