Challenges and strategies for the promotion of research in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences: The Analysis of stakeholders’ views

Introduction: The intention of this study was to identifying and prioritizing challenges in research in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Iran, and giving exact solutions to remove those challenges from the perspective of stakeholders (the members of faculty board, students, administrators, and research staff of the university). Methods: This mix-method study (quantitative-qualitative) conducted in summer-2014 in TUMS. The participants of this study included 139 of the members of faculty board, 349 of the students, and 39 of administrators and research staff (in total, 525 individuals). The data collection tool in the qualitative section was an open-ended questionnaires (3 questions), and in the quantitative section it consists close question questionnaires (26 questions). For prioritizing these challenges, it was used by prioritization matrix that it had four criteria: Importance, the ability to solve, cost-effectiveness and immediacy. Results: The important challenges from the perspective of participant included: Lack of co-operations of administrative centers with researchers, the existence of cumbersome rules, lack of motivation in researchers from authorities, being non-economic of doing a research to the professors and students, The lack of research result in decision-making, the low capacity and ability of members of faculty board, students, and staff on issues related to research procedures, and lack of attention to the quality of research. Conclusion: Lack of attention to the quality of research, and the existence of cumbersome rules in research area have the most priority in challenging research in TUMS, which they need more attention and planning to resolve these challenges of the authorities and managers of this university.