Information is available from many sources and in many formats, such as printed text, television, videos, library databases, web sites, and more. To be "information literate" you need to know why, when, and how to use all of these tools and think critically about the information they provide.

You won't become information literate overnight. Just as with speaking skills and writing skills, your abilities will improve over time as you gain expertise in the topics you choose to investigate and as you practice searching for, selecting, and evaluating the information and ideas you encounter.

Since the Internet is a common information and communication tool, we have chosen it as the main research topic in HILT. Before you go on to the modules, let's clear up some common misconceptions about the Internet in the Introduction.