Using source analysis to promote critical thinking

Information literacy, as defined by the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education [2000. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries], is the ability to locate, retrieve, evaluate, and use information. Critical thinking is an essential component of information literacy and is reflected in the Standards through the evaluation, application, integration, and use of information. At Arizona State University East, an activity in source analysis is used in an international business class to foster students' critical evaluation and selection of sources and is an example of a library instruction exercise that promotes critical thinking.