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From master’s thesis to research publication : a mixed-methods study of medical student publishing and experiences with the publishing process

Björklund, Maria LU orcid ; Massoumi, Ramin LU and Ohlsson, Bodil LU (2024) In BMC Medical Education 24(1).
Abstract

Background: Medical student master’s theses are often carried out as research projects, and some are published as research papers in journals. We investigated the percentage of master’s theses conducted by 5th -year students at the Medical Degree Program at Lund University, Sweden, that subsequently served as the basis for research publications. In addition, we explored both student and supervisor experiences with the publishing process. Methods: A cohort of four semesters of student data covering the period from 2019 to 2020 (n = 446) was searched in PubMed, Embase and the Web of Science to assess whether they had been published as research papers. Surveys were sent to students (n = 121) and supervisors (n = 77) to explore their... (More)

Background: Medical student master’s theses are often carried out as research projects, and some are published as research papers in journals. We investigated the percentage of master’s theses conducted by 5th -year students at the Medical Degree Program at Lund University, Sweden, that subsequently served as the basis for research publications. In addition, we explored both student and supervisor experiences with the publishing process. Methods: A cohort of four semesters of student data covering the period from 2019 to 2020 (n = 446) was searched in PubMed, Embase and the Web of Science to assess whether they had been published as research papers. Surveys were sent to students (n = 121) and supervisors (n = 77) to explore their experiences with the publishing process. Results: We found that 33% (149 of 446) of the students in the 2019–2020 cohort subsequently published their theses, and 50% of these students were listed as first authors. Most students published original research. Students (n = 21) and supervisors (n = 44) reported that the publishing process was time-consuming and that students needed multilevel support from supervisors to achieve successful publication. The publishing process was reported by 79% of the students to have led to additional learning. Most of the papers (126 of 149, 85%) had a clinical or patient-oriented focus. Conclusion: A high percentage of the student publications in which students are listed as first authors require engagement from both students and supervisors. Supervisors play an essential role in supporting students in a successful publication process. Most of the published papers were either clinical or patient-oriented research.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Learning experience, Master’s theses, Publication process, Research publications, Student performance, Student publishing, Supervisors
in
BMC Medical Education
volume
24
issue
1
article number
75
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:38245755
  • scopus:85182698790
ISSN
1472-6920
DOI
10.1186/s12909-024-05060-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b42077d3-9dd5-41d1-a06c-0a7ac0273758
date added to LUP
2024-03-01 15:33:59
date last changed
2024-04-15 03:41:48
@article{b42077d3-9dd5-41d1-a06c-0a7ac0273758,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Medical student master’s theses are often carried out as research projects, and some are published as research papers in journals. We investigated the percentage of master’s theses conducted by 5th -year students at the Medical Degree Program at Lund University, Sweden, that subsequently served as the basis for research publications. In addition, we explored both student and supervisor experiences with the publishing process. Methods: A cohort of four semesters of student data covering the period from 2019 to 2020 (n = 446) was searched in PubMed, Embase and the Web of Science to assess whether they had been published as research papers. Surveys were sent to students (n = 121) and supervisors (n = 77) to explore their experiences with the publishing process. Results: We found that 33% (149 of 446) of the students in the 2019–2020 cohort subsequently published their theses, and 50% of these students were listed as first authors. Most students published original research. Students (n = 21) and supervisors (n = 44) reported that the publishing process was time-consuming and that students needed multilevel support from supervisors to achieve successful publication. The publishing process was reported by 79% of the students to have led to additional learning. Most of the papers (126 of 149, 85%) had a clinical or patient-oriented focus. Conclusion: A high percentage of the student publications in which students are listed as first authors require engagement from both students and supervisors. Supervisors play an essential role in supporting students in a successful publication process. Most of the published papers were either clinical or patient-oriented research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Björklund, Maria and Massoumi, Ramin and Ohlsson, Bodil}},
  issn         = {{1472-6920}},
  keywords     = {{Learning experience; Master’s theses; Publication process; Research publications; Student performance; Student publishing; Supervisors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Medical Education}},
  title        = {{From master’s thesis to research publication : a mixed-methods study of medical student publishing and experiences with the publishing process}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05060-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12909-024-05060-7}},
  volume       = {{24}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}