Abstract Background & Aim: Medical research is vital for advancing evidence-based practice and critical thinking in medical education. However, undergraduate students often face challenges in knowledge, attitude, and barriers to engaging in research activities. The aim of our study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and perceived barriers towards medical research and its associated factors among undergraduate medical students of a medical college in South Kerala. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 325 MBBS students (2019–2023 batches) using a pretested, semi-structured, self-administered Google Forms questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed socio-demographic details, knowledge (10 questions, ≥50% correct = adequate), attitude (10 Likert-scale statements), and perceived barriers (10 agreement-based statements). Data were analyzed using SPSS Trial Version v28.0, with Chi-square tests for associations ( P < 0.05). Results: Of the 325 participants (mean age: 21.58 ± 1.27 years, 69.5% female), 41.2% (95% confidence interval 36%–64%) had adequate knowledge (mean score: 4.08 ± 2.04). Most (86.5%) agreed that research skills are helpful for their career, but 46.5% found research concepts difficult. Major barriers included lack of time (86.8%), funding (84.6%), and research skills (80.9%). Adequate knowledge increased significantly with academic year (2021 batch: 57.1%, 2023 batch: 11.6%, P < 0.001), attendance at induction programs (47.3% vs. 34.8%, P = 0.022), and discussions with peers/seniors (51.1% vs. 33.7%, P = 0.002). Conclusion: Despite a positive attitude, students face knowledge gaps and barriers such as time, funding, and skills. Early research training, institutional support, and peer engagement are recommended to enhance research involvement.
Middleton et al. (Tue,) studied this question.