Prioritization and the Direction of Effect and Impressionability of Information Literacy Components by DEMATEL Technique

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The importance and priority of information literacy skills and their mutual effects have been neglected in the development and design of information literacy curricula. The present study aimed to prioritize and examine the direction of effect and impressionability of information literacy skills components for Iranian university students to improve their skills and promote skills instruction within academia. Methodology This was applied quantitative research using multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDMs) and DEMATEL pairwise comparisons. The statistical population comprised 16 information literacy scholars as DEMATEL experts who were purposively selected after variance estimation. The data were collected via a questionnaire (DEMATEL matrix), and the results were analyzed in MATLAB using the fishbone model. The effects and impressionability of information literacy skills components were analyzed and weighted using the DEMATEL matrix. Results To enhance students' information literacy skills, the components were prioritized as follows: information access, information combination, understanding and identifying informational needs, information evaluation, information use, and information dissemination skills. The prioritized components of the model had larger relative weights and were thus more significant in terms of the need for instruction and enhancement. Conclusion Considering the mutual effects of components, their significance, and priority, they greatly contribute to decision-making and the adoption of appropriate measures to develop information literacy skills curricula and guide information literacy policy-makers, professors, and researchers. The use of MCDM and pairwise comparison techniques as innovative approaches in information literacy research is also fruitful and practical for developing information literacy skills curricula in universities and other contexts.