Perceived barriers to scholarship and research among pharmacy practice faculty: survey report from the AACP Scholarship/Research Faculty Development Task Force.

Abstract

To identify problems that pharmacy practice faculty members face in pursuing scholarship and to develop and recommend solutions. Department chairs were asked to forward a Web-based survey instrument to their faculty members. Global responses and responses stratified by demographics were summarized and analyzed. Between 312 and 340 faculty members answered questions that identified barriers to scholarship and recommended corrective strategies to these barriers. The most common barrier was insufficient time (57%), and the most common recommendation was for help to "identify a research question and how to answer it." Sixty percent reported that scholarship was required for advancement but only 32% thought scholarship should be required. Forty-one percent reported that the importance of scholarship is overemphasized. These survey results provide guidance to improve the quantity and quality of scholarship for faculty members who wish to pursue scholarship, although many of the survey respondents indicated they did not regard scholarship as a priority.