The Researcher Development Framework and the Seven Pillars of Information Literacy

In April 2011, SCONUL presented the new and refined version of its Seven Pillars of Information Literacy, including its own ‘lens’ focused on the particular needs and practices of HE researchers. The principles underlying this model and the Researcher Development Framework are similar; they are both aspirational in their aim of helping researchers better understand what it means to be well-rounded. The Seven Pillars are a more focused framework, but their content broadly matches much of the RDF. Given the overlap between the two documents, and the fact that they both reflect national initiatives, it makes sense for them to be seen clearly to relate to each other.

This is the rationale for the production of material that seeks to present graphically the relationship between the two. Under the auspices of the Working Group on Information Handling, the RIN has therefore produced:

• a document that maps the relevant elements of the RDF against the Seven Pillars;
• conversely, a document that maps the Seven Pillars against the appropriate RDF domains, sub-domains and descriptors;
• an information literacy taxonomy that encompasses, in a summarised fashion, the RDF and the Seven Pillars.

These three documents are attached below, and are available to all with an interest in researcher development. Comments and views about how this material might be used are welcome - feel free to contact stephane.goldstein@rin.ac.uk .