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ACRL Standards

ACRL Standard One: Define the Information Need and Research Topic

• Choose a topic, develop and focus a thesis or research question.
• Become familiar with various formats of information sources and how they are produced, organized and disseminated.
• Understand the differences between scholarly and popular literature, primary and secondary research, and current vs. historical research.

ACRL Standard Two: Develop a Search Strategy; Locate and Retrieve Information

• Select the most appropriate method to retrieve information (catalog, databases, Internet, lab experiment, etc.).
• Construct an effective search strategy, including the identification of keywords and synonyms, and the use of controlled vocabulary.
• Search for information using Boolean logic, truncation, proximity searching and indexes.
• Understand bibliographic citations and call numbers.
• Retrieve information in various formats both online and in person. This includes using services such as Link+ and Interlibrary Loan, and conducting primary research through interviews, surveys and experiments.
• Understand citation style guides and know how to cite sources.

ACRL Standard Three: Evaluate Information

• Summarize the main points of information sources and know when it is appropriate to paraphrase and use direct quotes.
• Evaluate information to determine its reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, point of view or bias.
• Determine if information is scholarly or popular and primary or secondary.
• See relationships between concepts.
• Investigate differing viewpoints and participates in class discussions.

ACRL Standard Four: Use Information to Accomplish a Purpose

• Plan and create a product or performance, using paraphrases and direct quotes to support the project.
• Keep a reflective journal or log, reflecting on the projects strategies, successes and failures.
• Clearly communicate the project to others.

ACRL Standard Five: Legal and Social

• Understand issues related to privacy and security, censorship, intellectual property and copyright.
• Understand Plagiarism and how to avoid it, including documenting sources.
• Legally obtain, store, and disseminate text, data, images and sound.
  

Adapted from: Information literacy competency standards for higher education. (2000). [Brochure]. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries.

Also available online at: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.htm