This is a documental, descriptive investigation which sought to describe the profile of research groups registered in the Brazilian National Council of Scientific and Technological Development, which works with the social support network theme. Data was collected from The Directory of Research Groups in Brazil (Diretório dos Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil) in the second semester of 2009, identifying 20 groups, 22 research lines, and 139 researchers. The results demonstrate a diversified number of groups in relation to these areas of knowledge: Health Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, Human Sciences, and Exact Sciences; irregular group distribution in particular regions of the country; and as a decrease in the publication production over the four past years. The conceptual amplitude found in this study expresses the possibilities that the report and network research provide.
Research groups; Social support; Nursing research; Community network
