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Information Literacy for Seneca Faculty: Authority is Constructed

Information has value Information creation as process Research as inquiry Searching as strategic exploration Scholarship as conversation Authority is contructed

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

Authority is constructed within a particular field. Sources reflect the authors’ expertise and credibility, and need to be critically evaluated based on the context in which the information will be used. Learn more.

Learning Objectives

Key sentence: Novice learners may rely on basic indicators of authority, such as type of publication or author credentials, where experts recognize schools of thought or discipline-specific paradigms.

Learning Objectives
Learners who are developing their information literate abilities will be able to:

  • define different types of authority, such as subject expertise, societal position or experience;
  • determine the credibility of sources, judging elements that might impact this credibility;
  • recognize that authoritative content may be packaged formally or informally and may include various media types;
  • recognize the responsibilities of adding to scholarship, which includes: accuracy, reliability, and respecting intellectual property

Classroom Activities