Skills developed by students of the Bibliography Research in Mechanical Engineering discipline in the technical standardisation of the work.

摘要

The process of teaching and learning on post-graduate courses should cover the ability to stimulate the academic environment through research and investigation, encouraging teachers and students to take a constructive attitude that challenges academic-scientific productivity. For scientific ability and the maturity of built knowledge to take place, the incentive to undertake research is fundamental, as is the corresponding mastery of electronic instrumentation and technologies. In this sense, the Library Service of the São Carlos School of Engineering of São Paulo University, in partnership with the Department of Mechanical Engineering has offered formal and specific training since 1995, within the User Education Program in the proper use of available information resources. This enables students to plan and carry out bibliographic research and to undertake various kinds of scientific work. This covers checking the skills attained by the students who take the SEM 5892 Module – Bibliographic Research in Mechanical Engineering in terms of using correctly technical documentation standards in force in Brazil. The sample was taken from students who took the module in the first and second semester of 2005 and who responded to questionnaires sent by e-mail used in data gathering. The instruments used in the evaluation of skills attained followed the instructions and guidelines for social research methodology. The questions asked were to do with ideas for devising projects; development of research methodology, norms used for structuring and presenting scientific papers. It was observed that the lack of formal guidance for students to suitably develop the technical skills for scientific research could cause difficulties in, amongst other things, carrying out the bibliographic survey from Brazilian and foreign sources and in mastering the use and application of the norms of writing and in the preparation and presentation of academic papers. The data gathered presents a positive result that points out the advantages obtained by students who took the module and provides contributions that justify the implementation of similar initiatives for incoming students in twelve post-graduate Master and Doctorate programs at the São Carlos School of Engineering at the University of São Paulo.