Information has Value

As students at the University of Aberdeen, you have free, full-text access to a wide range of subscribed content, including e-books, journals, and academic databases. However, it’s important to recognise two key points:

• The University pays for this access on your behalf.
• Academic information is the result of a long and complex procedure which begins with the development of new ideas. Ideas are then refined through discussion and offered for evaluation via peer review.

This means that other academics and specialists in the field assess the work for accuracy, originality, and consistency. Based on their feedback, the original work may be revised and edited. If the submission is accepted, the author typically signs a publication agreement, often transferring copyright to the publisher. The manuscript must then be formatted according to the publisher’s guidelines before it is officially published. Finally, the work enters the preservation and promotion phase, where it may be shared through academic repositories or other platforms to ensure wider access and long-term availability.

It’s worth noting that the stages of the publication cycle can vary between disciplines, but the underlying principles of quality control, authorship, and dissemination remain central.

Below we will analyse additional ways in which information has value, not necessarily from a monetary point of view. 

Outwith the academic context, we are surrounded by a plethora of “free” content. In reality, access to information is not free: many platforms offering free content monitor your activity, collect data and use it to serve targeted advertisements. In this sense you are not paying with money but with your personal data and privacy. Some companies even commodify your information by trading it with third parties. High-quality journalism and streaming media are often locked behind paywalls, and some content requires apps or subscriptions that not everyone can afford. So, while non-academic information may appear to be free, it’s shaped by economic, social and technological systems that influence who can access it and how it’s distributed. 

Useful resource:

• Understanding Citizens' Data Literacies: Thinking, Doing & Participating With Our Data 

Every piece of information, academic or not, represents time, effort, and often a specific purpose or intention. As responsible students and citizens, knowing your rights and responsibilities as users of information empowers you to engage with it ethically, confidently and considerately. As students at the University, you have free access to academic resources to support your learning, and you have the right to exercise academic freedom by expressing your ideas and opinions, as long as they are respectful and evidence based. Equally important, in any piece of work you submit, you are expected to make ethical use of the information available to you by citing sources accurately, producing original work, and upholding the principles of academic integrity.

Useful resource:

• Academic Integrity Guidance & Resources

Value the skills, time, and effort needed to produce knowledge by giving credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution and citation.

Respect intellectual property: understanding copyright and licensing enables legal and ethical use of information and materials, where the interests of rightsholders are balanced against the needs of information users. Remember that intellectual property is a legal and social construct that varies by culture. Laws are created by governments to grant rights over creations; these laws determine what counts as IP, who owns it and how long protection lasts. But these rules are not universal; they vary from country to country. Beyond law, IP reflects cultural values. For example, Western IP systems often emphasise individual ownership and profit, while many indigenous cultures view knowledge and creativity as collective, sacred, or ancestral, not something to be owned or sold. 

Useful resource: 

• Copyright

Do not repeat misinformation, and use factual and reliable resources. There are several frameworks for evaluating the quality and reliability of sources. Below, the 'RADAR' approach is described: 

Relevance
Does the source relate to your topic or answer your research question? Does it meet the requirements for the assignment? Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the one you will use?

Authority
Is the author known as an expert in the field? Does the author work for a reputable institution, e.g. a university, research center or government? Does anyone cite this author/work? Does the author rely on other well-cited works? Is there contact information, e.g. a publisher or email address?

Date
Has the information been revised or updated? Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? If older, is this a seminal or landmark work? Are the links functional?

Appearance
Was the work published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press or other reliable publisher? Was the information reviewed by an editor or a subject expert before it was published? Do the references support the author's argument? Are the references properly cited? Can you verify any of the information in another source? Does the source look professional? Are there advertisements, typographical errors, or biased language?

Reason
Why was the information created? Appropriate information sources are created: to educate by spreading scholarly information; sometimes but not always to persuade the reader; never to entertain or sell something.

Adapted from:

J. Mandalios, “RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources,” J. Inf. Sci., Vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 470-478, 2013.

Remember that some individuals or groups may be underrepresented or systematically marginalised within the systems that produce and disseminate information. 

Useful resource:

• Understanding Authority - Library Guide

Access to information enables individuals to better support their rights, make informed decisions, and participate meaningfully in society. Access to information also supports the preservation of cultural and ancestral knowledge, which can strengthen identity, especially among historically oppressed groups.

It’s important to remember that information can also marginalise. Bias in news media or algorithms can reinforce harmful stereotypes or exclude the perspectives of marginalised communities. Moreover, gatekeeping by powerful institutions can determine which narratives are supported and which are overlooked, often favouring dominant political, social, or economic interests.