engleski

Is there a demand for science communication courses? The experience of the Croatian Medical Journal

Background. The editors of the Croatian Medical Journal introduced short courses to provide training in planning scientific research and writing scientific articles for local authors. Methods. Practice-oriented, hands-on courses were conducted in Croatian. The main outcome measure was the number of attendees and their satisfaction with the course, assessed through answers to a questionnaire (1 – totally unsatisfied to 5 – totally satisfied). Scientific output of course participants (n=85) was assessed by the number of those who published in Pubmed-indexed journals, and compared with their self-indicated peer controls (n=76). Results. Fourteen courses have been conducted since 2002, with a total of more than 300 attendees. The average scores were 4.5± 0.2 for the usefulness of the courses, 4.5± 0.2 for their interest, 4.5± 0.1 for information provided, and 4.4± 0.1 for the style of presentation. There was no significant difference in the proportion of participants and non-participants who published at least one paper, either before (P=0.146 ; χ ² -test), or after the course (P=0.156 ; χ ² -test). Conclusion. The interest in courses in planning scientific research and writing scientific articles among medical professionals in developing and transitional countries is considerably high. Such courses should be established and conducted locally, using personal contacts as the primary means of advertising.

science communication; teaching

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