[Relationship of methodology workshops with research productivity - knowledge of research methodology among the Tehran University clinical faculty]

ABSTRACT

To determine the level of knowledge in methodology among clinical faculty and to explore the association between attending to courses on statistics and methodology, the knowledge of the clinical faculty, and the number of research papers published by them at the School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. We conducted a survey on a random sample of one hundred clinical faculty members. A questionnaire of 20 items was used to assess knowledge. Thirty percent [95% CI 21-39%] of the faculty surveyed had a fair to satisfactory knowledge of the field. The proportion of fair to satisfactory level of knowledge was 41% among the educated faculty and 21% among those who did not attend a course on the subject [P value 0.043]. Mean difference in the number of published papers between the two groups was 3 [P value 0.057]. Considering the plausibility of a causal relation between attending to courses on statistics and methodology and knowledge and research productivity, and the general unsatisfactory level of knowledge on the subject, continuing delivery of such courses is recommended