Barriers to conducting and publishing research among nursing faculty members at Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aim: To identify barriers to conducting and publishing research among nursing faculty members at Shaqra University, Saudi Arabia. Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted on 12 nursing faculty members from two nursing colleges at Shaqra University, a public university located in Riyadh region, SA, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. Data were collected between September and October 2021 using semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using content analysis. Results: Three themes emerged in the study, namely (I) individual/personal barrier, (II) institutional barrier and (III) external factors. Barriers to conducting and publishing research included lack of time due to a high teaching load and lack of administrative and financial support. The present findings suggest that nursing faculty members in SA are facing many barriers hindering them from carrying out and publishing research activities. Such barriers need to be urgently addressed through different strategies, including allocating facilities and funds for research, motivating faculty members towards research, and ongoing education and training on research.