Do researchers have a correct impression of their knowledge translation?

• Main Authors: Saharnaz Nedjat, Mahnaz Ashoorkhani, Jaleh Gholami, Reza Majdzadeh
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research 2009-10-01
• Series: Payesh
• Subjects: knowledge utilization; self-administered questionnaire; university
• Online Access: http://payeshjournal.ir/article-1-602-en.html

Payesh2009; 8: 395-400Accepted for publication: 4 November 2008[EPub a head of print-29 August 2009] Objective(s): To assess researchers’ impression of their own knowledge translation.Methods: The survey questionnaire was completed by 208 researchers in Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). They were asked about knowledge translation activities in one of the projects they had completed. They were also asked to score themselves on a scale of 0 to 10, where a higher score meant more activity. The correlation between these two variables and its determinants were assessed by performing multiple linear regressions analysis.Results: Although the researchers had only gained an average of 19.5% of the maximum score of knowledge translation activities, they scored 58.6% of the total score in self-assessments (the difference was significant, P<0.001). Pearson’s correlation between the score of self-assessment and that obtained for the efforts made was 0.43, which indicates an average correlation between the rate of activity and self-assessment. Linear regression analysis showed that the difference between activities and self assessment scores increased with the increase in the number of years working as a professional (P=0.004).Conclusion: Researchers overestimate their knowledge translation activities. Therefore educating and familiarizing researchers with all the aspects of knowledge transfer and methods of assessing these activities can help in the application of research and also in utilizations of its results.