Understanding how information is created, distributed, and evolves — a foundational framework for critical research.
Video tutorial created during Educational Outreach Graduate Student Assistantship at the University of Washington
"The Information Cycle" was developed during my time as an Educational Outreach Graduate Student Assistant at the University of Washington's Suzzallo Library. It was designed to help students understand not just where to find information, but how information itself gets created, vetted, distributed, and transformed over time.
Understanding this cycle is foundational to information literacy. When students know how a news article becomes a trade journal piece becomes a peer-reviewed study, they can make better decisions about which sources are appropriate for which purposes.
Something happens in the world — a discovery, a decision, a disaster — that generates information.
News outlets, social media, and blogs respond quickly with breaking coverage — fast but often incomplete.
Magazines, trade journals, and commentary provide context and deeper analysis over days and weeks.
Peer-reviewed journals publish rigorous studies months or years later — slower, but more authoritative.
Encyclopedias, textbooks, and books synthesize knowledge and provide definitive reference points.
New events, discoveries, and perspectives restart the cycle — knowledge is always evolving.
"A shared goal among educators is to develop and support curious, life-long learners equipped with both practical knowledge and a conceptual framework that will allow them to comprehend and process information."
Teaching the information cycle gives students that conceptual framework. Rather than a list of approved sources, they gain a mental model for evaluating any source they encounter — now and throughout their lives.
This tutorial was designed to be used independently, fitting into a student's schedule whether during a commute, a study session, or before a research assignment begins.
Practical how-to guides for common library research tasks.
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