A phenomenographic study of English faculty's conceptions of information literacy

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to identify UK English academics’ conceptions of information literacy and compare those conceptions with current information literacy standards and frameworks. Design/methodology/approach – Three year AHRB-funded study involving 80 academics interviewed throughout the UK and using the phenomenographic research method to discover variation in experience leading towards identification of qualitatively different conceptions of information literacy. Conceptions are then reviewed in light of previous research and current librarian-generated frameworks and standards. Findings – The findings identify UK English academics’ conceptions of information literacy and show them to be both similar to and significantly different from conceptions described in previous research and librarian-generated frameworks and standards. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on creating a conceptual snapshot-in-time for the 20 English academics taking part. The research implies that disciplinary differences in conception of information literacy are significant and suggests further research to assess disciplinary conceptual differences. Practical implications – Librarians working with English faculty on information literacy need to be aware of differences in conception between themselves and academics to work effectively. The paper also highlights the significance of information literacy in English faculty’s teaching and research practices and this relevance suggests that information literacy should be integrated into course and curriculum design. Originality/value – The paper fills a major gap in literature on information literacy by focussing on conceptions of lecturers, thereby counterbalancing the abundance of work produced by librarians. The paper illustrates the complexity of English academics’ conceptions of information literacy and informs academics’ use and understanding of information literacy.