Research Guides: Introducing Students to Library Research: Information Creation as Process

Introduction

Please note the information contained in this guide is meant to help supplement a class, assignment, or curriculum. Please use the embed links or copy and paste the information into your course guide or site.

Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences

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Learning goals

Articulate the capabilities and constraints of information developed through various creation processes.
Assess the fit between an information product’s creation process and a particular information need.
Articulate the traditional and emerging processes of information creation and dissemination in a particular discipline.
Recognize that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is packaged.
Recognize the implications of information formats that contain static or dynamic information.
Monitor the value that is placed upon different types of information products in varying contexts.
Transfer knowledge of capabilities and constraints to new types of information products.
Develop, in their own creation processes, an understanding that their choices impact the purposes for which the information product will be used and the message it conveys.

Suggested assignments

1. Ask students to use the following table to describe source types:

Type/Format	How it is created?	Who is able to create it?	Is there a review process? Should there be?	What is the best use of the information from this format?	How can I locate information in this format?
(example: blog)

2. Assign students to identify the format of the sources they find for a given research project and articulate why the chosen formats are appropriate for the information need.

3. Ask students to transform information they have created in one format to another format, and to write a reflection on what they needed to consider as they went through the process.

Assignments for the frame Information Creation as Process from the Community of Online Research Assignments (CORA).