Ha. Pincus et al., RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF FULL-TIME FACULTY IN ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS OF PSYCHIATRY, Archives of general psychiatry, 50(8), 1993, pp. 657-664
Using data collected by a 1989 American Psychiatric Association survey
of full-time, salaried faculty in departments of psychiatry at US med
ical schools, we examined the number of faculty engaged in research, t
heir levels of involvement in research, distribution, sources of fundi
ng, fields and topics studied, and training. Using a three-level measu
re of research involvement, we categorized 39.1% of the respondents as
''researchers,'' 36% as ''limited commitment researchers,'' and 25.1%
as not involved in research. In a pattern similar to that observed fo
r research funding in other studies, half of the researchers were conc
entrated in the top 15 of the 116 responding departments. Level of res
earch involvement varied by degree type (joint-program MD/PhDs were mo
st involved), sources of funding, fields, and topics. Among faculty wi
th MDs, having had research experiences in medical school or postdocto
ral research training was associated with a higher level of research i
nvolvement. The findings underscore the need to expand and improve pos
tdoctoral research training-especially for MDs-and programs to recruit
college and medical students into psychiatric research.