Search

Taking into account the establishment of the European Higher Education Area, an approach into the self-assessment of information competences by students of Psychology is proposed. Our diagnostic tool is the IL-HUMASS survey, focused on four key dimensions: information search, evaluation, processing and communication-diffusion. The questionnaire also has a three-faceted viewpoint: motivation, self-efficacy and learning habits from the students. We present the results enhancing which are the competences best and worst evaluated by students, in diverse courses; which ones they consider they manage better, which ones they consider as more important; and which seem more difficult for them, regarding understanding and development. In our conclusions we will offer a practical proposal to intervene and help the students in order to improve the weaknesses diagnoses in their information competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout 2011 several institutions endorsed the concept of establishing a European nanoproduct database,1 which would enable consumers and government officials alike to determine which consumer products contain nanomaterials. In keeping with the precautionary principle this would allow measures to be taken in the event of the recovery of a potential risk in the future.2 For while the scope of EU regulatory activities has increased, an instrument is lacking that would across all sectors allow both consumers and government officials to obtain a clear idea of which products contain nanomaterials. This approach would also be in keeping with REACH,3 which also applies regardless of the sector and lays down regulations concerning chemicals and thus also applies to nanomaterials by virtue of their being a specific embodiment of chemicals. However, as all concerned agree, REACH exhibits a certain number of deficiencies when it comes to nanomaterial regulation. The present paper discusses these deficiencies in light of the precautionary principle and at the same time addresses the issue as to whether reforming REACH would obviate the need to establish an online public nanoproduct database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Perspectivas em Ciência da Informaçao is the property of Nova Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

O objetivo deste artigo é discutir um modelo conceitual de comunicação da informação aplicável a estudos de interação entre usuário e bibliotecário, baseado em "competências conversacionais" em serviço de referência. Na ciência da informação, o fenômeno das "competências conversacionais" estaria no âmbito da transferência ou da comunicação da informação? Seria o modelo de Shannon e Weaver o mais apropriado para explicar esse fenômeno? Refletindo-se sobre a primeira pergunta, parece haver certa confusão conceitual, quando o assunto é comunicação da informação em ciência da informação. Utilizou-se Barreto (2005) e Pinheiro e Loureiro (1995), como base para a discussão desse aspecto. Com relação à segunda pergunta, talvez, a explicação da adoção do modelo de Shannon e Weaver na ciência da informação se dê pelo estudo dos paradigmas. Como as pesquisas iniciais da ciência da informação, em meados dos anos 50, estavam mais focadas no paradigma físico da recuperação da informação e o modelo de Shannon e Weaver surge mais ou menos na mesma época, a apropriação foi quase imediata. Mas, com a inserção de outros paradigmas, como o cognitivo e o social nos estudos na ciência da informação, o modelo de Shannon e Weaver passou a ser desconstruído e reconstruído sob novas óticas.