Information is created for a purpose or objective; it does not simply exist nebulously out there, unbiased and isolated. Information could be made to convince, inform, sell, entertain, connect, etc. Clues for purpose can be found in thesis statements, content formats, and target audiences. The expression of information will be determined by the purpose. Understanding the purpose of an information source can help you determine whether it is useful for your own purposes.
Information creation is a daily experience and is participatory. Every time we engage in conversation, we are acting as a creator of information. We rely on our prior knowledge to help us deliver certain words and phrases for our listeners in the ultimate goal of conveying our message, our information, effectively. Whether our engagement is intentional or organic information is constantly being created around us and by us.
Every discipline has unique information needs and conventions. Because of the distinctness of each academic discipline there are a plethora of methodologies driving the production of information. Methodology impacts the ways research questions are framed, the type of sources that would best answer the question, and the standards for using that information in the field.
The Foley Library recognizes the difference in information needs in several ways. The library has liaison librarians who specialize in serving specific departments across campus. Additionally, research guides were crafted by the library to help navigate the information produced with certain disciplines in mind.
When choosing sources for your research process, vetting authors by their credentials plays a crucial role in identifying if the source you are looking at actually would fit into the discipline of your project. Evaluating authority of a source checks to see if the information is relevant and should be included in the scholarly conversations of your research topic. Examining the author also may reveal disciplinary biases. You may discover motivating factors that conflict with your discipline's standards of practice.
Anybody can produce information. Being a student doesn't exclude you from the information generation process! Social media posts, comments on YouTube videos, emails, and late night conversations all are examples of ways you participated in the generation of information, whether you realized it or not.
To pursue the common good it is helpful to pause and ask what are your motivations? What are your purposes for creating information? Are they strategic or complacent? Mindful or mindless? Just as we are called to be ethical consumers of information, we are also called to be ethical creators of information. Creating information ethically involves considering who could be impacted by what you say, write, or post.