Why you should read this article

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To understand the barriers and facilitators to research engagement for healthcare staff

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To learn about the factors that can predict staff members’ interest in engaging with research

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To consider how staff interest in research engagement could be increased in your area of practice

Research in learning disability teams is crucial to ensure effective and high-quality care. This article details a service evaluation that aimed to assess the relationship between staff interest and staff involvement in research. It also aimed to investigate whether staff interest can be predicted by three other factors that affect engagement in research – support, confidence and time. A ten-item survey about research attitudes was distributed to 154 staff members in five adult learning disability teams based in the community in one NHS trust, and 80 of these staff members responded. An exploratory groupwise t-test found that staff interest in conducting research is significantly related to staff involvement in research, with those involved reporting more interest. Regression modelling found that confidence was the sole predictor of interest in research; therefore, future studies could examine the role of staff confidence in developing interest in research. Further studies are required to understand how to increase research activity in learning disability services.