The Research Groups In Colombia Their Practices, Recognition And Legitimacy

Research groups form the basis of the Colombian Science, Technology and Innovation System. This chapter presents a historical account of research groups, Colciencias policies for fostering these organizational units and the way they have been legitimized in the institutional setting of the country. The reader will find the consolidated result of an investigation that the authors have been developing on the state and dynamics of research groups in Colombia.This chapter contributes to debates on the impact of policies for scientific collaboration and organization of research groups. The authors use a theoretical framework to analyze legitimacy, which is one of the most important issues in institutional analysis. The study is based on documentary research, review of the literature and interviews with key policy-makers.