title: Academic research productivity of post-graduate students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda, from 1996 to 2010: a retrospective review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research is a core business of universities globally, and is crucial in the scientific process as a precursor for knowledge uptake and use. We aimed to assess the academic productivity of post-graduate students in a university located in a low-income country.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational retrospective documentary analysis using hand searching archives, Google Scholar and PubMed electronic databases. The setting is Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda. Records of post-graduate students (Masters) enrolled from 1996 to 2010, and followed to 2016 for outcomes were analysed. The outcome measures were publications (primary), citations, electronic dissertations found online or conference abstracts (secondary). Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata 14.1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found dissertations of 1172 Masters students over the 20-year period of study. While half (590, 50%) had completed clinical graduate disciplines (surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology), Master of Public Health was the single most popular course, with 393 students (31%). Manuscripts from 209 dissertations (18%; 95% CI, 16-20%) were published and approximately the same proportion was cited (196, 17%; 95% CI, 15-19%). Very few (4%) policy-related documents (technical reports and guidelines) cited these dissertations. Variables that remained statistically significant in the multivariable model were students' age at enrolment into the Masters programme (adjusted coefficient -0.12; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.06; P < 0.001) and type of research design (adjusted coefficient 0.22; 0.03 to 0.40; P = 0.024). Cohort studies were more likely to be published compared to cross-sectional designs (adjusted coefficient 0.78; 95% CI, 0.2 to 1.36; P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The productivity and use of post-graduate students' research conducted at the College of Health Sciences Makerere University is considerably low in terms of peer-reviewed publications and citations in policy-related documents. The need for effective strategies to reverse this 'waste' is urgent if the College, decision-makers, funders and the Ugandan public are to enjoy the 'return on investment' from post-graduate students research.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. ekwaro@gmail.com.|Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. ekwaro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Obuku
authors.affiliation: McMaster Health Forum, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Political Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.|Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lavis
authors.affiliation: Sir Albert Cook Library, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinengyere
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.|Center for Social Science Research on AIDS, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mafigiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Planning, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sengooba
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karamagi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Sewankambo
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011642:Publications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D014454:Uganda; D014495:Universities
keywords: Knowledge translation; Post-graduate; Research; Student; Uganda