Correlates of research output: the case of public universities in Uganda

Abstract

This study was occasioned by serious concern and a lot of criticism about the quality and quantity of research output in Public Universities in Uganda. The research function in Public Universities in Uganda seems to have not been given enough consideration and appears to be overlooked and research policy implementation at national and university levels appears to be flawed. Research output published in print and on the internet is scanty and far between. Theses and dissertations by lecturers and students are neither widely read nor published. The purpose of the study was to analyse, investigate and asses the correlates of research output in Public Universities in Uganda. A survey was carried out in Makerere University (MAK) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) representing all Public Universities in the country. The study was guided by the following objectives: 1. To analyse the relationship between financial resources and research output in Public Universities in Uganda. 2. To investigate the relationship between human resources and research output in Public Universities in Uganda. 3. To assess the relationship between physical resources and research output in Public Universities in Uganda. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design with the representative sample elements from population. Data was collected once and extrapolated inferentially to the whole population. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed for the study. The study results revealed that there was positive significant relationship between the financial resources and research output; a very strong positive significant relationship between human resources and research output and a positive significant relationship between physical resources and research output in Public Universities in Uganda. It was recommended that the government as a matter of serious policy must inject in adequate funds into the research function of its universities and universities must adopt policies where they generate money to run their research activities. Public Universities must fix their own realistic fees according to market forces. Universities with the help of government should recruit, maintain, sustain and motivate academic capable of carrying out research on and supervise students’ research projects. The Government of Uganda must meet the market price of Professors and Lecturers to motivate them attract those in the Diaspora and to curb brain drain syndrome and lastly there is need to provide proper infrastructure, obtain, maintain and utilize physical resources which are compliant with the 21st century so as to produce research output which can match world standards.