General medicine theses supervised by GPS: new methods for new research topics

Introduction: This paper examines whether the development of general medicine as a specialty in France since the mid-2000s has had an impact on medical theses. It analyses the changes resulting from the discipline's autonomatization process, involving an investment in some human and social science methods. Purpose of research: In a diachronic approach, all dissertations defended in a general medicine department in 1999, 2007 and 2015 were analyzed (N = 291). We performed systematic coding of the types of methods used, the areas of research investigated, as well as the supervisors' areas of specialization. We used this coded data to develop a typology of research topics (using a hierarchic classification method based on the coordinates of a principal component analysis). Results: Over the period understudy, we observed a complexification of medical theses, which increasingly addressed multi-dimensional research topics. We also noted the emergence of new types of subjects, dealing with the exercise of the specialty and close to social science concerns (on the practices and dispositions of healthcare actors). Qualitative methods have been used more and more often, as a result of the increase in the number of theses supervised by GPs. Conclusions: The reform of general medicine has impacted the subjects treated and methods used in theses, and sheds light on the dynamics of the emergence of a new health research field.