A polissemia de conceitos e significados atribuídos ao termo Difusão do Conhecimento nas teses do Programa de Pós-Graduação Multi-institucional em Difusão do Conhecimento (PPGDC)

This research aims to analyze meanings attributed to the term ‘diffusion of knowledge’ based on how they are conceptualized by different authors of theses from the Postgraduate Program in Knowledge Diffusion (PPGDC). This is qualitative, bibliographic and documentary research. Conceptual contributions related to the creation and dissemination of knowledge and progress in science were articulated. We chose to use the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach in the methodology to understand the subtext of the authors' thoughts regarding how they conceptualize and mean the term 'diffusion of knowledge' in their respective theses in the PPGDC. This study and research work was carried out based on reading activities, records, analysis and interpretation of the text of all PPGDC theses available in the repository of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Although there is concern in understanding the polysemy that involves the term knowledge diffusion presented in the various research carried out throughout the existence of the PPGDC, we emphasize that this is not a completely finished study and that it was not our intention to exhaust the subject. Therefore, this article is considered only an initial intellectual effort in search of a better perception of the object of research analysis.