Exploring the Impact of ResearchEazy, an Online Research Series for Medical Students: The Longitudinal Impact of Perspectives and Knowledge of Research

Exploring the Impact of ResearchEazy, an Online Research Series for Medical Students: The Longitudinal Impact of Perspectives and Knowledge of Research | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exploring the Impact of ResearchEazy, an Online Research Series for Medical Students: The Longitudinal Impact of Perspectives and Knowledge of Research Yew Ern Au, Ravanth Baskaran, Jojo Yijiao Li, Shivani Shukla, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8150678/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The ability to appraise and apply research is fundamental to the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Despite the General Medical Council’s (GMC) mandate for United Kingdom (UK) medical graduates to integrate research with patient care, many medical students report insufficient teaching in research methodology within the curriculum. To address this gap, we developed a 14-part international webinar series that combines near-peer and clinician-led teaching to enhance participants’ confidence and knowledge in research methodology. Methods Academic clinicians delivered 14 research skills sessions. Participants rated their confidence on a 5-point Likert scale before and after the course. Knowledge was assessed with a 40-question pre-series quiz and a 60-question post-series quiz; data were paired using Self-Generated Identification Codes (SGIC). A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with Bonferroni correction analysed confidence changes, while Friedman’s and Dunn’s tests analysed quiz results. Results A total of 51 and 38 participants completed the pre- and post-course questionnaires, respectively, resulting in a final paired cohort of 22 participants after excluding unmatched and incomplete responses. There was no significant increase in participants’ self-reported confidence levels, but significant improvements were observed when comparing pre- and post-course knowledge levels. Conclusion This study demonstrates that online webinars significantly improve undergraduate medical students' research skills and knowledge. However, no significant increase in interest in academic careers was observed, nor was there a significant increase in self-perceived research confidence. The results suggest that integrating structured research training into the core medical curriculum is essential to enhance students’ engagement with research and academic writing, thereby supporting the development of essential skills for future medical practice. Research Medical Education Evidence-Based Medicine Online Teaching Near-Peer Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Research underpins evidence-based medicine (EBM), which Sackett et al. in 1996 describe as “the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients”( 1 ). The integration of rigorous scientific methods in clinical research, alongside patient values and preferences, has been transformative for modern medicine ( 2 ). Acquiring research skills early during medical education should empower students to appraise literature critically, lay the groundwork for practising EBM, and encourage engagement in academic research. Evidence suggests that early exposure to research positively impacts students’ academic interests and confidence. Supporting this, Sawarynski et al. found that beginning research early in medical education can enhance students’ interest in an academic career and increase their confidence in conducting research ( 3 ). Black et al. also reported increased research self-efficacy among first- and second-year medical students who completed a summer research programme ( 4 ). These findings emphasise the benefit of exposure to teaching about research in fostering interest in scientific methods and confidence in EBM. Despite the United Kingdom’s (UK) strong reputation in medical research, many medical schools do not include formal research methodology in their curricula ( 5 ). A STARSurg collaborative study found that nearly half of final-year medical students in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland had not received formal research training, highlighting a gap in standardised research education ( 6 ). This gap persists despite the General Medical Council’s (GMC) requirement that graduates competently appraise and apply academic literature in clinical practice ( 7 ). A study by Yan et al. found that, although 90% of participants had no prior research experience, 94% expressed interest in conducting clinical trials. Jacobs et al. observed that while some students felt confident in conducting research, others remained uncertain and rated their confidence lower ( 8 , 9 ). Although demand for research exists, students may feel less confident in approaching the subject. This emphasises the need to boost student confidence through sufficient exposure and instruction on how to approach research and write up a manuscript. To address these gaps, ResearchEazy, a series of 14 online lectures spanning 5 months, delivered by academic clinicians, was developed to enhance medical students’ confidence and knowledge in research methodology. Unlike many similar initiatives, which rely on near-peer teaching, our study employed a mixed approach combining near-peer and academic clinician-led teaching ( 10 , 11 , 12 ). This method aims to maximise engagement and outcomes by leveraging the strengths of both strategies ( 13 , 14 ). The study assesses the effectiveness of a 14-part lecture series in improving students’ research skills and examines how learning and participating may influence their interest in pursuing academic careers. Methods ResearchEazy was a 5-month research course conducted on Zoom™, from 30th October 2022 to 5th March 2023. The course aimed to boost the confidence and knowledge of medical trainees in academic medicine (Table 1 ) ( 15 ). Each webinar lasted 60 minutes and was delivered by a combination of academic clinicians and senior medical students, blending expert insights with near-peer learning methods. The course was promoted on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by OSCEazy, a well-established, award-winning online teaching platform. The attendees were UK and international medical students. Feedback was collected on questionnaires distributed via Microsoft Forms. Students were sent pre-course and post-course questionnaires that assessed self-reported confidence and included a clinician-devised, scored test to evaluate research-focused knowledge. Only participants who completed both the pre- and post-questionnaire throughout the 14-part series were included, while the unmatched responses were excluded from the analysis. Table 1 Table highlighting session number, session titles and the dates they were delivered on via Zoom. Slides of individual sessions are attached in Supplementary Materials 2. Session number Session Title Dates 1 Introduction and purpose of Research 30/10/2022 2 Study design part 1 06/11/2022 3 Study design part 2 13/11/2022 4 Writing a paper: methods 20/11/2022 5 Writing a paper: results 27/11/2022 6 Statistical Methods part 1 04/12/2022 7 Statistical Methods part 2 11/12/2022 8 Statistical methods part 3 18/12/2022 9 Writing a paper: Introduction and discussion 08/01/2023 10 Critical Appraisal part 1 15/01/2023 11 Writing a paper: Abstract 29/01/2023 12 How to present research 05/02/2023 13 Critical Appraisal part 2 26/02/2023 14 Career in Academic Medicine and Surgery 05/03/2023 Questionnaire design Participants completed a series of pre- and post-course questionnaires and tests designed to assess their confidence and knowledge in various academic topics before and after attending the ResearchEazy course (Supplementary Materials 3). There were two pre-course forms for participants to complete: Pre-course Questionnaire: Distributed at the beginning of the series, this questionnaire assessed participants' self-reported confidence in various academic topics using a 5-point Likert scale (where 0 = ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 = ‘strongly agree’). Pre-Course Knowledge Test: Administered in conjunction with the Pre-course questionnaire, this test assessed participants’ initial understanding of research-related topics with 40 questions prepared by the academic clinicians. There were two post-course forms for participants to complete: Post-Webinar Questionnaire: Distributed at the end of the whole series, this questionnaire reassessed participants' confidence in academic topics using the same 5-point Likert scale (where 0 = ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 = ‘strongly agree’). Post-Course Knowledge Test: Administered after the course concludes to assess any changes in participants' understanding and prepared by academic clinicians. This comprised of: Same 40 questions from the Pre-Course Knowledge Test 20 new questions curated by the course organisers that were of similar themes to the 40 Pre-Course Knowledge Test questions Self-Generated Identification Codes (SGIC) Participants’ involvement and engagement were entirely voluntary. To assess students' progress over time, they were asked to create a unique SGIC and include the code on every feedback form they completed. Choi et al.’s and Ripper et al.’s studies were consulted to understand the concept of SGIC and ensure that the generated codes were anonymous and suitable for service evaluations ( 16 , 17 ). Participants were instructed to generate the code using the following pattern: First three letters of the name First three digits of birth month The day of the month of birth forms two numerical values For example, an individual named John Joseph, born on 7th October 2025, would have an SGIC of JOHOCT07. No identifiable information was collated through this study. Statistical Methods Data normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. When one dataset was not normally distributed, nonparametric tests were used even when the comparison dataset was normally distributed. In this study, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. Values are presented as medians and interquartile ranges (IQR), indicating the 25th to the 75th percentile. A Bonferroni correction was applied, and a p-value of less than 0.00417 was considered significant. A Shapiro-Wilk test was performed on the pre- and post-course knowledge tests, which showed that the pre-course knowledge question column was nonparametric. Therefore, a Friedman’s test with multiple comparisons was conducted to assess differences between data sets, followed by a post-hoc Dunn’s test. All data were collected using Microsoft Excel (Version 16.101.3) and analysed and illustrated with GraphPad Prism (Version 10.5.0, GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). Ethical consideration This study was a service evaluation to assess the effectiveness of an online research teaching session. The National Health Service (NHS) Research Authority’s online decision tool indicated that this study did not require ethical approval. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, this study does not require ethical approval, as it is a service evaluation of a research-teaching session and does not involve biomedical research. Approval was sought from the Cardiff University School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee, which confirmed that formal approval was not required. Students were informed of the voluntary nature of this study, and all data collected was anonymised in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Excerpt used at the top of the Microsoft Form was as follows: “All data will be stored according to GDPR guidelines. By filling in this form, you are providing consent for use of your data in an anonymised fashion for any future academic publication. Taking part is completely voluntary. By filling this questionnaire your are giving your consent to participate in this study and for use of your anonymised data for future publication. Any responses you provide are anonymous. Participating in this survey indicates that you are consenting to the handling of data in accordance with Article 6( 1 )(a) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles in the UK. Data will be held for a period of 3 years for the purposes of comparing trends and analytics according to the Cardiff University Policy. Access to the data is only granted to the main authors. The data will be used for academic publications and will be stored in a password-protected account.” Results A total of 51 participants completed the post-course forms, and 38 completed the pre- and post-course forms. Twenty-two paired responses were isolated after exclusions for incomplete form completion by some participants, resulting in 22 responses included and analysed in the study (Fig. 1 ). Out of the 22 participants, 86% (n = 19) were medical students based in the UK, while the remaining 14% were international medical students (IMS). Among the UK-based medical students (n = 19), 79% (n = 15) were in the clinical years, and 21% (n = 4) were pre-clinical students. Additionally, 22.7% of the cohort had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) (Table 2 ). Table 2 Table showing the demographic breakdown of the number of participants by Training Grade, BSc Completion, and Preparedness in Academic Research. Demographics Number of participants, n = 22 (%) Training grade Clinical medical student 15 (68) Preclinical medical student 4 ( 18 ) International medical students 3 ( 14 ) Completion of a BSc Yes 5 ( 23 ) No 17 (77) There was no significant improvement in confidence across any of the study types compared with pre- and post-course self-reported levels (Table 3 ). Table 3 Table showing participants’ confidence in academic research skills domains across the 14 sessions delivered (p < 0.00417 post Bonferroni correction) Academic Research Skill Pre-course [median (IQR)] Post-course [median, (IQR)] p-value Study designs Knowledge of types of studies 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 5 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.292 Application of study types 3 ( 2 – 4 ) 4 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.147 Writing a paper Introduction 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 5 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.105 Methodology 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 4.5 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.102 Results 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 4 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.071 Discussion 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 4 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.057 Abstract 3 ( 3 – 4 ) 4.5 ( 4 – 5 ) 0.021 Statistics Understanding statistical methods 3 ( 1 – 4 ) 3 ( 2 – 5 ) 0.234 Performing statistical analysis 3 ( 1 – 4 ) 3.5 ( 2 – 5 ) 0.145 Other Making search strategy 3 ( 2 – 4 ) 4 ( 2 – 5 ) 0.307 Presenting research 3 ( 2 – 4 ) 5 ( 3 – 5 ) 0.007 Interest in an academic career 4 ( 3 – 5 ) 4 ( 4 – 5 ) 0.224 Comparisons were made between pre- and post-course original knowledge questions and pre- and post-course total knowledge questions. There were significant improvements noted between pre- and post-course original knowledge questions (mean: 30.6% vs 62.7%) and pre- and post-course total knowledge questions (mean: 30.6% vs 57.1%) (Table 4 )(Fig. 2 ). Table 4 Pre- and post-course questionnaire scores (as percentages of the total achievable score) of participants have also been included, with values presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Pre-course Questions (n = 40) [Mean (STDEV)] Post-course (Pre-course question (n = 40) + post-course new questions (n = 20)) [Mean (STDEV)] Post-course (same pre-course questions (n = 40)) [Mean (STDEV)] Scores 30.6 (17.9) 57.2 (10.6) 62.7 (11.3) Discussion There is an ongoing gap in research training: 48% of our participants reported feeling 'unprepared' in academic research skills, which highlights a significant need for structured research education ( 18 ). This study demonstrates that ResearchEazy has a positive impact on medical students' knowledge in this area, as indicated by significant increases in post-course knowledge scores. Although the UK medical curriculum employs both Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and traditional lecture-based methods, research training could be strengthened, and newly qualified doctors often lack the essential skills to apply scientific methods to clinical decision-making as required by the GMC ( 19 , 20 ). Research experiences at medical school are often limited to intercalation years, student-selected components (SSC) and elective research projects, which are not universally available or mandatory ( 20 , 21 ). The literature suggests that a compulsory research component within the undergraduate medical curriculum would help standardise and enhance research skills among future doctors, fulfil GMC requirements, and address the declining trend in doctors' post-graduate research engagement ( 22 , 23 , 24 ). Short-term research modules and intensive courses have shown potential in bridging this skills gap. James et al. found that students highly valued the interdisciplinary approach of an undergraduate summer research curriculum, highlighting the benefits of integrating research more thoroughly into the medical education framework ( 25 ). With the exponential rise in competition for higher speciality training positions and the bottlenecks in speciality doctor supply, medical graduates find themselves in a unique position where they must rely on extracurricular activities to enhance their appeal to speciality training selectors ( 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ). This has prompted medical students and graduates to pursue research to strengthen their portfolios ( 30 , 31 ). As more individuals express interest in or are driven to research without many other options, we need to equip them with the right skills to conduct their research thoroughly and holistically from the early stages of their careers ( 32 , 33 ). Our study indicates that a short research course cannot significantly boost students' self-perceived confidence across various research topics, despite observing increases in median and IQR in most components. This suggests that the medical school curriculum requires revision to better address these areas. While SSC programmes exist to enhance research skills, they are often described as autonomous and self-directed ( 34 , 35 , 36 ). However, a study by Murdoch-Eaton et al. demonstrated that when students receive guidance on the nature of research from educators, they can better assess their learning capabilities, needs, and structures to develop their skills in this domain ( 37 ). Although it is not straightforward for educators to design personalised programmes that meet every student's needs, providing additional support is crucial for helping students understand the broad, dynamic, and evolving scope of research. Simultaneously, students should recognise that research is a cumulative process relying on both taught skills and experiential learning ( 38 ). Consequently, students should actively engage and build confidence to foster a culture of inquiry and academic involvement ( 39 )( 40 ). Our study showed a significant increase in participants' research-based knowledge, indicating that our teaching design, methods, and implementation are effective in enhancing students' knowledge. Perhaps perceptions of research methods played a substantial role in the non-significant results reflected in these students' confidence levels. Research indicates that the ongoing development of online and blended learning formats can enhance course quality and expand access to academic opportunities ( 41 , 42 ). Standardised research training benefits both academic and clinical practice, shaping educational policies to include mandatory, high-quality research components in the UK medical curriculum ( 43 ). The first-ever study by Meats et al. on EBM teaching and assessments in UK medical schools identified a lack of 1) skilled staff, 2) comprehensive teaching materials, and 3) prominent research role models as common issues that hinder EBM integration into the medical school curriculum ( 44 ). Therefore, it is crucial for academic clinicians to prioritise and actively participate in EBM teaching and to serve as mentors to students, thereby further expanding and advancing students’ interest in research. While online teaching offers accessibility and convenience, it also presents challenges. Asghar et al. noted the benefits of small-group online teaching for research skills. Still, they highlighted concerns about reduced in-person interaction and emphasised the need for more engaging, interactive formats ( 45 ). ResearchEazy addresses some of these limitations by incorporating personalised coaching sessions, in which participants complete follow-up tasks—an approach designed to develop practical skills and reduce the stigma associated with perceived skill deficits ( 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ). The online approach alone, however, does not cater to participants who value the in-person aspect of teaching. This may explain why participants showed no significant increase in confidence globally. Despite notable improvements on the pre- and post-course tests, no significant increase in confidence was observed across all areas. An alternative approach for future iterations is to integrate a hybrid teaching model that combines the advantages of online and in-person instruction. Kala et al. note that 65.5% of students preferred hybrid teaching in medical education delivery ( 50 ). Adopting a hybrid teaching method might enhance future research training courses ( 51 ). The study’s goal of increasing participant interest in a career in academia remains an area for improvement in future iterations. Participants who completed the ResearchEazy series did not report a significant change in their inclination to pursue an academic career, unlike a study by Burgoyne et al., which found that over 50% of medical students expressed interest in careers involving medical research ( 52 ). At the same time, the lack of change in participants' inclination to pursue research before and after the course may reflect the fact that the recruited participants were already highly motivated, with no change among students with strong initial aspirations to pursue a research career. However, this should serve as a reminder for medical schools to more strongly integrate research programmes into their curricula. It is crucial that, given these findings, future versions of the programme explore the reasons for this limited impact, possibly by including open-ended questions better to understand participants’ attitudes and motivations regarding academic careers. Limitations This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. Firstly, the sample size was small, which may have weakened the statistical power of the results and increased the likelihood of type II errors. The heterogeneity of the cohort, comprising both UK undergraduate medical students and international medical graduates, introduces multiple confounding variables and limits the scope for detailed subgroup analysis. Additionally, self-selection bias is a potential issue, as participants may have already had a strong interest in research, which could skew the results. Reliance on self-reported measures of confidence and knowledge introduces subjective bias, potentially leading to an overestimation of participants’ skill improvements. The evaluation's short-term scope also meant the study did not examine the long-term sustainability of these improvements. Moreover, the absence of a control group makes it difficult to attribute observed changes solely to the ResearchEazy programme, as external factors such as prior knowledge or concurrent learning experiences could have influenced the results. Future research should address these limitations by including a control group that receives no intervention or alternative forms of education. This would strengthen causal inferences about the programme’s effectiveness and offer more robust evidence of its impact on medical trainees’ research skills. Conclusion This study demonstrates that online teaching webinars can effectively enhance the research skills of undergraduate medical students, yielding notable improvements in confidence and knowledge. However, the lack of a significant increase in participants’ interest in pursuing academic careers highlights an area that warrants further exploration, ideally through future studies with larger sample sizes and control groups to better assess this aspect. The findings indicate that incorporating structured research training into the standard medical curriculum should be considered to enhance students’ attitudes towards research effectively. Embedding research education as a routine part of medical training may not only develop students’ abilities or serve as a means to an end but also foster a more positive attitude toward engaging with academic research in their future careers. Abbreviations EBM Evicence Based Medicine GMC General Medical Council UK United Kingdom SGIC Self Generating Identification Code NHS National Health Service GDPR General Data Protection Regulation BSc Bachelor of Science SSC Student Selected Component Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate A local ethics committee, Cardiff University School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (SOMREC) confirmed that formal approval was not required. Informed consent was gained from participants. The following excerpt was included at the beginning of every form. “All data will be stored according to GDPR guidelines. By filling in this form, you are providing consent for use of your data in an anonymised fashion for any future academic publication. Taking part is completely voluntary. By filling this questionnaire your are giving your consent to participate in this study and for use of your anonymised data for future publication. Any responses you provide are anonymous. Participating in this survey indicates that you are consenting to the handling of data in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles in the UK. Data will be held for a period of 3 years for the purposes of comparing trends and analytics according to the Cardiff University Policy. Access to the data is only granted to the main authors. The data will be used for academic publications and will be stored in a password-protected account.” Consent for publication All authors reviewed the final manuscript and consent for publication in BMC Medical Education Availability of data and material All data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information. Competing interests The authors report no competing or conflicting interests. Funding The Authors report no sources of funding Authors’ contributions YEA and RB were involved in the conceptualisation, data analysis and writing up of the manuscript, JYL was involved in the data collection, data analysis and assisting the the writing up of the manuscript, SS, RV, AR, HK and ND were involved in the conceptualisation, administration, data collection, analysis and review of the manuscript and JC, BS, AH were senior authors involved in conceptualisation, review and conflict resolution of the manuscript. Acknowledgement We would like to thank OSCEazy for its support in organising this series. Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. References Sackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn’t. BMJ. 1996;312(7023):71–2. Masic I, Miokovic M, Muhamedagic B. Evidence based medicine - new approaches and challenges. 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BMC Med Educ. 2023;23(1):805. Garg R. Methodology for research I. Indian J Anaesth. 2016 Sept;60(9):640–5. Kapoor MC. Types of studies and research design. Indian J Anaesth. 2016 Sept;60(9):626–30. Gordon J. ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: one to one teaching and feedback. BMJ. 2003;326(7388):543–5. Riva JJ, Elsharawi R, Daza J, Toma A, Whyte R, Agarwal G, et al. Medical students’ challenges and suggestions regarding research training: a synthesis of comments from a cross- sectional survey. Can Med Educ J. 2019 July;10(3):e91–100. Kala PS, Thapliyal N, Pandey HS, Piyush AR, Maheshwari S, Chaudhary VS. Medical students’ perspective on online teaching during pandemic: Experience from a Government Medical College in Uttarakhand, India. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:473. Rajab MH, Gazal AM, Alkattan K. Challenges to Online Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus. 2020 July 2;12(7):e8966. Burgoyne LN, O’Flynn S, Boylan GB. Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective. Med Educ Online 2010 Sept 10;15: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.5212 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMaterials1.xlsx Supplementary Materials 1: Excel sheet of raw and processed data collected SupplementaryMaterials2.pdf Supplementary Materials 2: Collection of slides created and used through the series SupplementaryMaterials3.docx Supplementary Material 3: Qualitative and Knowledge Questions Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers invited by journal 21 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 13 Dec, 2025 Editor invited by journal 08 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 05 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8150678","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":578095176,"identity":"43511b40-e257-4ca4-b814-36c75cfb7487","order_by":0,"name":"Yew Ern Au","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yew","middleName":"Ern","lastName":"Au","suffix":""},{"id":578095177,"identity":"5e209ec2-d67f-4fde-ae1c-cf57df8b5d26","order_by":1,"name":"Ravanth Baskaran","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University Hospital Southampton 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14:25:55","extension":"html","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":134585,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/8c1cf3a4cc156863a8ae9370.html"},{"id":100897864,"identity":"a9c1f015-7eca-484d-9e2d-711eb0e7daca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:25:39","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":89584,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFlowchart highlighting paired responses collected, exclusions made and number of included participants\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/84a2b3cbc7927c4401f94561.png"},{"id":100897844,"identity":"66f4bd10-08ba-45da-a538-5f70c1f68697","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:25:35","extension":"jpeg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":151860,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eComparisons and significance of Pre-vs-post course original questions and pre-vs-post course total questions (* = p \u0026lt;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/a2e32c463f748eeb5392a88b.jpeg"},{"id":100898049,"identity":"5c897ea3-5869-4aec-9e56-31f278c5f808","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:26:25","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":984298,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/d9e5de8b-2640-4c73-b50e-6e98e8c26a52.pdf"},{"id":100897932,"identity":"4b0f9727-dbd5-467a-ae7e-41c69d17779e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:26:05","extension":"xlsx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":100108,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSupplementary Materials 1: Excel sheet of raw and processed data collected\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMaterials1.xlsx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/15993e6b854a28253d914cc1.xlsx"},{"id":100897861,"identity":"450a1994-e14a-49e7-9709-3da8c111248b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:25:38","extension":"pdf","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":96956160,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSupplementary Materials 2: Collection of slides created and used through the series\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMaterials2.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/544f798375d202943e1c703b.pdf"},{"id":100897866,"identity":"70b7991e-c551-4878-9a21-5d866be876ee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 14:25:40","extension":"docx","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":32691,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSupplementary Material 3: Qualitative and Knowledge Questions\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryMaterials3.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8150678/v1/8bda637ce487dae7667c6950.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Exploring the Impact of ResearchEazy, an Online Research Series for Medical Students: The Longitudinal Impact of Perspectives and Knowledge of Research","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eResearch underpins evidence-based medicine (EBM), which Sackett et al. in 1996 describe as \u0026ldquo;the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients\u0026rdquo;(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The integration of rigorous scientific methods in clinical research, alongside patient values and preferences, has been transformative for modern medicine (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Acquiring research skills early during medical education should empower students to appraise literature critically, lay the groundwork for practising EBM, and encourage engagement in academic research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvidence suggests that early exposure to research positively impacts students\u0026rsquo; academic interests and confidence. Supporting this, Sawarynski et al. found that beginning research early in medical education can enhance students\u0026rsquo; interest in an academic career and increase their confidence in conducting research (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Black et al. also reported increased research self-efficacy among first- and second-year medical students who completed a summer research programme (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). These findings emphasise the benefit of exposure to teaching about research in fostering interest in scientific methods and confidence in EBM.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite the United Kingdom\u0026rsquo;s (UK) strong reputation in medical research, many medical schools do not include formal research methodology in their curricula (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). A STARSurg collaborative study found that nearly half of final-year medical students in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland had not received formal research training, highlighting a gap in standardised research education (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). This gap persists despite the General Medical Council\u0026rsquo;s (GMC) requirement that graduates competently appraise and apply academic literature in clinical practice (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). A study by Yan et al. found that, although 90% of participants had no prior research experience, 94% expressed interest in conducting clinical trials. Jacobs et al. observed that while some students felt confident in conducting research, others remained uncertain and rated their confidence lower (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). Although demand for research exists, students may feel less confident in approaching the subject. This emphasises the need to boost student confidence through sufficient exposure and instruction on how to approach research and write up a manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address these gaps, ResearchEazy, a series of 14 online lectures spanning 5 months, delivered by academic clinicians, was developed to enhance medical students\u0026rsquo; confidence and knowledge in research methodology. Unlike many similar initiatives, which rely on near-peer teaching, our study employed a mixed approach combining near-peer and academic clinician-led teaching (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e). This method aims to maximise engagement and outcomes by leveraging the strengths of both strategies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e). The study assesses the effectiveness of a 14-part lecture series in improving students\u0026rsquo; research skills and examines how learning and participating may influence their interest in pursuing academic careers.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eResearchEazy was a 5-month research course conducted on Zoom\u0026trade;, from 30th October 2022 to 5th March 2023. The course aimed to boost the confidence and knowledge of medical trainees in academic medicine (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e) (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Each webinar lasted 60 minutes and was delivered by a combination of academic clinicians and senior medical students, blending expert insights with near-peer learning methods.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe course was promoted on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by OSCEazy, a well-established, award-winning online teaching platform. The attendees were UK and international medical students. Feedback was collected on questionnaires distributed via Microsoft Forms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudents were sent pre-course and post-course questionnaires that assessed self-reported confidence and included a clinician-devised, scored test to evaluate research-focused knowledge. Only participants who completed both the pre- and post-questionnaire throughout the 14-part series were included, while the unmatched responses were excluded from the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable highlighting session number, session titles and the dates they were delivered on via Zoom. Slides of individual sessions are attached in Supplementary Materials 2.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSession number\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSession Title\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction and purpose of Research\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30/10/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudy design part 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e06/11/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudy design part 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13/11/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWriting a paper: methods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20/11/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWriting a paper: results\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27/11/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical Methods part 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e04/12/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical Methods part 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11/12/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical methods part 3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18/12/2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWriting a paper: Introduction and discussion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e08/01/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCritical Appraisal part 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15/01/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWriting a paper: Abstract\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29/01/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow to present research\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e05/02/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCritical Appraisal part 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26/02/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCareer in Academic Medicine and Surgery\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e05/03/2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eQuestionnaire design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants completed a series of pre- and post-course questionnaires and tests designed to assess their confidence and knowledge in various academic topics before and after attending the ResearchEazy course (Supplementary Materials 3).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere were two pre-course forms for participants to complete:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePre-course Questionnaire: Distributed at the beginning of the series, this questionnaire assessed participants' self-reported confidence in various academic topics using a 5-point Likert scale (where 0 = \u0026lsquo;strongly disagree\u0026rsquo; and 5 = \u0026lsquo;strongly agree\u0026rsquo;).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePre-Course Knowledge Test: Administered in conjunction with the Pre-course questionnaire, this test assessed participants\u0026rsquo; initial understanding of research-related topics with 40 questions prepared by the academic clinicians.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere were two post-course forms for participants to complete:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-Webinar Questionnaire: Distributed at the end of the whole series, this questionnaire reassessed participants' confidence in academic topics using the same 5-point Likert scale (where 0 = \u0026lsquo;strongly disagree\u0026rsquo; and 5 = \u0026lsquo;strongly agree\u0026rsquo;).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-Course Knowledge Test: Administered after the course concludes to assess any changes in participants' understanding and prepared by academic clinicians. This comprised of:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col style=\"list-style-type:lower-alpha;\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSame 40 questions from the Pre-Course Knowledge Test\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e20 new questions curated by the course organisers that were of similar themes to the 40 Pre-Course Knowledge Test questions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSelf-Generated Identification Codes (SGIC)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants\u0026rsquo; involvement and engagement were entirely voluntary. To assess students' progress over time, they were asked to create a unique SGIC and include the code on every feedback form they completed. Choi et al.\u0026rsquo;s and Ripper et al.\u0026rsquo;s studies were consulted to understand the concept of SGIC and ensure that the generated codes were anonymous and suitable for service evaluations (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e). Participants were instructed to generate the code using the following pattern:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst three letters of the name\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst three digits of birth month\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe day of the month of birth forms two numerical values\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor example, an individual named John Joseph, born on 7th October 2025, would have an SGIC of JOHOCT07. No identifiable information was collated through this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStatistical Methods\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. When one dataset was not normally distributed, nonparametric tests were used even when the comparison dataset was normally distributed. In this study, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. Values are presented as medians and interquartile ranges (IQR), indicating the 25th to the 75th percentile. A Bonferroni correction was applied, and a p-value of less than 0.00417 was considered significant.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Shapiro-Wilk test was performed on the pre- and post-course knowledge tests, which showed that the pre-course knowledge question column was nonparametric. Therefore, a Friedman\u0026rsquo;s test with multiple comparisons was conducted to assess differences between data sets, followed by a post-hoc Dunn\u0026rsquo;s test. All data were collected using Microsoft Excel (Version 16.101.3) and analysed and illustrated with GraphPad Prism (Version 10.5.0, GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEthical consideration\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was a service evaluation to assess the effectiveness of an online research teaching session. The National Health Service (NHS) Research Authority\u0026rsquo;s online decision tool indicated that this study did not require ethical approval. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, this study does not require ethical approval, as it is a service evaluation of a research-teaching session and does not involve biomedical research. Approval was sought from the Cardiff University School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee, which confirmed that formal approval was not required. Students were informed of the voluntary nature of this study, and all data collected was anonymised in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Excerpt used at the top of the Microsoft Form was as follows:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u0026ldquo;All data will be stored according to GDPR guidelines. By filling in this form, you are providing consent for use of your data in an anonymised fashion for any future academic publication.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaking part is completely voluntary. By filling this questionnaire your are giving your consent to participate in this study and for use of your anonymised data for future publication. Any responses you provide are anonymous. Participating in this survey indicates that you are consenting to the handling of data in accordance with Article 6(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)(a) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles in the UK. Data will be held for a period of 3 years for the purposes of comparing trends and analytics according to the Cardiff University Policy. Access to the data is only granted to the main authors. The data will be used for academic publications and will be stored in a password-protected account.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eA total of 51 participants completed the post-course forms, and 38 completed the pre- and post-course forms. Twenty-two paired responses were isolated after exclusions for incomplete form completion by some participants, resulting in 22 responses included and analysed in the study (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOut of the 22 participants, 86% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19) were medical students based in the UK, while the remaining 14% were international medical students (IMS). Among the UK-based medical students (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19), 79% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;15) were in the clinical years, and 21% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4) were pre-clinical students. Additionally, 22.7% of the cohort had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (BSc) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable showing the demographic breakdown of the number of participants by Training Grade, BSc Completion, and Preparedness in Academic Research. \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of participants, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;22 (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTraining grade\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical medical student\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15 (68)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreclinical medical student\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInternational medical students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCompletion of a BSc\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (77)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was no significant improvement in confidence across any of the study types compared with pre- and post-course self-reported levels (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable showing participants\u0026rsquo; confidence in academic research skills domains across the 14 sessions delivered (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.00417 post Bonferroni correction) \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcademic Research Skill\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePre-course [median (IQR)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-course [median, (IQR)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudy designs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge of types of studies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.292\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eApplication of study types\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.147\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWriting a paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMethodology\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.5 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.071\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiscussion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.057\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.021\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstanding statistical methods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3 CR4\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.234\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerforming statistical analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.5 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3 CR4\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.145\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaking search strategy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3 CR4\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.307\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePresenting research\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInterest in an academic career\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComparisons were made between pre- and post-course original knowledge questions and pre- and post-course total knowledge questions. There were significant improvements noted between pre- and post-course original knowledge questions (mean: 30.6% vs 62.7%) and pre- and post-course total knowledge questions (mean: 30.6% vs 57.1%) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)(Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePre- and post-course questionnaire scores (as percentages of the total achievable score) of participants have also been included, with values presented as medians and interquartile ranges.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePre-course Questions (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40) [Mean (STDEV)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-course (Pre-course question (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40)\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;post-course new questions (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;20))\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e[Mean (STDEV)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-course (same pre-course questions (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40)) [Mean (STDEV)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eScores\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.6 (17.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.2 (10.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.7 (11.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThere is an ongoing gap in research training: 48% of our participants reported feeling 'unprepared' in academic research skills, which highlights a significant need for structured research education (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e). This study demonstrates that ResearchEazy has a positive impact on medical students' knowledge in this area, as indicated by significant increases in post-course knowledge scores. Although the UK medical curriculum employs both Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and traditional lecture-based methods, research training could be strengthened, and newly qualified doctors often lack the essential skills to apply scientific methods to clinical decision-making as required by the GMC (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch experiences at medical school are often limited to intercalation years, student-selected components (SSC) and elective research projects, which are not universally available or mandatory (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e). The literature suggests that a compulsory research component within the undergraduate medical curriculum would help standardise and enhance research skills among future doctors, fulfil GMC requirements, and address the declining trend in doctors' post-graduate research engagement (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e). Short-term research modules and intensive courses have shown potential in bridging this skills gap. James et al. found that students highly valued the interdisciplinary approach of an undergraduate summer research curriculum, highlighting the benefits of integrating research more thoroughly into the medical education framework (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith the exponential rise in competition for higher speciality training positions and the bottlenecks in speciality doctor supply, medical graduates find themselves in a unique position where they must rely on extracurricular activities to enhance their appeal to speciality training selectors (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). This has prompted medical students and graduates to pursue research to strengthen their portfolios (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e). As more individuals express interest in or are driven to research without many other options, we need to equip them with the right skills to conduct their research thoroughly and holistically from the early stages of their careers (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur study indicates that a short research course cannot significantly boost students' self-perceived confidence across various research topics, despite observing increases in median and IQR in most components. This suggests that the medical school curriculum requires revision to better address these areas. While SSC programmes exist to enhance research skills, they are often described as autonomous and self-directed (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e). However, a study by Murdoch-Eaton et al. demonstrated that when students receive guidance on the nature of research from educators, they can better assess their learning capabilities, needs, and structures to develop their skills in this domain (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e). Although it is not straightforward for educators to design personalised programmes that meet every student's needs, providing additional support is crucial for helping students understand the broad, dynamic, and evolving scope of research. Simultaneously, students should recognise that research is a cumulative process relying on both taught skills and experiential learning (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e). Consequently, students should actively engage and build confidence to foster a culture of inquiry and academic involvement (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e)(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e). Our study showed a significant increase in participants' research-based knowledge, indicating that our teaching design, methods, and implementation are effective in enhancing students' knowledge. Perhaps perceptions of research methods played a substantial role in the non-significant results reflected in these students' confidence levels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch indicates that the ongoing development of online and blended learning formats can enhance course quality and expand access to academic opportunities (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e). Standardised research training benefits both academic and clinical practice, shaping educational policies to include mandatory, high-quality research components in the UK medical curriculum (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e). The first-ever study by Meats et al. on EBM teaching and assessments in UK medical schools identified a lack of 1) skilled staff, 2) comprehensive teaching materials, and 3) prominent research role models as common issues that hinder EBM integration into the medical school curriculum (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, it is crucial for academic clinicians to prioritise and actively participate in EBM teaching and to serve as mentors to students, thereby further expanding and advancing students\u0026rsquo; interest in research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile online teaching offers accessibility and convenience, it also presents challenges. Asghar et al. noted the benefits of small-group online teaching for research skills. Still, they highlighted concerns about reduced in-person interaction and emphasised the need for more engaging, interactive formats (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e). ResearchEazy addresses some of these limitations by incorporating personalised coaching sessions, in which participants complete follow-up tasks\u0026mdash;an approach designed to develop practical skills and reduce the stigma associated with perceived skill deficits (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe online approach alone, however, does not cater to participants who value the in-person aspect of teaching. This may explain why participants showed no significant increase in confidence globally. Despite notable improvements on the pre- and post-course tests, no significant increase in confidence was observed across all areas. An alternative approach for future iterations is to integrate a hybrid teaching model that combines the advantages of online and in-person instruction. Kala et al. note that 65.5% of students preferred hybrid teaching in medical education delivery (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e). Adopting a hybrid teaching method might enhance future research training courses (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study\u0026rsquo;s goal of increasing participant interest in a career in academia remains an area for improvement in future iterations. Participants who completed the ResearchEazy series did not report a significant change in their inclination to pursue an academic career, unlike a study by Burgoyne et al., which found that over 50% of medical students expressed interest in careers involving medical research (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e). At the same time, the lack of change in participants' inclination to pursue research before and after the course may reflect the fact that the recruited participants were already highly motivated, with no change among students with strong initial aspirations to pursue a research career. However, this should serve as a reminder for medical schools to more strongly integrate research programmes into their curricula. It is crucial that, given these findings, future versions of the programme explore the reasons for this limited impact, possibly by including open-ended questions better to understand participants\u0026rsquo; attitudes and motivations regarding academic careers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLimitations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. Firstly, the sample size was small, which may have weakened the statistical power of the results and increased the likelihood of type II errors. The heterogeneity of the cohort, comprising both UK undergraduate medical students and international medical graduates, introduces multiple confounding variables and limits the scope for detailed subgroup analysis. Additionally, self-selection bias is a potential issue, as participants may have already had a strong interest in research, which could skew the results.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReliance on self-reported measures of confidence and knowledge introduces subjective bias, potentially leading to an overestimation of participants\u0026rsquo; skill improvements. The evaluation's short-term scope also meant the study did not examine the long-term sustainability of these improvements. Moreover, the absence of a control group makes it difficult to attribute observed changes solely to the ResearchEazy programme, as external factors such as prior knowledge or concurrent learning experiences could have influenced the results.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture research should address these limitations by including a control group that receives no intervention or alternative forms of education. This would strengthen causal inferences about the programme\u0026rsquo;s effectiveness and offer more robust evidence of its impact on medical trainees\u0026rsquo; research skills.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that online teaching webinars can effectively enhance the research skills of undergraduate medical students, yielding notable improvements in confidence and knowledge. However, the lack of a significant increase in participants\u0026rsquo; interest in pursuing academic careers highlights an area that warrants further exploration, ideally through future studies with larger sample sizes and control groups to better assess this aspect. The findings indicate that incorporating structured research training into the standard medical curriculum should be considered to enhance students\u0026rsquo; attitudes towards research effectively. Embedding research education as a routine part of medical training may not only develop students\u0026rsquo; abilities or serve as a means to an end but also foster a more positive attitude toward engaging with academic research in their future careers.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eEBM\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvicence Based Medicine\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eGMC\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral Medical Council\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eUK\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnited Kingdom\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSGIC\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf Generating Identification Code\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eNHS\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNational Health Service\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eGDPR\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral Data Protection Regulation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eBSc\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBachelor of Science\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSSC\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent Selected Component\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA local ethics committee, Cardiff University School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (SOMREC) confirmed that formal approval was not required.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was gained from participants. The following excerpt was included at the beginning of every form.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;All data will be stored according to GDPR guidelines. By filling in this form, you are providing consent for use of your data in an anonymised fashion for any future academic publication.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking part is completely voluntary. By filling this questionnaire your are giving your consent to participate in this study and for use of your anonymised data for future publication. Any responses you provide are anonymous. Participating in this survey indicates that you are consenting to the handling of data in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) principles in the UK. Data will be held for a period of 3 years for the purposes of comparing trends and analytics according to the Cardiff University Policy. Access to the data is only granted to the main authors. The data will be used for academic publications and will be stored in a password-protected account.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors reviewed the final manuscript and consent for publication in BMC Medical Education\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvailability of data and material\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors report no competing or conflicting interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Authors report no sources of funding\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEA and RB were involved in the conceptualisation, data analysis and writing up of the manuscript, JYL was involved in the data collection, data analysis and assisting the the writing up of the manuscript, SS, RV, AR, HK and ND were involved in the conceptualisation, administration, data collection, analysis and review of the manuscript and JC, BS, AH were senior authors involved in conceptualisation, review and conflict resolution of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcknowledgement\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would like to thank OSCEazy for its support in organising this series.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclaration of Interest:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors report no conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSackett DL, Rosenberg WM, Gray JA, Haynes RB, Richardson WS. 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Med Teach. 2012 Sept 1;34(9):754\u0026ndash;71.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStark P, Ellershaw J, Newble D, Perry M, Robinson L, Smith J, et al. Student-selected components in the undergraduate medical curriculum: a multi-institutional consensus on assessable key tasks. Med Teach. 2005;27(8):720\u0026ndash;5.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRiley SC, Morton J, Ray DC, Swann DG, Davidson DJ. An integrated model for developing research skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: appraisal of an approach using student selected components. Perspect Med Educ. 2013 Sept 1;2(4):230\u0026ndash;47.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWillison J, O\u0026rsquo;Regan K. Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for students becoming researchers. High Educ Res Dev. 2007;26(4):393\u0026ndash;409.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeymour E, Hunter AB, Laursen SL, DeAntoni T. Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three-year study. Sci Educ. 2004;88(4):493\u0026ndash;534.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDyrbye LN, Davidson LW, Cook DA. Publications and Presentations Resulting From Required Research by Students at Mayo Medical School, 1976\u0026ndash;2003. Acad Med. 2008 June;83(6):604.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmeri H, Mahami-Oskouei M, Sharafi S, Saadatjoo S, Miri M, Arab-Zozani M. Investigating the strengths and weaknesses of online education during COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of professors and students of medical universities and proposing solutions: A qualitative study. 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Medical students\u0026rsquo; challenges and suggestions regarding research training: a synthesis of comments from a cross- sectional survey. Can Med Educ J. 2019 July;10(3):e91\u0026ndash;100.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKala PS, Thapliyal N, Pandey HS, Piyush AR, Maheshwari S, Chaudhary VS. Medical students\u0026rsquo; perspective on online teaching during pandemic: Experience from a Government Medical College in Uttarakhand, India. J Educ Health Promot. 2021;10:473.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRajab MH, Gazal AM, Alkattan K. Challenges to Online Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus. 2020 July 2;12(7):e8966.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBurgoyne LN, O\u0026rsquo;Flynn S, Boylan GB. Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective. Med Educ Online 2010 Sept 10;15:\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.3402/meo.v15i0.5212\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3402/meo.v15i0.5212\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Research, Medical Education, Evidence-Based Medicine, Online Teaching, Near-Peer","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8150678/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8150678/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe ability to appraise and apply research is fundamental to the practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Despite the General Medical Council\u0026rsquo;s (GMC) mandate for United Kingdom (UK) medical graduates to integrate research with patient care, many medical students report insufficient teaching in research methodology within the curriculum. To address this gap, we developed a 14-part international webinar series that combines near-peer and clinician-led teaching to enhance participants\u0026rsquo; confidence and knowledge in research methodology.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcademic clinicians delivered 14 research skills sessions. Participants rated their confidence on a 5-point Likert scale before and after the course. Knowledge was assessed with a 40-question pre-series quiz and a 60-question post-series quiz; data were paired using Self-Generated Identification Codes (SGIC). A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with Bonferroni correction analysed confidence changes, while Friedman\u0026rsquo;s and Dunn\u0026rsquo;s tests analysed quiz results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 51 and 38 participants completed the pre- and post-course questionnaires, respectively, resulting in a final paired cohort of 22 participants after excluding unmatched and incomplete responses. There was no significant increase in participants\u0026rsquo; self-reported confidence levels, but significant improvements were observed when comparing pre- and post-course knowledge levels.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that online webinars significantly improve undergraduate medical students' research skills and knowledge. However, no significant increase in interest in academic careers was observed, nor was there a significant increase in self-perceived research confidence. The results suggest that integrating structured research training into the core medical curriculum is essential to enhance students\u0026rsquo; engagement with research and academic writing, thereby supporting the development of essential skills for future medical practice.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring the Impact of ResearchEazy, an Online Research Series for Medical Students: The Longitudinal Impact of Perspectives and Knowledge of Research","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-22 14:23:32","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8150678/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T06:41:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-13T09:20:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-08T05:03:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-05T10:04:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Medical Education","date":"2025-12-05T09:58:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d13acd36-6771-4588-8b87-2fe129984b10","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 22nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-22T14:23:32+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-22 14:23:32","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8150678","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8150678","identity":"rs-8150678","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}