Comparative evaluation of thesis structure in two point time of 2006-2010 and 2011-2015, school of medical, Isfahan university of medical sciences, Iran

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed to compare the quality changes of medical students’ thesis before and after implementation of new thesis regulations. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 theses that were written during 2006-2010 and 100 theses from 2011 till 2015 were selected and the quality and quantity of them were assessed based on the university regulations. All data were collected using special questionnaire and then were analyzed using SPSS software. Findings: Type of study, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size and adjustment of tables and figures with text content were the most completed parts during the both periods. In contrast, results and discussions were the most incomplete ones during 2006-2010; these parts had improved significantly during the period 2011-2016. Conclusion: According to the present study, the medical students’ theses had no acceptable quality and were not adjusted with new university regulations. They had poor quality in content and were not up-to-date; however, we saw some improvements since 2011-2016 in different aspects of thesis. Still, it is necessary to qualify the studies by precise assessment and introducing better consultation to students, especially in scientific and statistics fields. © 2016, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.