Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators: Human Interaction in Research Groups

This paper discusses the importance of Science Technology and Innovation (ST&I) for the development of countries, as well the indicators used in the several activities that is involved in this system, with the presentation of the indicators employed nowadays to measure the scientific and technological effort in Brazil’s social and economical development. In addition to that, it also takes into consideration research groups within the context of these indicators, highlighting the importance of considering human interactions as a social phenomenon for the scientific development, technological progress and the introduction of innovations. The results demonstrate that the indicators presently used are incapable of providing a clear picture of Brazilian ST&I present situation in its thorough extension and complexity, and that human interactions in research groups could constitute a variable in the composition of scientific and technological activities indicators available today.