Evaluation of Thesis of Medical Residents of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd City in 2019

Abstract

Introduction: Theses are essential for educating students in research and, ultimately, for generating scientific knowledge. Evaluation of student theses can offer insights into their practical applicability, the extent to which they are converted into scientific articles, and their potential impact on enhancing the knowledge and awareness of other researchers and medical science students domestically and internationally. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the theses of medical residents at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd City, in 2019.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 2019 assessed a total of 61 theses. Initially, a questionnaire was developed for scoring the principles of academic writing. The theses were rated on a 100-point scale and categorized into four groups: excellent, good, moderate, and weak. Furthermore, the number of articles that were extracted from theses was surveyed, and the number of citations to each article in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were investigated. Data were analyzed via SPSS version 16.

Results: The mean total writing score was 69.25 ± 11.76, which was within the "good" category. The discussion and conclusion comprised the weakest part of the theses, whereas the abstract represented the strongest section. Moreover, 50% of the theses had been converted into articles. The citation-frequency distribution to those articles across citation databases was 3.1% in Scopus, 9.6% in Google Scholar, and 45.2% in all Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases.

Conclusion: Most of the writing scores fell into the “good” category. Although almost half of the theses were converted into articles, more than one-third of them received no citations.