Information literacy skills: Medical radiation science students and the internet

Abstract

Medical radiation science (MRS) professionals are required to maintain a high standard of knowledge and therefore need satisfactory information literacy skills. Information literacy skills are required to seek, evaluate and synthesise information sources. With the vast amount of information that can be accessed it is important to ensure students are taught how to identify and locate information sources and evaluate them for credibility. Recent studies have shown that students prefer to access information sources on the internet via a search engine, often not considering the credibility of the information they are accessing. The information sources that are available on the internet are unfiltered, and the content of a website can be inaccurate and unreliable. There are numerous methods available for students to evaluate information sources for credibility and accuracy, and these should be considered before accepting presented data at face value. In the rapidly changing field of medical radiation science, graduates must be independent learners who can locate relevant information and perform critical analysis of information sources. To achieve this information literate students must be cultivated.