Factores que inciden en el desempeño de los grupos de investigación: Tres casos de estudio de la Universidad de Sonora

This article presents the results of a broader study of factors associated with the performance of research groups at Universidad de Sonora. The principal theoretical approaches arise from the sociology of science, the sociology of universities, and the interdisciplinary theories of small groups. The methodology employed was of a qualitative type, by means of in-depth interviews with members of select groups; states of development, patterns of interaction, organizational structure, and strategies of group action were documented. The documentary sources were institutional materials that served to describe the context and characteristics of research groups. The results permit understanding how the interrelation of intrinsic processes and extrinsic conditions influence the operating dynamics of scientific groups.