investigating the barriers and solutions to conducting research in covid-19 from the perspective of graduate students

Introduction: scientific research plays a critical role in improving health systems and social well-being; however, public health crises pose serious challenges to the research process, particularly for graduate students. this study aims to identify the barriers to conducting research during public health crises and propose potential solutions from the perspective of graduate students.materials and methods: this descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 among 210 graduate students at mazandaran university of medical sciences. data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing personal and organizational research barriers and proposed solutions. data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and spearman's correlation coefficient in spss version 27.results: results indicated that weakness in individual research skills (6.42 ± 25.10) was the most significant personal obstacle, while administrative obstacles (2.63 ± 16.49) were the main organizational barrier. motivational support for students received the highest solution score (2.97 ± 21.99). moreover, significant positive correlations were found between organizational and personal obstacles (r = 0.35, p = 0.001) and between appropriate solutions(r = 0.44, p = 0.001). gender, marital status, research background, and completion of a research methods course significantly influenced perceived barriersconclusion: the findings suggest that addressing research challenges during public health crises requires strengthening research skills, reducing administrative barriers, and providing adequate motivational and institutional support.