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Information Literacy

What is information literacy? This video briefly explains, in plain English, information literacy in light of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education and explains how these concepts apply in the real world, beyond the classroom.

A short video on information literacy skills and scholarly research.

Information Literacy Tutorials

The following are short tutorials on different aspects of information literacy including selecting a topic, writing a literature review, effective search techniques, selecting information sources, and citing sources.

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nurses

The complete standard with outcomes for each performance indicator can be found on the American Library Association website: https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/nursing.

Standard One
"The information literate nurse determines the nature and extent of the information needed."

The information literate nurse:

  1. Defines and articulates the need for information.
  2. Identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information.
  3. Has a working knowledge of the literature in nursing related fields and how it is produced.
  4. Considers the costs and benefits of acquiring the needed information.
Standard Two
"The information literate nurse accesses needed information effectively and efficiently."

The information literate nurse:

  1. Selects the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems for accessing the needed information.
  2. Constructs and implements efficient and effectively-designed search strategies.
  3. Retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods.
  4. Refines the search strategy if necessary.
  5. Extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources.
Standard Three
"The information literate nurse critically evaluates the procured information and its sources, and as a result, decides whether or not to modify the initial query and/or seek additional sources and whether to develop a new research process."

The information literate nurse:

  1. Summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the information gathered.
  2. Selects information by articulating and applying criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources.
  3. Synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts.
  4. Compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information.
  5. Validates understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners.
  6. Determines whether the initial query should be revised.
  7. Evaluates the procured information and the entire process.
Standard Four
"The information literate nurse, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose."

The information literate nurse:

  1. Applies new and prior information to the planning and creation of a particular product.
  2. Revises the development process for the product.
  3. Communicates the product effectively to others.
Standard Five
"The information literate nurse understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally."

The information literate nurse:

  1. Understands many of the ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues surrounding information and information technology.
  2. Follows laws, regulations, institutional policies, and etiquette related to the access and use of information resources.
  3. Acknowledges the use of information sources in communicating the product or performance.

Research on Information Literacy and the Health Sciences

Wadson, K., & Phillips, L. A. (2018). Information literacy skills and training of licensed practical nurses in Alberta, Canada: Results of a survey. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 35(2), 141–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12217 (questionnaire and scale)
Wu, C., He, C., Yan, J., Du, J., He, S., Ji, Z., Wang, Y., & Lang, H. (2024). Patterns of information literacy and their predictors among emergency department nurses: A latent profile analysis based on the person-context interaction theory. BMC Nursing23(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01756-9
Shamsaee, M., Mangolian Shahrbabaki, P., Ahmadian, L., Farokhzadian, J., & Fatehi, F. (2021). Assessing the effect of virtual education on information literacy competency for evidence-based practice among the undergraduate nursing students. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making21(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-021-01418-9
Zentz, S., & Whalen, K. (2013). Teaching information literacy skills to undergraduate nursing students: A collaborative approach. Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International 42nd Biennial Convention. https://scholar.valpo.edu/nursing_fac_presentations/1
Farokhzadian, J., Jouparinejad, S., Fatehi, F., & Falahati-Marvast, F. (2021). Improving nurses’ readiness for evidence-based practice in critical care units: Results of an information literacy training program. BMC Nursing20(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00599-y
Purnell, M., Royal, B., & Warton, L. (2020). Supporting the development of information literacy skills and knowledge in undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review. Nurse Education Today95, 104585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104585
Farrell, A., Goosney, J., & Hutchens, K. (2013). Evaluation of the effectiveness of course-integrated library instruction in an undergraduate nursing program. http://dx.doi.org/10.5596/c13-061
Petermanec, Z., & Šebjan, U. (2017). Evaluation components of information literacy in undergraduate students in Slovenia: An experimental study. Library & Information Science Research39(1), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2017.01.009
Kaplan Jacobs, S., Rosenfeld, P., & Haber, J. (2003). Information literacy as the foundation for evidence-based practice in graduate nursing education: A curriculum-integrated approach. Journal of Professional Nursing19(5), 320–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S8755-7223(03)00097-8
Cantwell, L. P., McGowan, B. S., Planchon Wolf, J., Slebodnik, M., Conklin, J. L., McCarthy, S., & Raszewski, R. (2021). Building a bridge: A review of information literacy in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education60(8), 431–436. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20210722-03
Allari, R. S., Hamdan, K., Albqoor, M. A., & Shaheen, A. (2022). Information literacy: Assessment of undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Reference Services Review50(2), 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-09-2021-0052
Biszaha, A. (2025). Libguides: Health sciences interest group resources: nursing information literacy framework working group. Retrieved August 23, 2025, from https://acrl.libguides.com/health/framework
Wu, C., Zhang, Y., Wu, J., Zhang, L., Du, J., Li, L., Chen, N., Zhu, L., Zhao, S., & Lang, H. (2023). Construction and application on the training course of information literacy for clinical nurses. BMC Medical Education23(1), 614. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04505-9
McGowan, B. S., Cantwell, L. P., Conklin, J. L., Raszewski, R., Planchon Wolf, J., Slebodnik, M., McCarthy, S., & Johnson, S. (2020). Evaluating nursing faculty’s approach to information literacy instruction: A multi-institutional study. Journal of the Medical Library Association108(3). https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2020.841