Debating Credibility: The Shaping of Information Literacies in Upper Secondary School

Abstract

Purpose - The article concerns information literacies in an environment characterised by the two partly competing and contradictory cultures of print and digital. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the ways in which students assess the credibility of sources they use in school, with a particular interest in how they treat participatory genres.

Design/methodology/approach - An ethnographic study of a school class’s project work was conducted through observations, interviews, and log books in blog form. The analysis was influenced by a socio-cultural perspective.

Findings - The study provides increased empirically based understanding of students’ information literacy practices. Four non-exclusive approaches to credibility stemming from control, balance, commitment, and multiplicity were identified.

Originality/value - The study adds to the understanding of how credibility is assessed in school environments with a particular focus on how digital and participatory genres are treated.