PURPOSE: to describe the international scientific literature on stuttering published between 2005 and 2010. METHOD: selection and analysis of online, peer reviewed publications. The organized data highlighted the following characteristics: 1) number of publications per period; 2) addressed themes; 3) epistemological affiliation of contributors; 4) methodological procedures, and 5) age group of the subjects studied. RESULTS: 339 articles found in 76 journals were analyzed. The Journal of Fluency Disorders was the most frequent contributor (94;27.73%). Two themes stood out: Characteristics of Stuttering, with 150(44.25%) articles, and Treatment of Stuttering, with 106(31.27%) articles. The research method most used was Survey (157; 46.31%). The majority of research featured the Positivist (324;95.57%) paradigm. The most studied age group was Adult (174;45.31%). CONCLUSION: there is a discreet growth in studies about stuttering, mostly featuring the positivistic approach. A significant development within the Positivistic studies is the emergence of studies that frame qualitative data in a quantitative mode, supporting the view of stuttering as a multifactorial phenomenon. Many studies have further refined the identification of aspects present in stuttering by distinguishing factors viewed simply as characteristic of stuttering from those viewed as possibly causative. Altogether, these findings endorse stuttering as a complex subject which poses a challenge to scientists, calling for new epistemological approaches in order to unveil these newly identified distinctions. There is need for more research on stuttering for preventive health and wellness promotion, as well as studies using Clinical Case Study as method of investigation, and also studies focused on adolescents.
Stuttering; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Scientific Publication Indicators
