Publication in peer-reviewed journals is integral to advancing nursing science, evidence-based practice, and professional growth (Manal, 2023; Fashafsheh et al, 2020). Despite this, nursing teachers often struggle with academic publishing due to a lack of mentorship, inadequate research infrastructure, and ethical concerns (Sethapong et al, 2023; Bahadori et al, 2016). Understanding the level of knowledge and barriers among nursing teachers is essential to designing interventions that will foster a stronger research culture in nursing education. Publishing in indexed journals is an essential academic responsibility of nursing educators, as it advances nursing science, promotes evidencebased practice and ultimately improves patient outcomes (Publishing ethics; Gunawan et al, 2021) and rectitude.

In the Indian context, nursing faculty often face significant barriers to research publication, including limited time, inadequate institutional support, and insufficient training in research methodology and academic writing. Assessing the level of knowledge and perceived barriers among nursing teachers is crucial for developing targeted interventions, such as training programmes, mentorship initiatives, and institutional policy reforms (Manal, 2023; Sethapong et al, 2023).

Review of Literature
Manal (2023) explored barriers to conducting and publishing research among nursing faculty in Saudi Arabia. They identified insufficient institutional support, lack of funding, absence of research assistants, and inadequate access to scholarly resources (Hakami, 2023).

In a comparative descriptive study on nurses’ perceptions of barriers to research utilisation in hospitals Fashafsheh et al (2020) found that time constraints due to heavy workloads, lack of administrative support, and inadequate access to research resources were major hindrances.

Sethapong et al (2023) discussed how an inadequate understanding of publication ethics compromises research credibility and limits acceptance in high-standard international journals.

Rajeshwari et al (2023) assessed knowledge regarding publication ethics among medical and dental faculty. The authors reported gaps in understanding research methodology, statistical analysis, and ethical standards.

Bahadori et al (2016) examined nurses’ perspectives on applying research findings in clinical settings. They noted limited awareness of ethical issues in research publications, including plagiarism, authorship disputes, and conflicts of interest, which could result in unintentional ethical violations.

In their study, Gunawan et al (2021) found that the lack of research infrastructure, mentorship, institutional incentives, and clear guidelines significantly hinder the motivation of nursing educators to pursue scholarly publications, and that without systematic changes, nursing research remains underutilised, impacting evidence-based practice and the advancement of nursing science.

Objectives
The study was carried out with the objectives to

(1) evaluate the level of knowledge on research publication and ethics,

(2) identify perceived barriers faced by nursing teachers, and

(3) analyse associations between demographic variables and knowledge/barriers.

Material and Methods
The study adopted a quantitative non-experimental research approach. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed. The sample was collected by using Cochran’s formula. The study utilised a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Research variables were knowledge of nursing teachers regarding research publication and publication ethics, and perceived barriers of nursing teachers regarding research publication and publication ethics.

Participants were 76 nursing teachers from 23 nursing teaching institutions across four regions of India (North, South, East, and West). Institutions were selected through non-probability convenience sampling, based on accessibility and voluntary participation. The teachers within selected institutions were also selected by convenience sampling, with no exclusion criteria other than consent to participate.

Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire (Google Forms) consisting of three sections: Demographics, a 12-item knowledge questionnaire and a 12-item three-point rating scale on perceived barriers. The link was distributed via email and social media platforms, and responses were collected over four weeks. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was ensured. Content validity was established by five experts. A Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.82 makes the tool reliable.

Results
Age-wise, around one-third of the teachers (39.5%) were in the age group of 31- 40 years. As for educational qualification, 53.9 percent had an MSc degree. Regarding the number of publications, 85.5 percent of the teachers had 1 to 5 numbers of publications. In terms of designation, the majority of the teachers (27.6%) were clinical instructors. In the context of the number of studies conducted, 61.8 percent had conducted 1-5 number of studies. With regard to total years of experience, 39.5 percent had a total of 6-15 years of teaching experience. It was also observed that 88.2 percent had an exposure to conferences/webinars on research publication. Regarding the place of residence, over a third of the teachers (39.5%) belonged to the southern region of India.

Further, it was found that 43.4 percent of the teachers had a moderate level of knowledge regarding research publication and Publication Ethics. It was also seen that the majority of the nursing teachers (55.2%) had a strong level of perceived barriers in relation to the barriers regarding research publication and publication ethics. It was observed that the number of publications (p=0.021) had a statistically significant association with the level of perceived barriers regarding research publication and publication ethics among the nursing teachers at p<0.05 level of significance (Table 1).

 

References