O comportamento informacional dos servidores da Polícia Civil da Paraíba: um estudo a partir do modelo Sense Making

Abstract

This is a study of information behavior using Brenda Dervin's (1983) Sensemaking model. The research aims to investigate the information behavior activities of Civil Police officers in Paraíba, as well as analyze the process of information seeking and use, identify police officers as information users, verify the functionality of systems and the presence of barriers, and connect academic issues to the field of public security. The methodology employed was a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, using a questionnaire administered to 61 civil police officers. The analysis examined user profiles, information seeking and use needs, and information behavior activities. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and Laurence Bardin's content analysis, along with the categories of the sensemaking model (situation, gap, bridge, and helpers). The results revealed that most of the police officers analyzed are between 41 and 50 years old, male, of mixed race, married, with a postgraduate level of education, holding the position of agent or clerk, and with an average of 11 to 20 years of service. Their main informational activities are document preparation, data collection, and analysis. The frequency of daily searches was most frequently cited, focusing on administrative demands. The main motivation for searches is the identification of criminals. They report difficulties in accessing information and consider the sources incomplete. The most cited barriers are the lack of technological, material, and human resources. To assess the reliability of information, they rely on the origin of the source and cross-referencing of data. Most feed the information systems and declare themselves satisfied with the informational process. The most applied strategies include the use of technology and on-site data collection. The main challenges faced are the lack of training and inter-institutional collaboration. As improvements, they highlight the integration of databases and continuous training. The study identified the information behavior activities of civil police officers in Paraíba, which are influenced by situational, cultural, and organizational demands, and by the need for quick decisions. The importance of information management in the Paraíba Civil Police (PCPB) is highlighted, to address the need for actions to fill information gaps. The thesis demonstrated that, from the perspective of information behavior studies under the Sense Making model, the analysis of situations fosters the development of technical-scientific knowledge in the field of information science, benefiting the construction of contributions to the agencies responsible for public security.