Research themes at a glance

In order to identify the subdisciplines of antibiotic resistance research, the Immunology, Inflammation, Infectious disease and Microbiology Multi-Organisation Thematic Institute (ITMO I3M) (Aviesan) and the Department of Programme Evaluation and Monitoring (DESP) (Inserm) have conducted an automated bibliometric analysis of Web of Science data covering all French research teams. This mapping will be updated each year to give an evolving overview of the various research activities.

The analysis has revealed 5,405 publications produced by 289 researchers over the 2013-2019 period, which are represented in graphic form (VOSviewer software).

This bibliometric data analysis summarises the current French research landscape that will form the basis for future research priorities..

Relationship mapping using keywords

This mapping reflects the subdisciplines most studied in France and renowned internationally. The analysis reveals a trend towards five main research themes on antibiotic resistance in France:

  • molecular and cellular mechanisms (red),
  • genome and genetics (light green),
  • bacterial strains including those that are resistant and recommended for study by WHO (blue),
  • treatment in the hospital or community settings (green),
  • pharmacokinetics studies and treatments (mauve).

Click or hover to zoom into part of the map. You can also use the mouse scroll wheel or, if on a touchscreen, spread your fingers to zoom in and out.

Agrandir (zone jaune) Agrandir (zone rouge) Agrandir (zone bleue) Agrandir (zone verte) Agrandir (zone violette)
French mapping of the antibiotic resistance research domains for 2013-2019, based on 5,405 publications produced by 289 researchers. Each keyword is represented by a circle whose size is proportional to the number of times that keyword appears in the titles and/or abstracts of publications. The proximity of the keywords is given by a force of attraction defined by the frequency of their simultaneous occurrence in a publication, making it possible to group them into clusters of different colours. Lines reflect the frequency of the simultaneous citation of two keywords below a frequency threshold that is not as high as that chosen for the circles. Analysis produced by the Inserm Bibliometrics Department.

French collaborations with other countries in Europe and worldwide

Analysis of France’s contribution via its research publication activity over the 2013-2019 period reveals that 43.3% of the publications results from collaborations with other countries in Europe and/or worldwide. There is a particularly strong network of collaboration with the USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland and Spain, and the grouping of several European countries (green cluster) shows that French teams are participating in European consortia.


Click or hover to zoom into part of the map. You can also use the mouse scroll wheel or, if on a touchscreen, spread your fingers to zoom in and out.

Cartographie Française des domaines de Recherche sur l’antibiorésistance

Geographic visualisation of metropolitan French collaborations in the antibiotic resistance domain. Each country is represented by a circle whose size is proportional to the number of publications between the French teams and the teams of that country. The distance between the countries reflects the frequency of joint publications. The shorter the distance, the higher the frequency of joint publications. The countries are grouped into clusters according to the frequency of publications with which their teams are associated. The thickness of the lines reflects the number of publications between two countries. Analyses by Elisabeth Adjadj (DESP) and Évelyne Jouvin-Marche (I3M Thematic Institute).