Note: ACRL Information Literacy Standards appear in bold-face type, followed by the recommended goals and sample learning objectives for Stevenson students.

Standard 1

The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Goal:
The upper level student creates and refines a realistic research plan to identify and retrieve appropriate sources from the full range of discipline-specific literature.

Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:

Create a working thesis statement or hypothesis that combines original thought with existing knowledge of a subject.
Work within a realistic timeframe.
Articulate the significance of appropriate source types in the context of the discipline, e.g. peer reviewed sources, or primary sources.
Demonstrate an understanding of the organization of information within the discipline.
Revise and focus a search as needed throughout the research process.

Standard 2

The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Goal:
The upper level student demonstrates a thorough understanding of subject-specific resources and applies a sophisticated search strategy to a variety of search tools and interfaces.

Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:

Craft a search statement using the appropriate Boolean or proximity operators, as well as truncation or wildcards.
Apply controlled vocabulary to a search.
Take advantage of the advanced search features of a database.
Interpret correctly all the elements of a citation.
Identify further material to examine from following citations within previously gathered sources.
Organize and keep accurate records of all pertinent citations for future reference.
Acquire materials not locally available through ILL, document delivery, or other area libraries.
Work within a realistic timeframe.

Standard 3

The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Goal:
The upper level student critically reads and evaluates sources within the context of the discipline and selects the most appropriate information to support or refine the research goal.

Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:

Recognize the significance of information within the context of a discipline.
Apply critical evaluation criteria to all sources, print or electronic.
Synthesize and integrate new information into the existing knowledge base.
Draw appropriate conclusions from the gathered information.

Standard 4

The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Goal:
The upper level student creates an effective end product that demonstrates an ability to organize, integrate and communicate information from a variety of sources and formats.

Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:

Manipulate the various technologies appropriate to the project.
Integrate quotations, paraphrases and summaries into original writing to support the hypothesis or thesis statement.
Select the mode of communication that best suits the purpose of the project.

Standard 5

The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses information ethically and legally.

Goal:
The upper level student consistently respects intellectual property, complies with copyright law and fair use principles, abides by SU institutional policies and standards, cites all attributable material, and follows the conventions of a discipline appropriate style manual.

Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:

Select and use all information within the guidelines of fair use for academic projects.
Give appropriate credit for any material used with special permission of its creator.
Create an end product consistent with the conventions of the chosen style manual.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of plagiarism and attribute all material taken from other sources.