[2] When we consider the medical research scenario in India, we find that quality research in India is limited. The number of research articles published in this field are few. As per the data available till 2008, India holds inhibitor Vorinostat the twelfth rank among the productive countries in medicine research consisting of 65,745 articles with a global publication share of 1.59%.[3] There is also a need to improve the existing medical education system, to foster research culture. The medical education system in India does not incorporate research methodology as a part of the curriculum. It is seen that research programs in medical colleges get the lowest priority. There are a numbers of reasons, including lack of funding and manpower resources, responsible for the poor quality in research-oriented medical education.

[4] A study has shown that there are around 100,000 undergraduate medical students in India, out of whom just 0.9% of the students had shown interest in research through various research programs.[5] From this, it is clear that the inclination for research is poor among undergraduate medical students who are future resident doctors (postgraduate students). As per the Medical Council of India (MCI) requirements, resident doctors have to carry out a dissertation project as a part of their MD/MS curriculum. It is a common observation that a majority of resident doctors conduct research projects during the second or third years of residency.[6] In order to encourage research orientation in resident doctors, currently MCI has made it mandatory to not only attend one international/national conference, but also give an oral/poster presentation and send the article for publication.

[7] A review of literature showed that the data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices Entinostat toward medical research among resident doctors pursuing postgraduate studies in India, is enough lacking. It is felt that the existing level of knowledge and awareness among the second and third year resident doctors who have already conducted / are conducting at least one research study for their dissertation should be evaluated. So, we decided to undertake a cross-sectional study to assess research-related knowledge, attitude, and practices of resident doctors of a medical college affiliated to a tertiary care hospital in western India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ethics approval The study was commenced after obtaining permission from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional survey during the period between September and October 2010. Study participants Out of a total of 420 residents who were admitted to the MD/MS course, we enrolled 100 residents; pursuing their second and third years of residency, from all the specialties.