The impact of the research methods support structure on research capacity in rural New South Wales

This paper evaluates a Research Methods Support Structure (RMSS) to foster research capacity in the New England region of rural New South Wales.

A quasi-experimental design with a historical control for comparing changes in the number of research submissions and research approval rates since the RMSS inception in July 1998 until December 2004.

Comparing the two reporting periods, the total number of research submissions increased from 58 to 197, or 9 per year to 30 per year (odds ratio [OR], 3.33; 95% CI, 1.15-9.90; chi2 = 5.06; P = 0.02); and the total number of ethics approvals increased from 33 to 145, or 5 per year to 22 per year (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.10-4.06; chi2 = 5.17; P = 0.02). Submissions were 2.11 times more likely to receive ethics approval after the inception of the RMSS, with an increase in overall approval rates from 57% to 74%. Locally based rural researchers were 4.89 times more likely to have their submitted research ultimately approved after the inception of the research methods support structure (OR, 4.89; 95% CI, 2.11-11.41; chi2 = 16.06; P < 0.001).

This evaluation supports an expansion of research methods support structures to increase research capacity in rural Australia.