Examples of Research Learning Contracts

The following are two examples of research learning contract for undergraduate research
experiences in the field of medical education.

Research Learning Contract 1

[Date]
[Student Names]
[Faculty Mentor’s Name]

Objective: The objective of my research will be to obtain perception of medical students that what
does stress, anxiety and burnout mean to them. What the most important manifestations which they
recognize as warning signs. And how do they address those.

Research Purpose: …Medical profession is very demanding. There is immense amount of

knowledge to be learnt and countless skills to be acquired in a specified timeframe. This puts
medical students at a high risk of being stresses, anxious and burnout. Research has also
highlighted that medical students among other university students are more vulnerable to these
phenomena. Considering this, we want to explore that how does stress, anxiety and burnout
manifest in medical students and how do they recognize and what measures do they take to address
their concerns.

Methods: A thorough literature search about the exact definitions, prevalence and manifestations of
these phenomena will help me to structure a questionnaire. This will help me to capture students’
perceptions, understandings and strategies to deal with stress, anxiety and burnout.

Personal Goals:

• To increase our understanding about stress, anxiety and burnout in medical students.
• To increase our understanding about varied presentations of stress, anxiety and burnout in
medical students.
• To learn the importance of mitigating these risks for a good state of mind.
• To learn to follow self-imposed timelines for a life long learner.
• To learn to work in teams with a shared understanding of goals achievement
• To learn the ethics and institutional regulations while doing research on human participants
• To learn research integrity while being honest, truthful and transparent with team members
• To aim to get my research proposal vetted by the ethics review committee for a possible
approval to conduct an actual research.
• To be able to absorb as much professional qualities and attributes of a reseracher

Research time: I will devote 4 hours on each Monday throughout the second semester for 14 weeks.
If needed and if my schedule allows it, I will devote more time to this elective..

Signatures
[Advisor]
[Student]
Research Learning Contract 2

To: [Faculty Advisor Name]

From: [Student Names]
Date
Subject: Work Contract and Tentative Schedule

Stress, anxiety and burnout are well known phenomenon in medical field. This can lead to serious
implications on mental and physical wellbeing of medical students and later as physicians. But only
minority of medical students are able to recognize and address these issues. My objectives are:

• To learn and understand the definitions and manifestations of stress, anxiety and burnout.
• To learn the reasons behind these
• To characterize the severity and differences among these
• To expand my understanding of their implications on physical and mental wellbeing of
medical students
• To submit my research proposal to REC for a possible approval to conduct my research in
summer

Time Week Planned Tasks

Meeting with the mentor and discussion of proposed topic

4 hours 1
Agreed ground rules

4 hours 3 Agreed and signed Learning contract

Literature search about the topic, and research proposal construction

4 hours 5
as per agreement*

4 hours 7 Initial layout of questionnaire*

4 hours 9 Devising participants information leaflet and consent form

4 hours 11 Filling out the Ethics form along with finalization of proposal.

4 hours 13 Submission to the Review ethics committee

*Note: Literature search and questionnaire construction may take a longer time. So a rearrangement
is the schedule will be warranted.
Signatures
[Student]
[Faculty Mentor]

Adapted from
Mabrouk PA. Research learning contracts: A useful tool for facilitating successful undergraduate research
experiences. CUR Q. 2003;21:26-30.