Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39915773›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

Barriers faced by undergraduate dental students when conducting research: a qualitative study.

Mohammed Mahmoud Sarhan, Lama Nasser Aljohani, Raghad Ibrahim Alsaleh, Roze Abdulaziz Mubaraki, Malak Abdulaziz Almozaen, Rimas Sabih Alharbi

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Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

6 authors.

Mohammed Mahmoud SarhanDepartment of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Al- Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia. msarhan@taibahu.edu.sa.
Lama Nasser AljohaniCollege of Dentistry and Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia.
Raghad Ibrahim AlsalehCollege of Dentistry and Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia.
Roze Abdulaziz MubarakiCollege of Dentistry and Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia.
Malak Abdulaziz AlmozaenCollege of Dentistry and Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia.
Rimas Sabih AlharbiCollege of Dentistry and Hospital, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, 42353, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundResearch is an important part of dental education. While several quantitative studies have examined the barriers that undergraduate dental students face when conducting research, qualitative studies exploring the details and contexts of these barriers are rare. To bridge this gap, this research qualitatively explores the barriers faced by undergraduate dental students when conducting research.

methodsThe present qualitative study employs what is known as the "performative knowledge strategy." The 14 study participants were dental trainees included 10 undergraduate students and 4 interns who participated in research projects that were not part of their mandatory curriulum requirements. Diaries and semi-structured virtual (online) interviews were used to collect the data. Finally, using an inductive strategy, a thematic analytical approach was conducted to analyze the data.

resultsSix key themes emerged from the data analysis. The themes of "inadequate knowledge," "time constraints" and "lack of resources" confirm and align with the findings of previous studies, while the themes "misaligned schedules," "delayed response" and "lack of orientation" represent new insights into the barriers to research faced by undergraduate dental students.

conclusionThis study identified six factors that posed substantial barriers to research by undergraduate dental students. Analysis of these barriers can lead to the design and implementation of strategies to enhance and improve research experience. Additional qualitative research in this area would help to reveal further details of the barriers to research, while additional quantitative studies are required to assess the frequency and trends of the newly revealed barriers. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Dental ResearchEducation, DentalStudents, DentalAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleQualitative ResearchBarrierDental educationQualitative researchResearchUndergraduate dentistry

Identifiers

PMID39915773
PMCPMC11804027

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.