  Background: Researchers in developing countries often do not have access to
training on research writing. The purpose of this study was to test whether
researchers in Rwanda might complete and benefit from a pilot online course in
research writing. Methods: The pilot course was set up on Moodle, an
open-source online learning environment, and facilitated by the author. The
lessons and assignment were spread over six weeks, followed by a two-week
extension period. Twenty-eight faculty members of the National University of
Rwanda enrolled themselves in the course. Results: Twenty-five of the 28
learners completed the course. After the course, these learners expressed high
satisfaction, e.g, 24 of them felt that they were ready to write a research
paper for publication. Conclusion: The high completion rate (89%) is noteworthy
for two reasons: e-learning courses tend to have lower completion rates than
classroom courses, and 76% of the learners in the pilot course had not taken an
e-learning course before. This result and the positive feedback indicate that
online courses can benefit researchers in developing countries who may not have
access to classroom courses on research writing.
