Information and Data Literacy
What is Data and Information Literacy?
Data and information literacy is essential for you in university, as it equips you with the skills to critically assess the vast amount of information and data you will encounter in academic and everyday contexts. In an age where misinformation can spread quickly and data is used to shape decisions in nearly every field, students must be able to distinguish credible sources from unreliable ones, interpret data accurately, and apply information ethically and effectively. These skills support academic integrity, enhance research quality, and foster informed citizenship. Developing strong data and information literacy empowers students not only to succeed in their studies but also to navigate a complex digital world with confidence and responsibility.
What's Included?
- Evaluating Sources
- Understanding and Interpreting Data
- Ethical Use of Information
- Searching for Information Online
- Data Management and Organization
Being able to assess whether a source is trustworthy, current, and free from bias is a foundational academic skill. This helps students avoid misinformation, make evidence-based arguments, and build strong research assignments.
Tips for evaluating sources of information
- Use the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) to assess sources.
- Check the author’s credentials and publication outlet.
- Compare multiple sources to spot bias or misinformation.
- Practice identifying bias in opinion pieces versus academic articles.
Top tools and resources
- Learn more about evaluating online sources of information.
- Understand more about online research.
- Use the Library OMNI search tool to find credible resources.
done_outline Understanding and Interpreting Data
Interpreting charts, graphs, and statistics allows students to critically evaluate claims in academic texts, news, and research. Misunderstanding data can lead to false conclusions, so it's crucial to develop data literacy alongside information literacy.
Tips for understanding and interpreting data
- Learn to read different types of data visualizations (e.g., bar graphs, scatter plots, pie charts).
- Practice identifying misleading data representations (e.g., skewed axes or selective data).
- Understand basic statistics terms like mean, median, correlation, and standard deviation.
- Use real-world data sets to analyze trends and draw conclusions.
Top tools and resources
- Google Sheets and Excel are useful for data storage, interpretation, analysis, and visualization.
- Advanced data analysis can be performed in Sigmaplot.
- SAS and SPSS are statistical analysis applications.
language Ethical Use of Information and Data Online
Using information and data responsibly ensures academic honesty and respects intellectual property. Students must know how to cite properly, avoid plagiarism, and handle sensitive or personal data with care.
Tips for ethical use of information
- Practice using citation tools like Zotero or EndNote
- Review your the university's academic integrity policy.
- Understand when and how to paraphrase vs. quote directly.
- Learn basic data privacy principles, especially when working with survey or interview data.
Top tools and resources
- Track your citations with Zotero.
document_search Searching for Information Online
Knowing how to find relevant, high-quality information quickly saves time and improves the quality of research. Strategic searching involves more than just Googling; it means knowing where to look, how to refine results, and keeping track of your search.
Tips for searching online
- Use academic databases for research.
- Build a relationship with your university librarian.
- Learn to use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or broaden searches.
- Develop effective keywords and synonyms for complex topics.
- Practice filtering results by date, source type, and subject.
Top tools and resources
- Understand more about online research.
- Use the Library OMNI search tool to find credible resources.
create_new_folder Data Management and Organization
Organizing and storing information and data effectively helps students work efficiently and avoid losing important material. Good data management also supports replicable research and accurate referencing.
Tips to organize your data
- Create a consistent folder and file-naming structure for your projects.
- Back up data regularly using cloud storage or external drives.
- Use spreadsheets or databases to track sources and data points.
- Keep a research log to track search strategies and results.