How to identify research groups using publication analysis: an example in the field of nanotechnology

Summary We present a new bibliometric approach to identify research groups in a particular research field. With a combination of bibliometric mapping techniques and network analysis we identify and classify clusters of authors to represent research groups. In this paper we illustrate the application and potential of this approach and present two types of outcomes: actual research groups and potential research groups. The former enables us to define research groups beyond the organizational structure. The latter may be used to identify potential partners for collaboration. Our approach is a starting point to deal with the complex issue of research groups in a changing structure of scientific research.