Transcending Academic Power Structures: Navigating STEM Misinformation for Undergraduate Learning

Abstract

When students enter university, they learn that there are two types of information: information that can be found using library resources and the information that is found using Google. Sources are often framed in opposition to one another, with the library’s resources representing good and authoritative information, while other sources are considered risky and inferior. Librarians have started to question the usefulness of privileging certain types of information over others, acknowledging that highly useful and reliable information does exist outside of the confines of library resources. Specifically, by inherently devaluing sources found outside of the traditional academic context, how are we unintentionally perpetuating a power system that devalues non-academic voices, experiences, and contexts. Further, individuals with alternative viewpoints must first learn to act, think, and excel on academia’s terms before their worldviews and the information they have to share will be granted legitimacy by the academy. This poster uses critical theory to help position information as an element within the broader academic power structure. We are advocating for a more inclusive approach used in library instruction that encourages students to critically evaluate information on an individual basis.