Classics
A student information scientist develops skills in identifying classic and respected works through gaining experiences in varied information inquiry situations. The scientist might ask him or herself the following questions:
If your inquiry topic deals with a major historical event, biography or controversial issue, consider what justifies a few of your sources as “classic” or the most respected sources on your topic.
- What evidence would you site to make the case that a source is so important that you could not have been able to complete your investigation without it?
- Is it a source that was referenced by many other sources?
- Is it a source that gave you a great deal of information that was relevant and meaningful to you?
- How might the most important resources on a given topic be determined, organized and disseminated for others to use?
Becoming proficient at the use of classic and respected works is associated with the following Information Literacy Standards (AASL, 1998):
- The information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively.
- The information literate student evaluates information critically and competently.
- The information literate student is an independent learner and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.
- The information literate student contributes positively to the learning community and to society and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.
The following example demonstrates how a student matures as he or she gains experience and expertise.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Identifying essential sources is an important skill of the student information scientist. Beginners may be able to locate quality materials, but may have difficulty tracking back to the original sources.
For example, a novice researcher examining the Lewis and Clark Expedition may get excited about the many websites containing in-depth information.
However the experienced information scientist will recognize that most of these websites reference the original journals by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Explore Kristen's investigation for more detail.