Building research capacity in the global south: insights from a scientific writing workshop

Health researchers in the Global South face many barriers to scientific publication, including language limitations, lack of access to mentorship, and minimal training opportunities. Scientific writing workshops offer an affordable and effective method for building research capacity. We aimed to evaluate the design, implementation, and effectiveness of a scientific writing workshop implemented by the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda and the Duke Global Health Institute for early-career researchers in Rwanda and surrounding regions. We conducted a mixed-methods program evaluation of a contextualized scientific writing workshop co-designed by University of Global Health Equity and Duke Global Health Institute from 2023 to 2025 using curriculum theory and equity principles. We delivered three iterations of the workshop and enrolled students, early-career professionals, and researchers from Global South Countries. We assessed participant perceptions with pre- and post-workshop surveys (Kirkpatrick Level 1). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests ( p < 0.05); qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis, and the findings of both were integrated in the discussion section. A total of 203 participants attended (129 online, 94 in person). Before the workshop, only 34.2% ( n = 178) felt comfortable preparing a manuscript. After the workshop, participants reported a better understanding of the elements of a scientific research paper, which increased from 57.2% pre-course to 88.1% post-course. Additionally, the understanding of adapting skills to resource-limited settings rose from 79.7% to 87.6%. Emerging themes from the free-text responses included increased confidence and improved skills. This collaborative workshop enhanced the scientific writing skills and confidence among early-career health researchers in Rwanda and surrounding regions. Grounded in equity and contextual relevance, the workshop addresses barriers in scientific publishing and offers a scalable model for research capacity strengthening in resource-limited settings.