The academic production in physiotherapy: a study of theses from the epistemological assumptions of Fleck

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the production of academic theses published in physiotherapy at Capes thesis' database. The abstracts that related to physical therapy were selected and listed. 85 theses were selected in a universe of 135 in the database during the years 1987 to 2009. The study was directed by Fleck's epistemological assumptions, specifically the categories of thought style, collective thinking, and intra-collective movement of thought. Data was analyzed through a summary table containing the following information: title, year of defense, author, keywords, supervisor, the institution in which the work was developed, thematic investigation and the search mode. The themes found indicate that it is possible that two styles of thought guide the research in physical therapy. The first style of thinking is related to physiotherapy assessment, epidemiology, and physical therapy treatment. This style is changing and brings together a set of researches that focus on what we call empiricist-epistemological aspects, which are investigated in a disconnected manner from broader social dynamics. The second style of thinking is related to health education, health promotion, professional training and ethics. This style is in the process of development and prioritizes issues emanating from the epistemological realism, tapers strongly with the constructivist model, is strongly related to socio-historical context. The course of thesis' themes seems procedural, where old research questions are giving way to new questions.