ACRL FRAMEWORK:
The six threshold concepts that make up the Framework are as follows. (Also included below are the Framework’s brief descriptions of each of these concepts. The Framework itself provides a more detailed explanation of each threshold concept.)
(1) Authority Is Constructed and Contextual [Reliability/Credibility /Biases]
“Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.”
(2) Information Creation as a Process [Overall strategy: acquire background info, discover what's been done and what gaps exist, choose your topic based on a variety of factors; Need/Purpose/Formulating question/Thesis statement]
“Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.”
(3) Information Has Value [Citation/Copyright]
“Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.”
(4) Research as Inquiry [Determining scope; Revising questions and research strategy]
“Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.”
(5) Scholarship as Conversation [We build on one another's knowledge/findings/research]
“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.”
(6) Searching as Strategic Exploration [Selecting/revising selection of search terms (keywords and synonyms and their combinations) and resources/databases]
“Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative (i.e., involving repetition), requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.”
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