The construction of knowledge in the information science area in Brazil: an analysis based in published articles of the area

Abstract

This research has mapped the cognitive networks in the Information Science area in Brazil, based on an analysis of the citations present in published articles of the main journals of that area during the period between 2001 and 2005. It is a documental research. The defined corpus of analysis consists on scientific articles published in the main Brazilian journals of the studied area. It is observed that: 295 authors published 161 scientific texts; the most productive group is formed by authors who are usually connected to universities and post graduation programmes in the area; according to the taxonomy adopted, the most incident thematic in the studied articles is that of Communication, Divulgation and Editorial Production; the articles in periodic journals and books are the most present type and the areas that most influence theoretically the construction of knowledge in the Information Science field are Biblioteconomics, Administration and Sociology; the most influent authors in the area are, mainly, researchers in the field, in Brazil; the study has identified the six research fronts, each of them related to a studied theme in the Information Science. It has been concluded that the Brazilian Information Science is influenced by a group of researchers who work at universities and, in a certain way, establishes the thematic directions of the area, which interferes in the relations that this science establishes for the development of researches and studies, and consequently, being responsible for the disciplinary and interdisciplinary development of this science in the country.