My research interests lie at the intersection of political science, the sociology of science, and the history of ideas. I am interested in the relationship between knowledge and power and, more specifically, my research has involved different lines of inquiry:

(1) Social sciences and international politics 

Over the course of my doctoral and post-doctoral research, I have sought to explore the relationship between politics and the development of the social sciences in Europe. My Ph.D. thesis ‘The Internationalisation of Political Science – a Comparison of the British and French cases (1945-2010)’ used a mixed-methods, comparative research design to show how political contexts and actors shaped the development and internationalisation of the discipline of political science during, and after the Cold War. It especially payed attention to the way in which international organisations and transnational actors (such as Unesco, philanthropic foundations and the European Union) played a decisive part in the history of political science by promoting the transnational diffusion of paradigms and methods that were originally developed in the United States, such as behaviouralism and some statistical techniques. The thesis also compared the evolution of political science in France and the UK, with an emphasis on how higher education policies shaped the internationalisation of the discipline, and the careers of its professionals.

After my Ph.D., I broadened my PhD results by comparing the development of political science to that of other social science disciplines (sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology). I notably showed that, as in the case of political science, the Cold War and post-Cold War contexts played a significant part in shaping the development of these disciplines and in strengthening certain paradigms and methods.

(2) Scientific misconduct, research integrity policies, and academic freedom

I am currently exploring another aspect of the relationship between science and politics, by studying scientific misconduct, and attempts to regulate it. Through observations of conferences labelled as predatory and interviews with participants,  I have analysed the rationales for participating in such events, and showed that the boundary between these conferences and more conventional ones is not clear cut. I am also gathering data on the national and university-level attempts to prevent scientific misconduct and monitor the honesty of scientists, through the deployment of research integrity policies. I am interested in debates about the extent to which research practices should be monitored and regulated, and how this relates to academic freedom, and to the politics of truth and knowledge claims. I focus on the French and British cases, with attention to the transnational circulation of ideas and policy instruments.

(3) The political opinion and behaviour of scientists

I also have a couple of side interests. As part of a collective project on the French 2012 presidential and legislative elections, I undertook a study of the political preferences and behaviour of academics before, during, and after those elections. This survey relied on qualitative data drawn from repeated in-depth interviews with a panel of voters of various social origins. I especially showed that the specialised knowledge accumulated by scholars in the course of their scientific career has consequences for the way in which they see the world and make up their mind about political issues and candidates.

(4) Military careers

Stepping aside of my interest in sciences and academia, I also deepened my understanding of the internationalisation of professions by looking at the way in which the development of international security settings (linked to NATO and the European Common Security and Defence Policy) has led to an increasing internationalisation of military careers. I used biographical interviews with French military officers to highlight the professional valuation or devaluation of international resources, in the various branches and stages of careers. 

I published my results in several outlets. My research also led me to become involved in several networks and research ventures.