Performance of the public academic library against misinformation in Brazil: analysis of publications in Brapci

Abstract

Information is an essential element in everyday social life since it is produced and widely disseminated through digital information and communication technologies. If, on the one hand, technology has streamlined the processes of accessing and retrieving information, on the other hand, social media has contributed so that false information can circulate more quickly, reaching many people. In this context, the performance of Brazilian public university libraries stands out, through the mediation of information, whose activity is aimed at internal and external users, real and potential, in order to identify false or unreliable information, fighting misinformation. This research has the general objective of mapping the actions to combat disinformation carried out by Brazilian public university libraries. To this end, the following specific objectives were established: a) to characterize the context about disinformation; b) identify and systematize the concepts and definitions related to disinformation. The nature of the research is qualitative, of the bibliographic type. As a data collection procedure, a non-exhaustive literature review was used, in the Reference Database of Journal Articles in Information Science, from 2012 to 2022. As a data analysis procedure, the following were performed: a) analysis of concepts and definitions on the subject; b) identification and characterization of actions to combat disinformation; c) analysis of conditions that encourage the spread of false information or unreliable sources. It is concluded that Brazilian public university libraries act in order to meet the demands arising from teaching, research, and extension. It was evident that the work developed by these information units must transcend institutional limits and strengthen communication with society in general. It is believed that this research encourages the sharing of experiences of information units, with the possibility of influencing libraries and librarians to act more effectively in the fight against disinformation in the country, regardless of the existing social context.