Publication:

Understanding the researcher roadblocks: a systematic review protocol on challenges to medical research in India

Background Conducting medical research is important for enhancing healthcare outcomes and informing policy decisions. In India, medical researchers face multiple barriers that may impact their ability to conduct research in an efficient manner. This systematic review intends to identify and synthesis the barriers faced by medical researchers in India.

Methods This review will be conducted according to the PICo framework, considering population, phenomenon of interest, and context. The population will be medical researchers in India working across various institutions. The phenomenon of interest will be the challenges faced while conducting medical research. The context will include all individual, public and private research organisations in India. A comprehensive search strategy will be designed and carried out across various databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and grey literature sources. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts and full text using Rayyan, and quality assessment using appropriate tools such as COREQ, JBI, RoB 2, or ROBINS-I, based on the study design. Data extraction will be carried out using a standardised form. Qualitative data will be meta-aggregated, and quantitative data will be meta-analysed where homogeneity is feasible; otherwise, it will be narratively synthesised.

Conclusions This review will be conducted according to the PICo framework, considering population, phenomenon of interest, and context. The population will be medical researchers in India working across various institutions. The phenomenon of interest will be the challenges faced while conducting medical research. The context will include all individual, public and private research organisations in India. A comprehensive search strategy will be designed and carried out across various databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and grey literature sources. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts and full text using Rayyan, and quality assessment using appropriate tools such as COREQ, JBI, RoB 2, or ROBINS-I, based on the study design. Data extraction will be carried out using a standardised form. Qualitative data will be meta-aggregated, and quantitative data will be meta-analysed where homogeneity is feasible; otherwise, it will be narratively synthesised. Trial registration: This systematic review has been registered prospectively with PROSPERO under CRD420251038583.