Information Literacy: What and Why

Information literacy is a set of abilities:

• Recognize when information is needed
• Know where and how to gather information
• Evaluate the information
  • Stop
  • Investigate the source
  • Find better coverage
  • Trace the original context
• Know how to effectively utilize vetted information

The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread (2018)

Information literacy helps you avoid...

• Falling prey to misinformation that can hurt you, e.g. medical conspiracies
• Hurting others through the spread of misinformation, e.g. doxxing innocent individuals

Being information literate gives you the power to make informed decisions about everything from grocery shopping to voting to posting on social media.