Scholarship Is a Conversation refers to the idea that communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations. Experts understand that a given issue may be characterized by several competing perspectives as part of an ongoing conversation in which information users and creators come together and negotiate meaning.
Standard Three: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.
From: Hovious, Amanda. “Alignment Charts for ACRL Standards and Proposed Framework.” Google Docs, January 23, 2015.https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wt5a2pYqblapfnSZoBBdo28EAgukUXbV0kdL5nSZ5UI/edit?usp=sharing.
Scholarship As Conversation
A given issue may be characterized by several competing perspectives as part of an ongoing conversation, including discussions and debates. While some topics have established definitive answers through this process, not all questions have a single uncontested answer. Experts, therefore, seek out many perspectives, not merely the ones with which they are familiar. These perspectives might be in their own discipline or profession, or may be in other fields. Developing familiarity with the sources of evidence, methods, and modes of discourse in the field enables learners to enter the conversation. Providing attribution to relevant previous research is also an obligation of participation in the conversation.
Outcomes
Students should be able to:
• Contribute to the scholarly conversation by becoming a creator or critic.
• Identify the contribution that particular information sources make within an ongoing conversation.
• Describe the way that some perspectives are privileged over others.
Adapted from:
USC Libraries. (n.d.). Information Literacy Outcomes for Undergraduates. Retrieved from https://libraries.usc.edu/research/instructional-services/learning-outcomes