Using education indexes to map research trends

This paper primarily examines the potential of the Australian Education Ind ex (AEI) as a tool to map and monitor educational research. The authors pro vide a range of analyses that identify the thrust of research publications in Australia between 1984 and 1997. Key findings pertain to differences in the thrust of theses compared to other publications and to the overall stab ility in the pattern of research at the global or macro level. The authors also identify the strengths and weaknesses of the AEI with respect to its i mmediate use in monitoring research trends.