Relationship Between Information Literacy and Creativity: A Study of Students at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

INTRODUCTION: In an era of huge volume of publications and information products, information literacy has become a very important survival tool. Information literacy is an instrument for individual empowerment that leads one to search for the truth and the desired information for decision making with independence. While creativity is the foundation of sciences and innovation, one of the main functions of universities is expanding the frontiers of knowledge and productions of scientific information. Therefore creativity is more vital and necessary for these kinds of institutions than other organizations. In this regard, this paper investigates the relationship between information literacy and creativity of students at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. METHOD: This is a correlation-descriptive study. Statistical population was third year students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (1054 individuals) in 2011. Sample size was 250 individuals selected by stratified random Sampling. The instruments for data collection were two questionnaires, an investigator made questionnaire for information literacy and a creativity questionnaire. For questionnaires validity used content validity and for their reliability used Cronbach Alpha Coefficient (r1= 0.95, r2=0.85). SPSS 18 statistical software and descriptive and inferential statistics tests (Frequency distribution tab, Pearson Correlation, T test, Tukey test and ANOVA) were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The results indicate that mean of information literacy was higher than average and mean of creativity was lower than average. There is a significant multiple correlation between 5 dimensions of information literacy (Ability to determine extent and nature of information, effective and efficient access, critical assessment, ability of purposeful application, ability of understanding legal and economic issues) and creativity in level of (p≤ 0.05). Also mean difference of ability of purposeful application based on gender was significant in level of (p≤ 0.05). It means the ability of purposeful application in male students was more than female students. CONCLUSION: We are living in the information age and one of the variables that are associated with creativity is information literacy. The results indicated that the students who are more creative are more information literate and can reach higher goals. Therefore we can contemplate that increasing information literacy in the universities and other scientific education centers plays an important role in teaching and training a creative workforce.