Introduction:

Training of human resources skilled in the use of information and communications technologies is an important task, particularly in medical sciences studies, which are under permanent updating.

Objective:

Identify the use that dental students make of social networks and scientific information resources.

Methods:

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted of 65 students by means of an anonymous validated self-applied questionnaire. The main variable analyzed was the use of social networks and information resources. A definition was achieved for frequent use of the information source and whether it was accessed at least once a week. The remaining options were viewed as infrequent use. Other socioeducational variables of interest were also studied.

Results:

Total participants were 65 students, with a predominance of the female sex. Google and SciELO were the best known information resources. Of the students surveyed, 89.23% had a profile on the social network Facebook. Of these, 62.07% use it to conduct some sort of academic activity and only 12.07% perceive it as a source of leisure. Ten students (15.38%) reported awareness of the pirate website Sci-Hub. Availability of modern computers, Wi-fi technology and a virtual library at universities was significantly associated to access to many of the information resources studied.

Conclusions:

There is considerable unawareness of most of the search engines evaluated. Google and SciELO were the information resources consulted at least once a week. The presence of certain logistic conditions at universities was significantly associated to access to many of the databases evaluated.

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