The Most Productive Research Groups of the National Autonomus University of Mexico (UNAM) in the Area of Pysics, 1990-1999

Abstract

IN TODAYS WORLD KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION HAVE BECOME FUNDAMENTAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRIES. CONSEQUENTLY, THE STUDY OF COLLABORATION AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD CONSTITUTE AN ELEMENT OF ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION FOR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS FOR SCIENCE POLICY UNITS ASSOCIATED WITH UNIVERSITIES. BIBLIOMETRICS IS ONE OF THE TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO THE STUDY OF COLLABORATION, WHICH HAS PERMITTED THE IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH GROUPS AND THEIR DYNAMICS OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH MANY STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT ON COLLABORATION, THESE HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY AT MACRO LEVEL; FEW ARE AVAILABLE ON MORE MICRO LEVELS OF ANALYSIS WITHIN UNIVERSITIES. FOR THIS REASON, THE PRESENT PAPER FOCUSES ON THE APPLICATION OF METRIC INDICATORS FOR THE STUDY OF PHYSICS RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO (UNAM) AND ITS CHARACTERISTIC SPECIALISTS GROUPS IN THE DECADE OF THE 90S. IN PARTICULAR, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE RESEARCH GROUPS (GIMP) AND THEIR EVOLUTION ARE EXPLORED. THE RESULTS AND THE METHODOLOGY APPLIED CAN BE EXTRAPOLATED TO OTHER KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND CAN BE USED AS A POINT OF COMPARISON AND EVALUATION FOR OTHER DISCIPLINES AT THE UNAM AND LIKE UNIVERSITIES.