A busca por informação no Portal Capes pelos alunos do Programa de Pós-Graduação Strictu Sensu, da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Human behavior concerning the search for and use ofinformation in different contexts is approached in several Information Science studies, particularly those related to information search behavior aiming at relating and comparing models in order to describe a complex structure. Such models are defined by the followingterms: Information behavior, information search, and information search behavior. This study has been based upon the information behaviorand information search behaviormodels so as to look into the usage of Brazils Capes Academic Consortium by graduate-level students seeking research information in both Linguistics and Literary Studies in the College of Letters at UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais). An open- and closed-ended question electronic questionnaire survey was sent to 2009/2010 undergrad students, 2009/2010 masters degree students, and 2008/2009/2010 doctors degree students registered in UFMGs Library System. It was possible to track the types of information resources used by graduates as well as the drawbacks they faced in using Capes Academic Consortium. The studentsresearch skills were also analyzed as well as the recovering of information in that system. The results have indicated that most students use information resources available in electronic format, and more than half of them perform autonomous searches. Cultural and personal issues are contributing factors that prevent the system to be used by students, some of whom do not even know about the very existence of the consortium and other information resources made available. Moreover, thestudents participation in awareness-raising training sessions is low.