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Potter and the Clay: The Building, Making, and Using of Information in Research

We live in the Information Age yet we do not understand the concept of "infotmation." The purpose of this guide to give a solid Christian foundation to what makes information so important and valuable.

You Play a Part in the Shaping of Information

You play a big part in deciphering information according to Dr. Dervin. Throughout our life, your education, your faith or lack thereof, your life experiences all play a key role in determining how you shape information. Each class, each reading, each Bible reading, each experience can potentially change daily how you view information (e.g. Saul/Paul's view of Christians as threats). All that you are, all the that you know, all that you believe, and all that you have experienced makes you the person you are today. If you begin research for an assignment., you will deal with a certain set of results.  Tomorrow, you will go to class, do the class readings or work on an assignment and return to class for another lecture. Then, you go research again. But your search will be different because you are different. You know more and have moved forward in time. Searches can never remain static. Even the databases change because they may add more content pertaining to your search.