This article begins with some reflections on the notion of genre asused in discourse analysis and aims to make a distinction between two types of
genre – conversational genres and instituted genres. Varying levels can be
distinguished in the range of instituted genres: from genres deprived of any
authorship to genres in which a single author partly defines the frame of the
communicative event. However, this article deals mainly with a genre-based
analysis of an instituted genre, a report on the thesis defence meeting
(soutenance de thèse), as practised in French academic institutions. This
genre is interesting for discourse analysts, not only because it is closely
linked to scientific research communities, but also because it implies an
original configuration of authorship and triggers indirect interpretation
strategies.