Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study

To evaluate the knowledge and experiences of undergraduate dental students and interns toward research at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted by using a self-explanatory questionnaire consisting of 14 questions and was mailed as Google e-forms.

The response rate for the survey was 72.1%. A vast majority (97.5%) considered conducting research very important and agreed that research learning constituted a part of their dental curriculum. A significant fraction of the population (73.8%) did not conduct any research during their undergraduate course, and the majority (75.5%) agreed that they enjoyed doing research. Disappointingly, a very small fraction of the study participants (8.9%) had knowledge about scientific manuscript writing. The majority (89.6%) interestingly stated that they would undertake research in the future.

The findings of this study demonstrated that dental students at the University of Jazan exhibited a high level of interest and knowledge in the realm of research. Despite the recognition of research's significance in education, the study revealed that a relatively small proportion of students actually engaged in research activities. To foster a favorable attitude toward scientific research among undergraduate students, it is crucial to cultivate critical thinking and reasoning skills.

Vishwanathaiah S, Maganur PC, Alali MA, et al. Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(6):824-828.