3.4 Guidelines
Several barriers to continuing research have been identified including time constraints from personal and professional duties, statistical knowledge deficits, and a lack of interest.9
Research requires dedication and planning; through the early development of time management skills and prioritization, potential otolaryngologists can prepare themselves to deal with time constraints. In a culture of research for the sake of building a competitive CV, it is important to consider one’s motivation for research.7 By finding mentors to spark interest or by searching earnestly, one can develop an interest in research and acquire the necessary skills to build a robust academic medicine career. Mentorship can help better understand why research is so important for patient care and how it impacts one’s future practice as well.
It is also important to equip oneself with publishing strategies. In addition to the volume of produced works, other characteristics such as quality, availability, and accessibility should be considered when publishing.21 A legible and well-written article attracts more attention and has a higher likelihood of being published in a visible and prestigious journal.21 Due to the formula of the h-index, the longer a paper has been published and available, the more likely it will have been cited. The h-index also does not depreciate overtime, meaning the longer a researcher has been active, the higher the index value. In addition to this, residents who published as first authors before starting their program were more likely to continue publishing during their residency.7This shows that the earlier exposure one has with publications, even before residency, could help compound one’s investment in their h-index scores overtime.