Locating and Accessing Media and Information Content and Sources PDF

Locating and Accessing Media and Information Content and Sources LESSON 6 Location of and Access to Information Information and knowledge are crucial to our survival. Filipino families need to be aware of current events, news on the government, prices of basic commodities, health and nu...

Locating and Accessing Media and Information Content and Sources LESSON 6 Location of and Access to Information Information and knowledge are crucial to our survival. Filipino families need to be aware of current events, news on the government, prices of basic commodities, health and nutrition, and disasters and calamities, among others. We regularly get these information and news stories from the mass media and the Internet. Location of and Access to Information We also go to libraries and archives to read books and browse other materials. We also seek information from experts and professionals, especially if these are related to legal issues, health matters, and scientific studies. Location of and Access to Information In the digital age, sources of information have become readily available, as we can simply surf the Internet for answers to our daily concerns, big or small. But not all places in the Philippines have access to the Internet and the mass media; thus, some people rely on community elders and officials for information The Digital Divide This is called the digital divide, a situation in which disparity in access to information exists between information-rich and information-poor societies. There are certain areas in the country which do not even have electricity, especially in far-flung areas and remote islands. The Digital Divide Denying people access to information prevents them from exercising their freedom of expression and participating in civic activities. The Digital Divide In the Philippines, people have learned to use both the traditional mass media and the new media for seeking information. Some parents rely on radio, television, and newspapers for the latest news. On the other hand, the millennials have turned to computers and mobile phones to surf information on the Internet. How do we locate and access information efficiently from the mass media and the Internet? The Guide in Searching In searching for information online, there are also tricks that we need to understand so that we can easily get the data and information that we want. Dr. Ann Marlow Riedling, author of the book An Educator’s Guide to Information Literacy (2007), recommends a pre-search analysis when searching online to help students focus on the information they may already have. The Guide in Searching The following are the guide questions that we need to ask ourselves: 1. What is your topic? 2. What unique words, specific names of people and/or organizations, or abbreviations/acronyms are associated with your topic? 3. What professional societies, agencies, organizations, or groups might have information on your subject? 4. What resources, articles, websites, news stories, and the like do you already have about the topic? What leads can you gain from them? The Guide in Searching The answers to these questions will enable us to identify what needs to be searched on, where to go, and how to access this information. Likewise, this pre-search process allows us to link new information with what we already know. Comparison of Sources of Information Information Source Type Characteristics When to Use Reference books General and subject specific reference If we know very little about dictionaries books provide brief overviews or your topic, reference books encyclopedias summaries on any given topic. They can are excellent sources to start handbooks include background information, factual research. yearbooks data, key ideas, important dates, and concepts. Circulating books Books typically provide an in-depth If we need: fiction examination of any given topic, usually Historical and detailed nonfiction from a retrospective point of view. information on a subject Research-oriented books are works of To put your topic in context nonfiction. Fiction works include novels, with other important issues Several points of view in one short stories, and poetry. book such as collected critical essays on literary works Comparison of Sources of Information Information Source Type Characteristics When to Use Journal articles Journal articles provide in-depth research on If we need scholarly articles or peer-reviewed articles very specific topics. Journals cover a wide original research to find out refereed articles variety of disciplines. Articles are written by what has been studied on a scholarly articles experts in the field and use vocabulary or topic or to refer us to other jargon from a particular field of study. Articles relevant research. usually have cited references that will guide the student to other relevant research studies. Magazine and newspaper Magazine and newspaper articles provide If we need: articles updated information or latest developments on Up-to-date information about popular articles current issues or events. Issues and events current issues, popular culture, can be of local, regional, national, or or international, national, and international coverage. Articles are usually local events. written by freelance writers. Articles are written Various points of view or for general audience and contain simpler popular opinions (e.g., editorials, vocabulary. commentaries) Comparison of Sources of Information Information Source Type Characteristics When to Use World Wide Web The Web allows the student to access most types If we need: web pages of information or multimedia on the Internet Information on current news and images through a Web browser such as Google Chrome, events videos Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox. One Expert and popular opinions on audio of the main features of the Web is the ability to various issues quickly link to information. The Web contains Company information information beyond plain text to include images, Information from all levels of sound, music, and video. government Information and online resources available Government Sources Government sources from all levels of government If we need: legislation (local, regional, national, and international) provide Legislation or city ordinances reports both historical and current information including from a specific area statistics legislation, reports, and statistics. Reports or studies conducted by a government agency on a specific topic Comparison of Sources of Information Information Source Type Characteristics When to Use Primary sources Primary sources provide first-hand experiences of If we need: diaries events. Information is generally presented in its Original research or interviews original form: a work of literature or art; an account statistics; letters of an event; an experience; or original documents. manuscripts A first-hand account of memoirs experiences or events speeches statistics works of art Secondary Sources Secondary sources provide second-hand accounts If we need: of events. These sources include materials that A second-hand account of have been reported, analyzed, or interpreted by experiences or events. people who do not have first-hand knowledge of an event.