Information literacy is a skill you will grow and develop throughout your lives. While you may not be aware of it, you use it constantly in your everyday life. You use it every time you skip over the Ads at the top of a Google search results page. It is simply the act of finding, assessing and utilising information strategically and critically. As an engineer, you need to question everything, including the information you are using to inform your decisions.
The information literacy skills you develop throughout your degree will aid you in your professional career. All employers expect university graduates to be information literate. You will need to continue to gather and analyse information to inform and solve problems throughout your career.
According to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Code of Professional Conduct all IT professionals are expected to
- 'recognise when you need additional expertise and information.' (2014, sec.1.2.4)
- 'Keep yourself informed of such new technologies, practices and standards as are relevant to your work. Others will expect you to provide special skills and advice; and in order to do so, you must keep your knowledge up-to-date.' (2014, sec.1.2.5)
The library is here to help you develop your information literacy skills through tutorials, advice and guidance for finding and assessing high quality information for your study.