Analysis of Access to Academic Information among Medical Students under an Active Learning Methodology

ABSTRACT Access to academic information has become one of the pillars for the student’s role in the learning process, and it is strategic to analyze the behavior and management of available information resources pertinent to the training and excellence of future professionals. The objective of this research was to analyze the behavior reported by medical students of a higher education institution with active learning methodology regarding access to academic information, as well as opinions about the construction of academic knowledge during undergraduate training. A cross-sectional and analytical observational study was conducted with 274 students from the Pernambuco Health College Medical School in Recife, Pernambuco. A specific questionnaire was prepared and validated for the data collection, and subsequently analyzed descriptively using absolute and percentage frequencies for categorical variables and measurements. To evaluate the association between two categorical variables, Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used. The research project was approved by the ethics committee and respected all ethical requirements. Among those surveyed, 52.8% used electronic media alone, while 37.7% indicated that they handled both electronic and print media and 9.4% cited print media alone. In relation to the forms of study with which the student most identifies, the options confirmed by the majority were “online books (PDF, Word, Epub, etc.)” and “paper books” (81.9% and 68,3%, respectively). Regarding questions about the use of electronic databases in their study routine, the majority (67.9%) responded positively to the statement; the most commonly cited databases included SciELO (86.7%), and PubMed (70.6%). When evaluating access to scientific information among medical students, it was seen that, although most students used electronic databases in their academic routine, more than half had not received training related to bibliographic research techniques; most had learned with practice. Almost all the students surveyed agree on the importance of evidence-based practice in academic routine, which is reported by more than half of the students who, when they do not seek information online, feel less up-to-date.