The article results in a first approach to the state-of-the-art research in nursing in Brazil. It is part of a research that will analyze other two indexed periodicals. It is based on 250 summaries and footnotes of Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem REBEn (Brazilian Periodical of Nursing) in the last five years, beginning in 1997. The information was segmented and distributed into tables. Our tentative conclusion is that there was a predominance of research articles with certain homogeneity on the themes covered, a tendency toward collective production, predominance of the public universities in the production of knowledge, as well as public organs in the financing of the studies. In our evaluation, REBEn has become an important means of socialization of knowledge production in nursing.
nursing; research; scientific production
