Development of an Accreditation System for Evaluating Biomedical Scientific Associations Through a Participatory Process in Iran

Background: Accreditation is used to monitor, guide, examine, and assure the quality of higher education. There is no formal evaluation system to ensure the quality and quantity of scientific associations’ activities. So this study aimed to develop and implement a national accreditation system to be applied for biomedical scientific associations through a participatory process among stakeholders. Methods: Consensus development techniques, i.e., focus group and Delphi methods, were used to design the accreditation system. An expert committee, set up at the recognized accreditation body, devised the accreditation structure, procedure, and permit rules using the focus group technique. Then, we prepared the standards draft which was further modified in an expert panel in focus group sessions and finalized among the stakeholders through the Delphi technique. Finally, the procedure was performed for 66 associations. Results: The accreditation structure, procedure, and standards were determined and legitimized. Standards included 20 ones in four domains of educational activities (3 standards), research affairs (2 standards), cross-sector collaborations (2 standards), and organization and equipment (13 standards). Among 66 associations, 16 and 12 were approved and conditionally approved respectively. Conclusion: In spite of associations’ influential academic and social activities, no study was found in regards to their accreditation. Standards devised in this research can be employed by scientific associations for developing their plans and enhancing their performance. This experience can be adopted for accrediting not only scientific associations but also any other academic institutions, especially non-student training ones.