Open Password – Wednesday, September 8, 2021
#971
Future of library and information science – Information literacy – Information literacy – Library and information science – Disinformation – ISI 2021 – B. Jörs – “New Responsibility” Foundation – Operationalization – News literacy – Applicability – Scoring evaluations – Digital navigation – Advertorials – welt.de – Misinformation – Social media monitoring – Platform management – Prior knowledge – spiegel.de – Tik-Tok – Influencer marketing – rezo-post – Journalistic content evaluation – Social relevance – Truthfulness – Completeness – Press code – Factual knowledge/fact checker – Debate participation/debater – WhatsApp – YouTube – Behavioral Science – Communication Science – M. Spitzer – Study objectives – Examination regulations – Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences – D. Lewandowski – Internships – BioNTech – Pfizer – Unstatistics – W. Krämer – G. Gigerenzer – T. Bauer – Inside Facebook – Shera Frenkel – Cecilia Kang – Fischer-Verlag – Propaganda – Abuse – Employees – Donald Trump – Twitter – Fridtjof Küchenmann – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – ConTech Pharma – Healthcare – Digital Transformation – Implementation – Mindset Shift – Cultural Change – Disinformation – Grenzlos Digital eV – Violeta Trkulja
Future of library
and information science:
Information literacy
or information literacy
The great misunderstanding and oversight
of library and information science in the age of disinformation
Part 3: How specific specialist knowledge
can lead to media and information literacy
Additional comments on the “16th International Symposium of Information Science” (“ISI 2021”, Regensburg March 8th – March 10th, 2021)
By Prof. Dr. Bernd Jörs, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
In this series, library and information science and its approach to “information literacy” are criticized and the usability of their contributions for uncovering and “fighting” disinformation and fake news is questioned (Open Password – to be added). Alternatively, in part 2, the research design became a first, national empirical study on the topic: “Digital news and information skills of the German population in the test” by the “New Responsibility” Foundation, a Berlin research “think tank for society in technological change”. “ (March 2021), presented ( https://www.stiftung-nv.de/de/publikation/quelle-internet-digitale-nachrichten-und-informationskompetenten-der-deutschen ).
This study and the large number of online tests carried out there to operationalize and quantify “information and news literacy” were used to show how “information literacy” can be interpreted in neighboring scientific disciplines and, above all, measured and verified in an operational and application-oriented manner. On the other hand, despite lengthy discussions about attempts at definition and highly generalized references to the “mediation” of information literacy, library and information science has not yet succeeded in reaching practical and application-oriented conclusions, and here the criticism from Part 1 is taken up again.
In part 3, the content and test procedures of the Berlin study are interpreted and evaluated. In Part 4, selected results of the study are presented, which should result in an inventory of the status of operational “information competence” research in general and in related sciences.
If you look at the 23 tasks in the tests with their numerous items as well as the answers evaluated with scoring evaluations, it is immediately apparent that almost all of the skills tested require certain (prior) knowledge on the part of the test subjects.
Let’s first look at some examples of the skills tested in the “Digital Navigation” skill set:
- …“recognizing advertising” requires relevant knowledge of search engine marketing (advertorial on welt.de) and the ability to make “platform-specific markings” and “classifications” tested.
- … “Identifying false information” requires relevant (prior) knowledge of social media monitoring and portal or platform management as well as legal knowledge.
- …”Recognizing opinions”, “recognizing columns” and “recognizing information” also requires relevant (prior) knowledge of website navigation architecture (spiegel.de; instagram/Tik-Tok posts), social media or .Influencer marketing (rezo-post), on the journalistic differentiation of “opinion”, “column” and “information” and, above all, political, economic and pharmaceutical expertise, for example from financial and tax policy.
Similar requirements for (prior) knowledge can be found in the other competency categories such as “Journalistic content evaluation (quality of news/information)”. For example, it’s about pension issues, animal husbandry, ventilation technology and entertainment. Among other things, it is required to recognize the social relevance, the truthfulness, the completeness of the information and the difference between fact-based information and opinion or opinion-making or, for example, to know about the existence or content of the “Press Code” with ethical guidelines for journalists.
The skills required in the “Fact Knowledge/Fact Checker” skill set for qualitatively checking information sources also require relevant (prior) knowledge, for example in the areas of social media monitoring, social media web analysis (likes/comments, views, impressions, engagement rate ), e-commerce/recommendation systems (aviation, ecology and media market).
The skill set “Debate Participation/Debater” requires the ability to “not forward unchecked messages”. This was tested using selected examples of messenger services such as WhatsApp and platforms such as YouTube. Last but not least, knowledge and relevant know-how of social media network analytics and their interdependent mechanisms of action and interconnection, the attention economy, the legal evaluation of platform operators (terms and conditions, deletion of posts, libel lawsuits), sociology, user psychology and the Behavioral Science requires.
The need to demand the influence and explanatory component of relevant and domain-related (prior) knowledge as an unavoidable condition for “information competence” becomes particularly clear in the last skill set of the study, “communication science know-how”. There, concrete knowledge of the media market and the distinction between PR/public relations and journalism are asked for in very specific media segments (YouTube, Spiegel).
Once again M. Spitzer (see Part 1, Open Password….), with whom the authors of the Berlin study largely agree:
“ There is no general ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, because such an ability cannot exist . ” In order to make a judgment about the truth or falsity of a statement about anything – no matter what it is about – you basically need prior knowledge of the subject area in which this statement is embedded (M. Spitzer: Cuneiform, Kant and sales contracts, in: Neurology 2020; 39; pages 198-205, page 201).
In contrast to this are the library and information science courses, based on the study objectives and examination regulations for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As a first example, let’s take the “Information Science” course, which was relatively recently reaccredited at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. There it says:
“§ 2 Qualification objectives of the degree program (1) The students of the degree program acquire a degree according to international standards, which enables them to carry out professional activities in the field of information science. This qualifies you as an expert in the professional handling of data, information and knowledge in organizations such as companies, media institutions, research institutions, public administration and libraries (examination regulations for the bachelor’s degree program in Information Science University of Darmstadt).”
These skills should be acquired for all natural sciences and humanities? Such foolishness in front of young students shows a tendency towards megalomania. Let’s continue with the Darmstadt examination regulations:
“(3) Graduates know and use theories, principles, methods and systems with which information is obtained from data, structured, stored, managed and prepared for people. You can conceive, design and develop information systems, information technologies and information products for complex information tasks. They are able to combine data analysis, information technology, language technology, business management and library approaches with methods and models of information science and to use these in applications to add value.”
And all of this without any relevant domain-specific (prior) knowledge?
Or, to give another example, one assumes that one can acquire the missing relevant specialist knowledge through practical or internship experience, as the Hamburg librarian and search engine specialist D. Lewandowski is quoted in an Open Password article (Open Password, # 664, November 19, 2019):
“In addition, the importance of acquiring domain knowledge in internships and in practice can hardly be overestimated.”
Apparently, 18-26 year old bachelor’s and master’s students do not need any special, domain-specific (previous) knowledge or studies. In this opinion, internships, working student positions or practical professional activities are sufficient. In this way, library and information science itself qualifies producers of disinformation and implies a massive devaluation of the qualifications of employees in academic libraries.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have information literacy? The following example might make you doubt.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Readers can test for themselves how necessary (prior) knowledge is, for example if they read the following message in the current Corona debate:
“ The good news of the month came from BioNTech and Pfizer with the preliminary result that their vaccine against Covid-19 was “90 percent effective”. BioNTech and other manufacturers have now reported that vaccines are 95 percent effective. These are all pleasing results. But what does “90 percent effective” mean ?
This question can be found in the well-known “Unstatistics of the Month” ( https://www.rwi-essen.de/unstatistics/109 ), which has been published monthly by W. Krämer, G. Gigerenzer and T. Bauer since 2012. First of all, the explanations from the media are used, which are considered to be serious:
“ In various media, including Bayerischer Rundfunk and “Berliner Zeitung”, it was stated “This means that 9 out of 10 people can be protected from infection by vaccination .”
The correct solution is then given:
“ The 90 percent does not refer to the group of vaccinated people, but to those who are sick. BioNTech reported that a total of about 43,000 people took part in the study, about half of whom were vaccinated and the other received a placebo. Seven days after the second dose, there were a total of 94 confirmed Covid-19 cases. The definition of effectiveness can be found in Pfizer’s study protocol: The proportion of Covid-19 cases in the vaccination group is divided by the proportion of Covid-19 cases in the control group. This value is subtracted from 1 and multiplied by a hundred so that it can be conveniently expressed as a percentage. It follows that there must have been 8 cases in the vaccination group and around 86 cases in the placebo group, which corresponds to a reduction of around 90 percent…
“ The “90 percent effective” does not refer to 9 out of 10 people who get vaccinated, nor to all participants in the study or all people who get vaccinated in Germany. It is a relative risk reduction that relates to the number of sick people, but not an absolute reduction that relates to all those vaccinated.”
In this case, mathematical and statistical knowledge would have been required to correctly interpret the statement “90 percent effective” and to be able to correct disinformation.
Quote:
“Inside Facebook”
Destabilization of societies and endangering human lives
are accepted for the sake of profit
Shera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang, “Inside Facebook – The Ugly Truth, Fischer-Verlag 2021 .
“ Again and again, the company’s greatest concern was apparently that profits would suffer if Facebook acted with the necessary determination against the propaganda abuse of its social network or even admitted the extent of the manipulation, disinformation and agitation attempts that were carried out here day in and day out become. … At some point, many employees became embarrassed to admit that they worked for Facebook. After Trump’s post remained unblocked, threatening protesters with the use of firearms via Facebook after the violent death of George Floyd, employees asked in the company’s internal networks for job offers at competitor Twitter, and one even asked for a job “at any company that showed that it is willing to accept its moral responsibility in the world – because Facebook does not seem to be that company. …
The list of propaganda posts that reached an audience of millions using Facebook’s resources is long: from the manipulated video that shows Nancy Pelosi supposedly drunk, to Trump’s praise of disinfectants to fight Corona, from Holocaust denial to the QAnin cult, from Provocations by authoritarian politicians such as Erdogan in Turkey and Maduro in Venezuela led to disinformation campaigns in Myanmar that fueled hatred against the Rohingya. Frenkel and Kang interviewed more than four hundred people and evaluated emails, memos and internal documents for their gripping and disturbing book. …
Although the stability of societies and the security of societies may depend on their solution, Facebook shows time and time again that it cannot get its own problems under control. But transparency, the possibility that at least independent researchers can see what Facebook itself sees in terms of data and dilemmas, is something the company avoids like the devil avoids holy water.
Fridtjof Küchenmann, One big mistake, in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, September 7th
ConTech Pharma
Implementing the Digital Transformation
ConTech Pharma 2021 will take place online from the 30th November to 1st December. It will focus on how a new generation of technology is impacting the world of content. Participants will include the pharma and digital healthcare content pioneers who are already seeing the benefits of using data science; the data science visionaries who are building new content tools and those who understand how to start applying data science to their work.
Our topics for the conference:
- What has been done to date that illustrates the benefits of FAIR data implementation to enable Digital Transformation?
- What challenges need to be overcome to effectively leverage FAIR data implementation for Digital Transformation and how can this be achieved?
- FAIR data management can be seen as one enabler of digital transformation. What are the major areas of practical challenge for data management and governance to enable digital transformation? Are they likely to include 1) implementation of a smart mix of technologies, procedures, and policies 2) training and mindset shift for smart people and 3) culture change (often major) for big organizations? What other challenges are important to tackle? For example, reducing the complexity of the landscape for the numerous players in the supply chain ecosystem?
- How can both new and existing community-wide initiatives involving publishers, technology vendors, and industry continue to influence and drive change to better enable Digital Transformation?
If you are a publisher, content strategist or curator, R & D scientist, pharma or digital healthcare professional and this resonates it’s time to get involved with this event, whether it’s as a speaker or delegate.
The call for speakers is live and we kindly request all submissions to be with us no later than the 30th September 2021.
https://www.contechlive.com/contech-2021-speaker-submission
To read more about this exciting event or to book a ticket visit our website
https://www.contech-event.com/ConTechPharma-AVirtualEvent
Limitless Digital eV
Recognize and evaluate disinformation
Ladies and Gentlemen
We would like to draw your attention to a virtual workshop as part of the Digital Week ( https://www.digitale-woche.de/ ):
Title: Recognizing and evaluating disinformation
When: September 16, 2021, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m
Where: Online via Zoom
In this online workshop we provide an overview of the emergence and spread of disinformation and what characterizes it. The workshop aims to learn how to handle information on the Internet competently and to develop an awareness of the risks of misinformation. We will cover the following key areas:
– What is disinformation? Who is spreading it and why?
– How can I identify and debunk false information on the internet and especially on social media platforms?
– What can I do myself to stop spreading disinformation?
– How do I check and verify information?
– Tools and tools for detecting disinformation
We will design the workshop clearly and show many examples. The workshop also offers time to answer questions. The event is aimed at everyone interested. It is primarily intended for people who have previously had little or no exposure to disinformation. The workshop is free and takes place via Zoom.
You can register using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/desinformationen-erkennen-und-beraten-tickets-167467564995
Kind regards, Dr. Violeta Trkulja, Grenzlos Digital eV, BerlinDr. Violeta Trkulja
OpenPassword
Forum and news
for the information industry
in German-speaking countries
New editions of Open Password appear three times a week.
If you would like to subscribe to the email service free of charge, please register at www.password-online.de.
The current edition of Open Password can be accessed immediately after it appears on the web. www.password-online.de/archiv. This also applies to all previously published editions.
International Cooperation Partner:
Outsell (London)
Business Industry Information Association/BIIA (Hong Kong)
Open Password Archive – Publications
OPEN PASSWORD ARCHIVE
DATA JOURNALISM
Handelsblatt’s Digital Reach