Perceptions, attitudes, and barriers to research engagement among general medicine undergraduates in a tertiary hospital in Guangdong, China

Abstract

Background: Research is a critical component of medical education, fostering critical thinking and evidence-based practice. However, in China, particularly in the context of general practice, undergraduate medical students often face significant barriers to engaging in research. This study aims to assess the perception, attitude, and practice toward research among undergraduate medical students in a tertiary hospital in Guangdong, China, and to identify the barriers they face.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 90 undergraduate medical students from a tertiary hospital in Guangdong, China, from May to June 2024. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on students' perception, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers toward research.

Results: The majority of students (46.6%) expressed a strong desire to pursue postgraduate studies, while only 25.5% showed a strong interest in participating in research. Key barriers included lack of time (65.5%), insufficient research guidance (56.6%), and limited access to resources (47.8%). Students' self-assessment of their research abilities was generally low, with only 9.5% feeling confident in their ability to handle data. Positive correlations were found between access to research guidance and interest in scientific literature (r = 0.62, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study identifies key areas for improving research training among undergraduate medical students, particularly in general practice programs. It suggests that standardized curricula, enhanced mentorship, and hospital-university research platforms may help address existing gaps. Given the study's limited sample and setting, further research is needed to confirm these findings in broader contexts.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Keywords: Barrier factors; Medical undergraduate medical students; Research attitude; Research perception; Research practice.

Fig. 1

Expectations for Learning Scientific Research-related Content. The figure illustrates students’ expectations across various research-related learning areas, categorized into five levels: Very Consistent, Consistent, Average, Inconsistent, and Very Inconsistent. Percentages for each category are displayed for topics such as Tutor Guidance, Seminar-type Academic Lectures, and Scientific Research Participation

Fig. 2

Awareness of scientific research. This figure illustrates medical students’ awareness of scientific research across four key areas: research participation status and limiting factors, research experience, literature reading habits, and data processing skills. Categories are color-coded for clarity, showing the number of students involved in research, their preferred literature sources, and their proficiency in data analysis tools. CNKI, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database

Fig. 3

Self-evaluation of scientific research abilities. This 3D bar chart displays the self-assessment of ten scientific research abilities (I-X) across five evaluation levels: A (Very Inconsistent), B (Inconsistent), C (Average), D (Consistent), and E (Very Consistent). Abilities include identifying research-worthy questions (I), retrieving literature (II), proposing hypotheses (III), selecting methods (IV), completing tasks (V), collecting data (VI), writing theses (VII), drawing conclusions (VIII), processing data (IX), and understanding content (X). The chart shows the number of students at each level for each ability

Fig. 4

Satisfaction levels with environmental factors. This bar chart illustrates the satisfaction levels of medical undergraduates with four key environmental factors influencing their research engagement: willingness to share difficulties, interest in literature, peer enthusiasm, and research guidance. Satisfaction is categorized into five levels: Very dissatisfied, Dissatisfied, Neutral, Satisfied, and Very satisfied. The chart shows the count of students for each satisfaction level across the four factors

Fig. 5

Suggestions for Cultivating Scientific Research Abilities. This radar chart outlines the key suggestions from medical undergraduates aimed at enhancing their basic scientific research skills. The recommendations include: (A) providing opportunities to join research groups (76.67%), (B) organizing innovation and entrepreneurship activities (54.44%), (C) reducing barriers to access supervisors (73.33%), (D) increasing academic lectures or activities (56.67%), and (E) studying basic medical practice courses (57.78%). Each axis represents a suggestion, with the length indicating the percentage of students in support

Fig. 6

Pearson Correlation Analysis of Factors Influencing Students’ Research Attitudes and Abilities. This heatmap visualizes the correlation coefficients derived from Pearson correlation analysis among various factors influencing medical students’ research-related attitudes and abilities. Factors assessed include desire to participate in research, need for specific research skills, awareness of research, interest in scientific literature, research guidance, enthusiasm for research among peers, willingness to share academic difficulties, ability to handle research data, desire to pursue graduate studies, and desire to improve research skills. Correlation coefficients are represented by color intensity, with darker red indicating stronger positive correlations