A Checklist of Information Competencies for College Students

This Checklist is a collaborative work by a team of California State University and California community college librarians.  Together, we are developing a common understanding of the competencies students should master during their college years.   The Checklist is intended to be a succinct list of essential competencies.  We hope it will encourage collaboration among libraries serving two- and four-year institutions and also serve as a resource for planning and assessing information literacy programs. 

Lower Division Students  ♦    Basic Information Resources and Search Strategies

Ability to:

·         use signage, maps, and user guides to locate library collections and services

·         use the library’s classification system to browse by subject and to locate an item by call number

·         develop a focused topic and strategies for obtaining needed information

·         gather background information in books and encyclopedic works

·         search by author, title, and keyword in library online catalog and locate relevant items

·         identify relevant  keywords and controlled vocabulary terms for searching a topic

·         conduct a search in an interdisciplinary database (e.g., Expanded Academic ASAP) using Boolean operators, limit function, etc.

·         identify relevant subject databases, e.g., PsycInfo and execute a basic search

·         use database features to mark/save/print/email citations and link to fulltext

·         interpret catalog and database search results; link from subject headings to find additional resources

·         determine local availability of cited items and use interlibrary loan services as needed

·         match search tool to information need:  academic library databases, search engines (e.g., Google), etc.

·         evaluate information gathered by such criteria as: relevance, authority, currency, peer review process

·         revise topic and/or strategy if search results are unsatisfactory

·         understand and differentiate between primary vs. secondary, popular vs. scholarly resources

·         summarize, organize, and synthesize information found

·         cite sources properly according to appropriate style guide

·         observe copyright guidelines; legally obtain, store, and use text and data

• recognize the need for information for any purpose (academic, work, personal)

Upper Division Students    ♦     Disciplinary Resources and Critical Evaluation

Ability to:

• identify and use specialized reference sources in the major field, e.g., subject dictionaries
• use special features of subject databases, e.g., chemical structure searching in SciFinder Scholar
• select controlled vocabulary specific to the discipline
• use appropriate subject-based style manuals and/or citation style formatting software
• describe how research literature is generated and disseminated in the major subject
• identify investigative methods in the major subject, e.g., fieldwork in anthropology

• identify and use unique resources in the major subject, e.g., case studies (business) and datasets (geography)

• observe guidelines and standards endorsed by the discipline/profession, e.g., human subjects research 
• use appropriate criteria to evaluate and select resources suitable for upper-division work, such as relevance, scope, authority, objectivity, and currency
• perform cited reference searches in order to follow a research topic forward and backward in time  

• conduct a comprehensive literature review for papers/projects, including books, journal articles, dissertations,  technical reports, non-print media, etc.
• analyze a body of research literature, drawing conclusions and developing new insights
• use research collections beyond the local library when needed (e.g., special libraries and archives)

·         apply ethical and legal principles to the use of information in all formats and contexts

·         apply acquired information and research skills in new situations and contexts

Project Coordinator & Editor:  Susan Klingberg                                                     Comments to Susan.Klingberg@sjsu.edu

Contributors:  Pam Baker, Topsy Smalley, & Bonnie Gratch-Lindauer

Consultant:  Ilene Rockman      

Source Documents:

“Online Tutorials.”  CSU Information Competence.  1999.  <http://www.lib.calpoly.edu/infocomp/modules> 

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.  Chicago:  ACRL, 2000.

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm#stan     

“Competencies For Each Year of Study.”  Information Literacy:  Program and Desired Outcomes.  University of Connecticut Libraries, 2003.

< http://www.lib.uconn.edu/using/tutorials/instruction/infolitmain.htm>