This paper examines the representation of rural education research orientations--defined in terms of methodological approach, academic focus and place-consciousness--within the literature and across academic disciplines. A content analysis of 155 abstracts from articles published in the Journal of Research in Rural Education and Rural Sociology between 1997 and 2008 reveals that most rural education research is not quantitative, not academically-oriented and not place-conscious. Furthermore, the abstracts show that Rural Educators are underrepresented in academically-oriented research while Rural Social Scientists are overrepresented in that dimension. The implications of these findings for collaboration are discussed and a policy-relevant, innovative, transdisciplinary research agenda is outlined. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)