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Information privilege is possessing the position, opportunity, or advantage to access certain information and/or the ability to participate in existing modes of information dissemination where others may be excluded (Booth, 2014). Privileged access to information and information systems can come in many forms and that access can be impacted by a number of intersectional factors, such as access to technology, socioeconomic status, individual identity, or institutional affiliation (Duke University Libraries, n.d.).
When learning the ins-and-outs of the scholarly communication process, it is important to not only examine our own privileges within the existing information ecosystem, but also contextualize, critique, and, eventually, disrupt, current information systems with a focus on “justice and access” (Booth, 2014, para. 1). At this end of this guide, you will be able to...
Define the term information privilege.
Reflect on the ways that higher education reinforces information privilege.
Recognize the steps involved in the scholarly communication process and begin evaluating the inequities embedded in this system.
Assess the barriers students, staff, and faculty of color may face when seeking or creating scholarly publications.
Explain why the Open Access movement challenges conventional modes of publishing and the inequities those conventional modes sustain.