Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30005595›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2018

Development of a web-based tool for undergraduate engagement in medical research; the ProjectPal experience.

Timothy M Rawson, Prasanthi Sivakumaran, Rhannon Lobo, Gheed Mahir, Adam Rossiter, Jeremy Levy, Alison H McGregor, Martin Lupton, Graham Easton, Dipender Gill

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Timothy M RawsonImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. timothy.rawson07@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2630-9722
Prasanthi SivakumaranImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Rhannon LoboImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Gheed MahirImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Adam RossiterImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Jeremy LevyImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Alison H McGregorImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Martin LuptonImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Graham EastonImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Dipender GillImperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe report the development and evaluation of a web-based tool designed to facilitate student extra-curricular engagement in medical research through project matching students with academic supervisors. UK based university students were surveyed to explore their perceptions of undergraduate research, barriers and facilitators to current engagement. Following this, an online web-based intervention ( www.ProjectPal.org ) was developed to support access of students to research projects and supervisors. A pilot intervention was undertaken across a London-based university in January 2013 to February 2016. In March 2016, anonymised data were extracted from the prospective data log for analysis of website engagement and usage. Supervisors were surveyed to evaluate the website and student outputs.

resultsFifty-one students responded to the electronic survey. Twenty-four (47%) reported frustration at a perceived lack of opportunities to carry out extra-curricular academic projects. Major barriers to engaging in undergraduate research reported were difficulties in identifying suitable supervisors (33/51; 65%) and time pressures (36/51; 71%) associated with this. Students reported being opportunistic in their engagement with undergraduate research. Following implementation of the website, 438 students signed up to ProjectPal and the website was accessed 1357 times. Access increased on a yearly basis. Overall, 70 projects were advertised by 35 supervisors. There were 86 applications made by students for these projects. By February 2016, the 70 projects had generated 5 peer-review publications with a further 7 manuscripts under peer-review, 14 national presentations, and 1 national prize.

conclusionThe use of an online platform to promote undergraduate engagement with extra-curricular research appears to facilitate extra-curricular engagement with research. Further work to understand the impact compared to normal opportunistic practices in enhancing student engagement is now underway.

Indexed as

Education, Medical, UndergraduateMentorsPeer Review, ResearchSurveys and QuestionnairesAwards and PrizesBiomedical ResearchCareer ChoiceFemaleHumansInternetLondonMaleProgram DevelopmentProspective StudiesStudents, MedicalTime FactorsAcademic skillsMedical researchUndergraduate engagementUndergraduate medical researchWeb-based interventions

Identifiers

PMID30005595
PMCPMC6044023

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.