Information Literacy Assessment
Instructions: Please circle the letter for the correct answer.
1. Where would you look for an introduction to a topic such as
farming?
A. The library catalog
B. An encyclopedia
C. A periodical
D. An almanac
2. If you were researching bad eating habits as a factor in chronic
diseases, which of the following statements would get the best information
from most electronic databases?
A. eating habits or chronic disease
B. eating habits not chronic disease
C. eating habits as a factor in chronic diseases
D. eating habits and chronic disease
3. A periodical index is used to:
A. Find journal articles
B. Find magazine articles
C. Find newspaper articles
D. A, B, and C
4. A bibliography is a list of:
A. Countries
B. Phone numbers
C. Information sources
D. Someone’s life story
5. For the most current information about a topic consult:
A. Books
B. Periodical articles
C. Encyclopedia articles
D. Bibliographies
6. Which of the following periodicals would be the most
likely to contain scholarly articles?
A. Southern Living
B. Seventeen
C. Journal of Psychology
D. Psychology Today
7. How should you decide if a book contains information on your topic?
A. The title includes the words of my topic
B. Find the book and see that the table of contents lists a chapter
on my topic
C. Find the book and see that my topic is listed in the index
D. Any of the above
8. If searching an online index results in 77 citations to journal articles,
and you only need five, how do you choose the best five articles from the
77 citations?
A. Look for articles published in scholarly journals
B. Read the abstracts (if provided) to find the articles most relevant
to your topic
C. Select recent articles that include bibliographies
D. A, B, and C
9. To find a book in the library on the life of Elie Wiesel, you would
look:
A. In the library catalog
B. In a biographical dictionary
C. In a periodical index
D. In a gazetteer
10. To prepare a presentation on the events of the civil rights movement
during the 1960s, which is the best list of key words to use for information
on this assignment?
A. Presentation, civil rights
B. Events of the civil rights movement, 1960s
C. Civil rights, 1960s
D. Civil rights
11. When performing a search with a "search engine" such as Alta Vista,
which will find fewer items?
A. Dyslexia and reading
B. Dyslexia or reading
C. A and B will get the same number
D. Title: (Dyslexia and Reading)
12. A library research strategy is:
A. A manual describing the proper format for a research paper
B. A handout explaining how to get books from other libraries
C. A list of books on specific topics
D. A plan of action that gives direction to your research
13. When should you consult a librarian for assistance?
A. You need advice about where to look for information
B. You need help choosing the best information sources
C. You don't know how to use an information source
D. A, B, and C
_______________________________________________________________________
Use this EXCERPT from the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature
to answer questions 14-18.
The Force is back. [cover story] D.
Kamp. il pors Vanity Fair
no462 p118-32 F '99
Of myth and men [interview] B. Moyers. il
pors Time v153
no16 p90-4 Ap 26 '99
Star wars: Episode 1--The phantom
menace [film] Reviews
Time il v153 no.16 p78-82+ Ap 26 '99 R. Corliss
______________________________________________________________________
14. The author of the article titled, "The Force
is back" is:
A. B.Moyers
B. R. Corliss
C. D. Kamp
D. Vanity Fair
15. The name of the periodical containing the highlighted article is:
A. Time
B. Of myth and men
C. Vanity Fair
D. il por
16. The volume number of the periodical containing the highlighted article
is:
A. 1
B. 99
C. 153
D. 462
17. The highlighted article is how many pages long?
A. 10
B. 9
C. 5
D. 12
18. What is the date of the periodical containing the highlighted article?
A. July 11, 1999
B. February, 1996
C. August 18, 1999
D. April 26, 1999
__________________________________________________________________
Please use the following Library of Congress call numbers to answer
question 19.
(1st)
(2nd)
(3rd)
(4th)
(5th)
(6th)
D
D
D
DC
DG
DG
21
21
756.5
258
566
566
.B973
.C59 .A7
.R67
.B49 .C51
__________________________________________________________________
19. A book with the call number DG
566 .C7 would be placed on the shelf:
A. Between the 5th an 6th call number
B. Between the 1st and 2nd call number
C. After the 6th call number
D. Between the 4th and 5th call number
_______________________________________________________
Please use the following Dewey call numbers to answer
question 20.
(1st)
(2nd)
(3rd)
(4th)
(5th)
342.44
342.7302 654.08
671
677
G59p
Un3t
Sch1m
Sch1e
St7i
_______________________________________________________
20. A book with the call number 671.33
R89f would be placed on the shelf:
A. Between the 1st and 2nd call number
B. Between the 2nd and 3rd call number
C. Between the 3rd and 4th call number
D. Between the 4th and 5th call number
_______________________________________________________________________
Please use the attached copy of a Web page (the green
page) to answer questions 21-26.
______________________________________________________________________
21. When was the information produced or updated?
A. After July, 1999
B. Before July, 1999
C. During July, 1999
D. August, 1998
22. Which of the following statements best describes the
information provided about the author and/or producer of the Web site?
A. The author of the article is named
B. The producer is identified
C. There is a link to information about the producer
D. All of the above
23. Is there contact information (e.g. e-mail address
for the author or producer)?
A. Yes, a link is provided
B. No
C. Yes, an e-mail address is displayed
D. Both A and C
24. Does the Web site cover the topic of hiking on the
Blue Ridge Parkway extensively?
A. Yes
B. No, but there is an Archives link to search for
more on the topic
C. No, but a link to more information is provided
D. Both B and C
25. Is the information presented as fact or opinion?
A. Fact
B. Opinion
C. Both A and B
D. Fiction
26. Which parts of this Web page are protected by copyright?
A. Pictures, text and design
B. Text only
C. None of it
D. Pictures only
27. How confident do you feel about your ability to…
A. Develop a realistic overall plan and time line
to complete a research project
1.Very confident
2.Confident
3.Not very confident
4.Have no confidence
B. Retrieve useful information in print format
1.Very confident
2.Confident
3.Not very confident
4.Have no confidence
C. Retrieve useful information in electronic format
1.Very confident
2.Confident
3.Not very confident
4.Have no confidence
D. Find useful information using resources on the
Web
1.Very confident
2.Confident
3.Not very confident
4.Have no confidence
E. Recognize prejudice, deception, or manipulation
in a Web site
1.Very confident
2.Confident
3.Not very confident
4.Have no confidence
28. How hard did you try to do your best work as you completed
this test? Mark only one answer. Your response will not affect your score
on the examination.
A. Tried my best
B. Gave moderate effort
C. Gave little effort
D. Gave no effort
Ann Viles, vilesea@appstate.edu,
Appalachian State University, Aug. 30, 1999
Note, the url for the web page used is www_wataugademocrat_com.html
(August 24, 1999)