Evaluation of a certifying training experience in research methodology and scientific writing at the Faculty of Medicine of Bejaia (Algeria)

Abstract

Introduction: A Certificate of Specialization (C2S) in research methodology and scientific communication was established at the Faculty of Medicine of Bejaia (Algeria), for the benefit of university hospital teachers, in 2018. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a clinical certifying-research training program on the acquisition of fundamental knowledge for the conduct of health research projects in its three conceptual, operational and editorial phases.
Methods: This training took place during three face-to-face seminars (a total of 12 teaching days), in the form of lectures and workshops by eight lecturers, with a final exam and a thesis dissertation project. The data were collected through Pre- and post-tests which were distributed before and after each seminar while the questionnaire was administered by the end of the training in order to assess the whole course of this training. The knowledge assessment grids were composed of 20 items for each of the first two seminars and 12 items for the third seminar. According to the categories of the Likert scale, these items were weighted from 1 to 5 points, an overall score for the 52 items of 260 points.
Results: A total of 38 candidates (selected from 140 applications) attended this training with an overall presenteeism rate of 93%. The differential scores ("pre-test" and "post-test") of progression of knowledge were successively 60%, 49% and 42% in the three seminars. Out of a total of 260 points, the overall learning score of all three seminars increased from an average of 119 points ± 8.66 to 180 points ± 15.87 (p <10-7), with a differential score of 51.6%.
Conclusion: The evaluation of the C2S clinical research program of the Bejaia Faculty of Medicine documented the significant evolution of knowledge of research methodology and scientific writing tools. The continuity of this training and its generalization to the Maghreb faculties of health sciences are highly recommended, for the improvement of scientific production in Algeria and the Great Maghreb.