Compartilhamento de informações acadêmicas via internet entre estudantes de pós-graduação

Abstract

This research aimed at verifying characteristics of the information sharing process between both Masters and Doctoral undergraduate students. We take special interest exclusively on the sharing of information as a phenomenon which occurred through interactions performed with the use of online collaborative tools. The analyzed group was comprised of stricto-sensu post-graduation students from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. In order to deeply explore the aspects which affect the sharing of information on this online academic context,we sought to establish the relationship between two variables (age and social bonding) and also among three motivational information sharing categories (reciprocity, contribution and relationship). By conducting a survey, the data collection was carried out by using questionnaires. The questionnaires were answered by 369 students enrolled in 42 strictosensu post-graduation courses from the aforementioned University. The data and the results were statistically obtained through the Kruskal-Wallis and Spearmans rank correlation tests, in order to investigate possible associations between the variables and categories of the preestablished analysis. As a result of this research, it was found that the e-mail is the main tool used by the students seeking to share information. It was also concluded that the age variable didnt have significant result to any of the assessed motivational factors in thesharing of information. Another observed result was that the level of familiarity among the respondent students and the others with whom there was information exchange has influenced the respondents perception and behavior related to the possibility of new relationships among the same. Moreover, the results showed that the strength ofrelationships impacted positively in the respondents perception on possibility of new relationships. It was also found that the respondents sharing behavior based on the strength of the relationships was favorable to the donation motivational factor, because they feel wellin helping the others and they also feel helpful by carrying out the information exchange. Both the familiarity level and the strength of the relationships were constituent criteria of the bond variable measurement used in the research.