Bridging the research gap in conflict-affected countries: a national study on medical students' research involvement and barriers in Yemen

This study presents a comprehensive national assessment of undergraduate medical students’ engagement in research activities within Yemen, a country affected by prolonged conflict and limited educational resources. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 1,387 medical students enrolled in ten Yemeni universities through a validated online questionnaire administered between November and December 2024. The survey explored key domains including demographic characteristics, prior research experience, knowledge and attitudes toward medical research, levels of participation, and perceived institutional and structural barriers.The findings highlight a clear gap between students’ positive attitudes toward research and their actual research involvement and knowledge. Although the majority of participants recognized the importance of research as a core component of medical education, only a small proportion had published research or actively participated in research writing. Overall research knowledge levels were low, with modest variation across academic years and no significant gender differences. Academic performance emerged as a significant predictor of both research knowledge and attitudes.