Effect of attendance at an annual primary care research methods conference on research productivity and development

This study determined whether attendance at a research methods conference is associated with an increase in research productivity in conference participants and identified predictors in participants of postconference productivity measures.

We mailed survey instruments to 423 participants who attended the Primary Care Research Methods and Statistics Conference between 1986 and 1995 to document their professional characteristics, conference attendance, and preconference and postconference research productivity. In addition, respondents were asked to send us their curriculum vitae (CV) and the CV of a colleague with a similar interest in research who had never attended the conference.

A total of 294 participants completed the survey, and 40 of these sent the CV of a colleague. Preconference and postconference changes in research publications and presentations were significant, especially in novice researchers. Regression analyses found that the number of conferences attended predicted postconference publications, presentations, and current research activity. Compared to colleagues who never attended the conference, postconference total publications and presentations were higher in conference participants.

Attendance at a research skills conference was associated with increased postconference research productivity, compared with preconference productivity and that of matched controls.