Distance education in academic research: a bibliometric analysis of theses in the educational field

This article presents an analysis of the relationships between the topics "Research" and "Distance Education" (DE), aiming to identify the links between the research agenda on DE and the evolution of the area. Distance education has become a fertile ground for investigations, especially after its recent expansion, boosted by the development of digital information and communication technologies. Thus, a bibliometric analysis on scientific production (doctoral theses in Education), cataloged by the Grupo Horizonte (UFSCar) was performed. 83 theses on DE were identified and analyzed in detail. The data showed that the approach between DE and research is still shy, but there were indications that even concerning DE, the research agenda is articulated with the evolution of its own study area. It was observed that the amount of studies on distance education has increased in recent years, in line with the recent expansion of distance education, indicating the redefinition or emergence of a more mature investigative field. However, we still lack denser studies on many aspects of distance education.

Distance Education; research; bibliometrics; teacher training; Post-Graduation Program on Education (PPGE)