Doctoral Students’ Competences of Using Online Resources for Research Purposes in Network Society

AbstractUsage of online resources has become a necessity in the daily lives of students, academics, researchers, teachers and all others who have grasped the potential of the virtual environment. The present study aims to appraise doctoral students’ competences, knowledge and skills of using contemporary information technologies and online resources for research purposes. Findings from a survey of 93 doctoral students and degree candidates suggest that procurement of quantitative information for research purposes from online resources tends to be viewed as a theoretical possibility rather than an established practice. Doctoral students appear to lack essential knowledge, skills, awareness and competence to make use of online facilities for dissemination of their research results or for active participation in professional online communities