Priorities of Medical Education Research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences based on the model of World Health Organization-Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)

Background: Due to the variety and extent of health fields and the limitation of resources, as well as the inapplicability of many research activities, it is impossible to work in all research fields to respond to all needs of the society. The aim of this study was to determine the priorities of educational research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The process for determining research priorities was based on five principles including stakeholder participation, analysis of the existing situation and assessment of needs, specifying research topics, scoring based on criteria, and determining priorities based on maximum agreement. The priorities were based on the four domains of the COHRED model.Results: A total of 39 research topics were obtained; after scoring and analysis, 15 educational research topics were introduced as priority. The first priority was teaching clinical skills (44.95), the second and third research priorities were clinical reasoning skills (44.65) and professional competence of students (44.55).Conclusion: It is hoped that the identifying of educational research priorities, in addition to guiding the research proposals towards the real needs, attract the attention of policymakers, reviewers, and approvers of educational research projects. In this case, it can be used as a tool for the optimal use of limited financial resources for applicable projects.