Abstract
The concept of network and networking has become very popular, even though despite its deep historical roots, the social phenomenon of networking has only been identified and examined in recent decades. Meanwhile, advances in information technology have made it possible for networks to be enlarged in space and accelerated in time.
Networking as an activity encouraging the sharing of knowledge and cooperation has become the subject of theories and research, including networks in scientific communities. The article introduces the subject of networking in the field of educational research, where it is still somewhat neglected in the Czech environment.
The author explains two main theories, the relational sociological and the actor network theory, and shows how these make it possible to analyse heterogenic networks with different units and signs, strong and weak knots and connectivity in different contexts. Attention is then devoted to examples of real existing networks of different types in the educational research community, particularly the Czech Association of Educational Research.
The possibilities and limits of use of this network for informal evaluation and coordination of the education research are reconsidered and challenged.