Educational research groups: Toward a multi reference perspective typology based on representative cases

Abstract

In Latin America, education research groups are both an actor and an object of study in search of greater recognition. Each group builds its academic identity with an eye to achieving cohesion and a sense of belonging, as well as to delimit its area and alliances within possible research fields. This identity is reflected in the groups’ names and research areas. In this article, I propose a typology for education research groups that allows for a multiple classification in relation to: academic disciplines, cross-disciplinary issues, subjects and environments. For this purpose, I selected representative research groups from top Brazilian universities. The article concludes with a discussion of possible ways to frame these groups from a multi reference perspective.