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How much doctoral research on clinical topics is published?
1Department of Public Health, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. wcaan@rsph.org.uk
Evidence-Based Medicine
|February 21, 2012
Summary
Nearly half of clinical research from doctoral programs remains unpublished. Encouraging early publication during doctoral studies can improve knowledge sharing and evidence-based medicine.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Higher Education
- Scientific Publication
Background:
- Doctoral programs represent a significant investment in research training.
- The publication of research findings is crucial for scientific advancement and evidence-based medicine.
- A substantial portion of doctoral research may not be published, leading to a loss of valuable data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the rate of unpublished clinical research from doctoral degree programs.
- To identify potential differences in publication rates between researchers and institutions.
- To explore factors influencing the publication of doctoral research.
Main Methods:
- A secondary research approach was employed, analyzing publicly available data.
- UK doctoral theses in healthcare from 2000-2010 were identified using the Index to Theses.
- Publications related to these theses were traced in the Web of Knowledge and SCOPUS databases.
Main Results:
- Out of 82 doctoral research samples, 47.6% (39 theses) had no discernible publications.
- Researchers who published typically did so an average of 1.3 years before their degree award.
- All 11 Medical Doctor (MD) theses in the sample were associated with publications (100%).
Conclusions:
- A significant amount of doctoral clinical research remains unpublished, representing a loss of scientific evidence.
- Supporting doctoral candidates in publishing their work during their programs is a potential solution.
- Maximizing the dissemination of doctoral research is essential for advancing evidence-based medicine.
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