Research Capacity Building In The Rural Health Workplace

Abstract

Introduction: Workplace-based research capacity building can assist the development of research capability and capacity in rural areas where access to university expertise is limited. Rural health complexities and the diverse approaches previously used to build research capacity have led to a lack of clarity about how to build research capacity within rural health services.

Goals and Methods: Using a critical realist foundation, this thesis explored workplace-based rural research training and synthesises five studies centred in rural New South Wales, Australia: a case study, content analysis of strategic documents, survey-based research and two qualitative studies. Critical realism allowed the exploration of structural supports and barriers for workplace-based research training activities and the ability of individuals to pursue research activities within rural health workplaces.

Results: The component studies showed that rural research training programs improve individual research capability by developing research skill, increasing research experience and facilitating research networks across sectors. Rural research activities are characterised by individual agency and partnering or relationships to access support and expertise. Structural barriers such as a lack of operational planning for research and limited ongoing research opportunities limit the translation of capability into research capacity.

Conclusions: Individual workplace-based research training is effective, but not sufficient to build and maintain research capacity. Structural supports such as organisational commitment and careful training design, combined with awareness of the learning context for the individual, can maximise cooperative partnerships with education partners. Addressing both structural and individual factors is needed to build rural health research capacity and create the environment required to generate real-world health research which drives meaningful improvements in rural health.