This book showcases new interdisciplinary academic research on the relationship between information literacy and learning. It combines findings with new understandings drawn from theoretical and empirical research conducted in primary and secondary schools, higher education, workplaces, and community contexts. The studies offer new insights into questions such as how transferable are the information practices and skills learned in one context to other contexts? What is the degree to which information competences are generic, to what degree are they domain and context specific? What are the kinds of challenges and outcomes that emerge from incorporating information literacy into education and training courses? And, most importantly, what kinds of theories and philosophies regarding the nature of learning, information, and knowledge, should information literacies education and research efforts be based on?

This book provides an overview of approaches to assist researchers and practitioners to explore ways of undertaking research in the information literacy field. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of research by Dr Kirsty Williamson (author of Research Methods for Students, Academics and Professionals: Information Management and Systems) and this sets the scene for the rest of the chapters where each author explores the key aspects of a specific method and explains how it may be applied in practice. The methods covered include those representing qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Both a chapter on the topical evidence-based practice approach, and another critiquing it, are also included. The final chapter points the way towards potential new directions for the burgeoning field.
Renowned information literacy researcher Dr Christine Bruce affirms the usefulness of the book: New researchers and early career professionals will appreciate the clarity of the introductions provided' to each of the methods covered.

Drawing upon the author s on going research into information literacy, Information Literacy Landscapes explores the nature of the phenomenon from a socio-cultural perspective, which offers a more holistic approach to understanding information literacy as a catalyst for learning. This perspective emphasizes the dynamic relationship between learner and environment in the construction of knowledge. The approach underlines the importance of contextuality, through which social, cultural and embodied factors influence formal and informal learning. This book contributes to the understanding of information literacy and its role in formal and informal contexts.
Explores the shape of information literacy within education and workplace contextsIntroduces a holistic definition of information literacy which has been drawn from empirical studies in the workplaceIntroduces a range of sensitizing concepts for researchers and practitioners"

Information literacy research is growing in importance, as evidenced by the steady increase in dissertations and research papers in this area. However, significant theoretical gaps remain. Information Literacy Through Theory provides an approachable introduction to theory development and use within information literacy research. It provides a space for key theorists in the field to discuss, interrogate and reflect on the applicability of theory within information literacy research, as well as the implications for this work within a variety of contexts. Each chapter considers a particular theory as its focal point, from information literacy and the social to information literacy through an equity mindset, and unpacks what assumptions the theory makes about key concepts and the ways in which the theory enables or constrains our understanding of information literacy. This book will provide a focal point for researchers, practitioners and students interested in the creation and advancement of conceptually rich information literacy research and practice.

The last 46 years have witnessed a deep and continued interest in information literacy. This interest has resulted in an extensive range of research being undertaken and a burgeoning corpus of literature created by academic researchers, library practitioners and other researchers who explore information literacy through their own disciplinary lens. The Qualitative Landscape of Information Literacy Research is a landmark publication that will develop and support readers’ understanding of how information literacy research and teaching is framed, developed and produced. Written by a leading expert in the field, it introduces and describes the key approaches taken by qualitative researchers, identifying core and specialist methods, techniques and theories. In each chapter, examples will illustrate how theory, types of pedagogical frameworks, methods and tools have been used. Coverage includes: theory and key concepts of information literacy social theory framework and their application to information literacy research exploration of the pedagogical frameworks that inform information literacy a range of qualitative methods that shape information literacy research data collection techniques research design. This book will be valuable to researchers in information literacy, students who are developing or undertaking research or simply interested in identifying approaches to information literacy and practitioners who want to investigate the practice of information literacy to create an evidence base to support information literacy in their workplaces or institutions.