ArticleBMC medical education2026
Barriers and facilitators to dissertation publication among emergency medicine postgraduates in Tanzania: a 12-year analysis.
Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundPostgraduate dissertations offer valuable sources of scientific output given their rigorous development and execution, yet unpublished results may be common. This gap is particularly concerning in sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to describe the frequency of publication, and perceptions of barriers and facilitators to publication of postgraduate dissertations results in peer-reviewed journals.
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey between 1st December, 2025 and 28th February 2026 among graduates of the Emergency Medicine (EM) residency program at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. All eligible EM graduates from 2013 to 2024 were invited to participate. Data were collected using a structured web-based questionnaire administered through Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and distributed via email and a WhatsApp group that is professionally managed by the Emergency Medicine Association of Tanzania and includes all program graduates. Weekly reminders were sent to non-respondents to enhance response rates. The survey collected information on demographics, dissertation publication status, perceived barriers and facilitators to publication, and recommendations for improving dissertation publication. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.
resultsOut of 97 eligible graduates, 69 (71.1%) completed the survey. Respondents reported that most studies used a cohort (n = 31, 45%) or cross-sectional design (n = 25, 36%). 24 (34.8%) of the 69 respondents had published their dissertation in a peer-reviewed journal. Among 24 published dissertations, 17 (70.8%) had been presented in ≥ 1 scientific conference. Among 32 respondents who reported general barriers to publication, the most common barriers were limited time due to clinical duties (n = 19, 59.4%), high publication costs (n = 15, 46.9%), lack of institutional support (n = 15, 46.9%), insufficient research skills training (n = 13, 40.6%), lack of motivation (n = 13, 40.6%) and lack of mentorship (n = 11, 34.4%). Among the 69 respondents, research skills training (n = 61, 88.4%), supportive supervision and mentorship (n = 56, 81.2%), manuscript writing workshops (n = 48, 69.9%), and financial support for publication cost (n = 41, 54.4%) were reported as facilitators for successful publication.
conclusionIn the largest EM residency program in East Africa, approximately one in three postgraduate dissertations are not published in peer-reviewed journals. Addressing barriers to publication may improve the translation of postgraduate research into published evidence and bolster the regional data available in published medical literature.
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