Conference Agenda

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has gained significant visibility in recent years, particularly following the war in Ukraine, which highlighted its role beyond intelligence services. OSINT has become essential in investigative journalism and for organizations such as Bellingcat and Forensic Architecture. Its methodologies and tools are now widely adopted by enthusiasts, developers, and fact-checkers, raising questions about its integration into media and information literacy education.

This study builds on several research projects in France, including interviews with OSINT professionals (n=25) and the analysis of open source investigations (n=150) ranging from reactive to proactive approaches (Roumanos, 2022). More recently, we have explored the integration of artificial intelligence into OSINT methodologies. Rather than considering OSINT as a separate literacy, this article proposes to incorporate its competencies into existing educational frameworks.

1. Coupling Established and Emerging Competencies

OSINT requires technical, ethical, and analytical skills. Information retrieval, verification, and prioritization are fundamental, demanding awareness of social and geopolitical contexts. These align with information literacy but extend to broader sources and new investigative techniques, similar to those in data journalism.

Enhancing information retrieval skills also raises awareness about students' digital footprints. Training should encourage critical reflection on personal data exposure and online traces. Additionally, studying high-quality audiovisual investigations can improve media literacy by demonstrating rigorous journalistic practices rather than solely addressing disinformation.

2. Developing Advanced Investigative Competencies

Search Engine Literacy emphasizes that finding information is not only about relevance but also about understanding search engine filtering mechanisms. OSINT-related literacies require both technical expertise in investigative tools and critical awareness of their biases, especially when integrating artificial intelligence.

Moreover, strong analytical reasoning is essential for hypothesis-driven investigations, often following forensic inquiry models. This advanced expertise enables structured argumentation based on robust evidence. Consequently, OSINT education should train students to engage with complex investigative narratives requiring sustained attention, far beyond the fragmented consumption of information on platforms like Instagram or TikTok.

Moving Beyond Pragmatism: Building a Political and Technical Culture of Information

The most rigorous OSINT investigations rely on extensive documentation and hyperdocumentation principles (Le Deuff, 2020), ensuring transparency by making data and collected evidence accessible.

Education must transcend reactive fact-checking to foster a deeper investigative culture. Projects like Forensic Architecture and The New York Times’ investigative reports illustrate how OSINT methodologies contribute to historical and judicial documentation. By integrating OSINT into education, we aim to cultivate a robust technical and political understanding of information in contemporary society.

References

Le Deuff, O. (2021). Hyperdocumentation, London, Iste Editions.

Roumanos, R.(2022). « L’Osint dans le journalisme : vers une redéfinition des composantes spatiales et temporelles de l’évènement ». Hérodote, N° 186(3), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.3917/her.186.0031.

In the United States, librarianship is an overwhelmingly white profession whose racial and ethnic demographics do not mirror those of the nation (Kendrick & Hulbert, 2023). While the library profession has prioritized values such as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), “discourses of racelessness” still dominate (Hudson, 2017, p. 17), allowing for a “feel-good definition of difference” for EDI-related matters. Some may believe that being “colorblind” is a virtue, that ignoring race will lead to the elimination of racism (Bonilla-Silva, 2018). Instead, this leads to the erasure of the very real ways in which systemic, structural, and institutional racism influence the lives of those who have been marginalized based on racial or ethnic identity.

Historically there has been an absence of a consideration of race in information literacy, and several scholars have critiqued the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education for its racelessness and lack of a justice orientation (Battista et al., 2015; Rapchak, 2019; Saunders, 2017). Over the past decade, interest in adopting inclusive, antiracist, and liberatory pedagogies in information literacy instruction has increased, along with calls for an increasing focus on critical information literacy (Tewell, 2015). In scholarship, there has been as increasing turn to the sociocultural nature of information literacy, recognition that it is enacted in epistemic communities (Tuominen et al., 2005; Lloyd, 2010), which are not race or identity neutral. Despite this, there is scant scholarship that seeks to center the voices and experiences of people of color related to information literacy conceptualizations and practices.

In this paper, we review previous scholarship highlighting the racelessness of information literacy as a concept and as a practice and discuss how we are using critical methodologies and theories, such as critical race theory and critical whiteness theory, to center the experiences and voices of Black and African American students through an exploration of research assignment experiences in secondary and postsecondary education. Research assignments are “literacy events,” which require students to know “the codes used by the community and the customs and conventions in play” (Elmborg, 2006, p. 195). In other words, they are opportunities in which students demonstrate their understanding of information literacy ([Author], 2021). We will also share preliminary themes from the data we have collected through semi-structured interviews with students enrolled at a large research university in the United States. Through this exploration, we hope to uncover if research assignments reify white normativity and highlight counterstories that can be used to begin to dismantle the whiteness of information literacy.

References

Battista, A., Ellenwood, D., Gregory, L., Higgins, S., & Lilburn, J. (2015). Seeking social justice in the ACRL Framework. Communications in Information Literacy, (9)2, 111-125.

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2018). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America (5th ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Elmborg, J. (2006). Critical information literacy: Implications for instructional practice. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(2), 192-199.

[citation removed for anonymous peer review]

Hudson, D.J. (2017). On "diversity" as anti-racism in library and information studies: A critique. Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies, 1(1), 1-36.

Kendrick, C.L., & Hulbert, I.G. (2023). By any measure: The racial demographics of librarians. Ithaka S+R.

Lloyd, A. (2010). Information literacy landscapes: Information literacy in education, workplace and everyday contexts. Chandos Publishing.

Rapchak, M. (2019). That which cannot be named: The absence of race in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Journal of Radical Librarianship, 5, 173-196.

Saunders, L. (2017). Connecting information literacy and social justice: Why and how. Communications in Information Literacy, 11(1), 55-75.

Tewell, E. (2015). A decade of critical information literacy: A review of the literature. Communications in Information Literacy, 9(1), 24-43.

Tuominen, K., Savolainen, R., & Talja, S. (2005). Information literacy as a sociotechnical practice. Library Quarterly 75(3), 329-345.

The rapid advancement of generative AI technologies has significantly altered the information landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges. This paper, which builds on chapter 5 “Skills and attitudes for new information landscapes” in the OECD Skills Outlook 2023, explores the cognitive, educational, and societal implications of misinformation generated by AI and the role of media, information, and AI literacy in addressing these challenges. Through a rapid literature review and thematic analysis, three key themes are identified: (1) cognitive responses to AI-generated misinformation, focusing on the heuristics and biases that influence trust and perception of generative AI; (2) AI literacy as an essential digital competency, emphasizing its importance in fostering critical thinking and digital citizenship; and (3) the integration of media, information, and AI literacy in educational interventions to enhance critical evaluation skills related to AI-generated content.

The findings over the past two years are limited, suggesting that the scientific community may not view generative AI as a factor necessitating a fundamental transformation in media and information literacy needs. Instead, the literature seems to view the influence of generative AI seems to be more incremental, primarily affecting the modalities through which misinformation is disseminated and engaged with. This research gap complicates efforts to draw broad conclusions on the topic, highlighting the need for further study.

The literature also found that while AI literacy is widely acknowledged as a critical digital skill, it is typically treated as an isolated competency rather than being integrated into established media and information literacy frameworks. This fragmented approach is a potential limitation when equipping policy makers and educators with the tools they need to create interventions and programs to make the public capable of handling the 21st century information landscape. Based on its findings, this paper advocates for a more holistic integration of AI literacy within broader educational and societal frameworks, to prepare diverse populations to engage responsibly with generative AI. This paper helps provide an overview of the changes that the development of new generative AI tools has caused in the field of false information and media, information and AI literacy, and provides suggestions for future research in order to get a more complete overview of the field.

References

OECD (2023), OECD Skills Outlook 2023: Skills for a Resilient Green and Digital Transition, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/27452f29-en.

Background

Library policies on information dissemination should include provisions for dealing with misinformation and disinformation. As libraries increasingly become digital information hubs, they play a vital role in combating the spread of false information. Policies must outline how libraries can help users critically evaluate the information they encounter, including providing access to fact-checking tools, offering media literacy programs, and curating resources that teach users how to discern credible information. (Cooke, 2018). The paper presents the specifics of the Bulgarian case with regard to the perceptions of academic librarians on different aspects of mis- and disinformation and their experience in addressing these topics in the information literacy training sessions for library users. The survey follows the unified structure of a questionnaire distributed among librarians from different countries which was developed by Joumana Boustany and Laura Saunders in 2024 in the framework of the research project DisMis.

Objectives

The goal of the survey is to monitor to what extend the important function of the academic librarians to empower library users to critically evaluate information, recognize mis/disinformation, and navigate the digital landscape effectively, by offering structured educational programs and resources, is performed effectively in Bulgaria. The identified gaps will be the starting point to look for new opportunities to overcome the existing problems. The possible measures may include strengthening the connection with the faculty members and applying innovative learning strategies as game-based learning. The collaboration between librarians and educators allows for the development of comprehensive programs that equip students with critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate information sources, recognize biases, and understand the influence of media on public perception. Serious games are increasingly recognized as powerful tools for engaging students in learning across various educational contexts (Holmes & Gee, 2016), including the topic of disinformation and fake news.

Methodology

The questionnaire is translated in Bulgarian and distributed among all academic libraries in the country through the platform of the DisMis project. The survey is anonymous and explores librarians’ perspectives on various aspects of mis- and disinformation stressing on their role of instructors in the information literacy library sessions for students. The analysis of the collected information is done through program for statistical data processing. The input of the librarians will contribute significantly to the understanding of the current challenges and opportunities in information literacy education within academic libraries in Bulgaria and will help to shape future strategies and approaches in this vital area.

Findings

The results from the survey prove the hypothesis that libraries must work more actively with educators to design curricula that include workshops, seminars, and interactive activities focused on media analysis and information verification. They can offer their expertise by co-teaching classes, providing resources, and developing lesson plans that align with educational standards. Joint initiatives might involve organizing media literacy weeks, hosting guest lectures, or creating collaborative projects where students critically assess media content. Such partnerships not only enhance the educational experience but also reinforce the importance of media literacy as an essential skill in today's digital age.

References

Cooke, N. A. (2018). Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era. Library Technology Reports, 54(8), 5-11.

Holmes, J.B. and Gee, E.R. (2016), A framework for understanding game-based teaching and learning, On the Horizon, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 1-16

Kellner, D. and Share, J. (2019). The Critical Media Literacy Guide: Engaging Media and Transforming Education. BRILL.