Global information literacy: a content analysis of three journals
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-05-2018-0052 |
| Pages | 242-254 |
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Author | Rayla E. Tokarz,Rosalind Bucy |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Global information literacy: a
content analysis of three journals
Rayla E. Tokarz and Rosalind Bucy
University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to perform a content analysis of information literacy specific
journals to determine what contributing countries and predominant themes are represented in the field
leading to a globalunderstanding of information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach –The data for this study werecollected through a content analysis of
journal article publication information,titles, abstracts and keywords in three journals: Communications in
Information Literacy (the USA), Journalof Information Literacy (the UK) and Nordic Journal of Information
Literacyin Higher Education(Norway) from 2012 to 2017.
Findings –The USA contributedthe most to the literature, though the top information literacy themes were
addressed by each of the 18 countries that contributed articles to the journals under study. Some themes
emerged that suggest the existence of a common global discourse around shared information literacy
concepts,including themes related to information literacytheory and practice.
Practical implications –The shared information literacy themes can be used to help solidify a global
understandingof information literacy.
Originality/value –This study fills a gap in the content analysis of information literacy journals by
identifyingthemes that demonstrate a shared globalunderstanding of information literacy.
Keywords Information literacy, United Kingdom, United States of America, Content analysis,
Norway, Journal articles
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
We live in an increasingly globalized society. As reflections of the communities they serve,
libraries are no exception to the effects of globalization. The International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has recognized the need for a global vision for “astrong
and united library field powering literate, informed and participative societies”(International
Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 2019).Atthecoreofthisvisionis
information literacy. Across the globe, librarians are engaged in teaching information literacy
skills and concepts to their communities, preparing the informed citizens of our global society.
In its whitepaper Global Perspectives on Information Literacy, the Association for College and
Research Libraries (2017) states, “Information literacy is a concept without geographic
boundaries in librarianship”(p. 5). But how do the scholarly conversations about information
literacy playing out in the research literature reflect the boundless nature of information
literacy? To what extent do these conversations demonstrate a shared global understanding of
information literacy? How close are we to a united field of information literacy? To explore
these questions, the authors turned to information literacy publications from across the globe,
focusing on journals devoted entirely to the subject of information literacy. Specifically, this
study analyzed Communications in Information Literacy (CIL), published in the USA, Journal
of Information Literacy (JIL), published in the UK and Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in
Higher Education (NORIL), published in Norway. Through a content analysis of these journals,
GKMC
68,3
242
Received31 May 2018
Revised21 November 2018
7 January2019
Accepted8 January 2019
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.68 No. 3, 2019
pp. 242-254
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-05-2018-0052
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