Critical information literacy (CIL) considers the social, economic, and political systems in which information is produced, disseminated, and accessed. Rather than information transfer being a transactional event, where information can be seen as capital that is held by one entity and transferred to another, CIL involves actively engaging with and problematizing the structures in which information is shared.
While information literacy generally involves developing the skills to evaluate information, CIL considers how to evaluate information in structural context. Whose voices are included or excluded from the conversation? Does this differ based on discipline? How much of the structure of knowledge transfer is based on Western, colonial thought and practice? What understanding might be missing based on the information that is considered to be the highest value and/or is most easily available to the knowledge seeker?
In research and scholarly writing, the act of citing another's work is one piece of the information sharing process. Citational practices can reflect the systems that prioritize some voices over others.