Perception about scientific research in dentistry students

Abstract

Introduction: scientific activity should be assumed as an essential component in the comprehensive training of medical science students from the undergraduate levels, since it allows providing solutions to situations of reality through the scientific method.

Objective: to determine the perception on scientific research of dentistry students at Cienfuegos University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study in the period from October 2020 to February 2021 was carried out. The target group comprised 91 students, enrolled from second to fifth academic year of dentistry studies at Cienfuegos University of Medical Sciences. Descriptive statistics was applied.

Results: average knowledge of information search (41,8 %), research methodology (42,9 %) and scientific writing predominated; lack of motivation (58,2 %) and lack of expert advice (57,1 %) were highlighted as limitations, while increasing scientific knowledge (63,7 %) and training for the specialty (37,4 %) resulted as the main motivations. The 28,6 % considered that an adequate strategy would be necessary to increase the number of courses in Research Methodology.

Conclusions: there was average knowledge about research and insufficient information about plagiarism, where many do not dedicate time to research and there were low percentages of participation in research meetings. The students conducted research to increase their knowledge and training for their specialties, finding as limitations: the lack of motivation and the lack of expert advice; proposing research methodology courses as strategies to facilitate and increase scientific research.