Produção de conhecimento sobre o envelhecimento humano : grupo de pesquisa no estado do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The production of Knowledge about the human aging establishes a recently influenced process by the academic population. Thus, the research groups interested in this thematic seeking to the future prospects of the elderly. Depending on this perspective, their actions may have different influences for this population as well as for professionals working with this population and for society as a whole. In this regard, this paper aims to investigate the scientific research on Human Aging in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, from sources that relate researchers who constitute the Directory of Research Groups in Brazil (2011) of the Scientific and Technological Development National Council (CNPq). The path chosen for the identification of research groups is to analyze all the groups studying the process of human aging in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and the demand in the database was given by keywords correlated with this process. Thus, we identified 61 groups, 111 research lines, and 270 researchers. Been identified yet, the major areas and areas of knowledge where these groups are included; the period of its creation; its institutional distribution; the main topics discussed by the researchers and the tendencies in research about human aging in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The results suggest a high incidence of research groups since 1990, basically, located in the cities of Porto Alegre and Passo Fundo. This fact may be coherent with the graduate programs in these two cities allocate. Currently, the work produced by researchers covers a wide range of topics, about the vision, sometimes simultaneously, in many areas of science. These themes have been studied by research groups very heterogeneous as to the titration of its researchers. However, there are still researchers who produce an addicted / repetitive science focusing on the same aspects in the elderly as institutionalization and the limiting factors faced in old age. Certainly to characterize itself as a new science, many groups leaders still have an academic path ahead. It was also observed that the study of human aging still needs to join forces to conquer a space in the area of knowledge in the CNPq