Barriers to participation in medical research from the perspective of researchers

BACKGROUND: The first step toward organizing research activities is to obtain a correct perception of available capabilities. This study was conducted to investigate the researchers’ views about barriers affecting research activities. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using the census method. The population consisted of the faculty members of Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2014. The research tool was a questionnaire in six areas of financial, facility, professional, scientific, personal, and organizational– managerial barriers. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Friedman test. RESULTS: Faculty members confirmed that although all barriers affected research activities, organizational–managerial barriers (3.73 ± 0.63) had the greatest and scientific barriers (3.15 ± 0.93) had the lowest effect, respectively. The results of Friedman test showed that there is a significant difference between the mean values of factors related to various barriers affecting research activities from the viewpoint of the participants’ answers. CONCLUSIONS: Research activities are affected by numerous barriers. Strategies, such as empowering researchers, employing new technologies in the creation of research teams, and benefiting from research experts in various stages of research, may have a positive effect on the removal of the barriers.