Where do we go from here? Mapping the research of ERNAPE using scientometrics

This paper uses bibliometric methods and indexes to assess the scientific production of ERNAPE network in a quantitative/qualitative way. Data were collected from all abstracts stored in ERNAPE’s archive in the period from 1996 to 2007 (N=343). A twofold strategy was used to analyse data: (1) using quantitative analysis changes in the pattern of authorship and co-authorship over time are outlined and (2) using qualitative analysis authors investigate how emphasis in different aspects of the field of parents in education has evolved among different countries of the network. To this end, standard bibliometric indicators (number of papers, number of authors, collaborative coefficient) and textual analysis (correspondence analysis of occurrences) have been combined to identify the stateof-the-art of ERNAPE’s activity. Quantitative results indicate a trend of growth in the number of multi-authored researches, thus showing how scientific production has evolved towards more collaborative efforts in research. Evidences from Correspondence Analysis highlight how topics and keywords used by researchers reflect their cultural traditions and their representation of parental roles in education. For example, in Mediterranean countries researches are mainly focused on “family”, while in Nordic Countries “civil” reasons for the home-school relationship are emphasized.