Academic use of information: the information behavior of graduate students in education

Abstract

This study reports part of a broader research about information behavior of graduate students in Education. The research´s participants were nine masters and doctoral students from a graduate program in Education at a public university. The focus group technique was used to collect the data. The focus group sessions were observed and recorded. The recorded data were transcribed, categorized and then analyzed using the technique of content analysis. The main aspects achieved were: i) Identification’s forms of information resources for research; ii) Internet as source of information; iii) Academic Library’s services and resources use; iv) Training to use of electronic data base; v) Difficulties to perform the search; vi) Advisor’s influence on research development; and vii) Environmental factors that affect information seeking behavior. The main results reveal that the identification of information sources occurs, mainly, through references quoted on studies of the researched area; as well as the advisors’ influence in the information seeking behavior of the participants. The results, also, disclose some environmental aspects, as example, lack of time to search and discomfort caused by the libraries’ environment that influenced negatively the information behavior of the studied group.