Table 1 Overview of all emerged themes and sub-themes

1 Research processes

1.1 Create research questions

1.2 Come up with methods

1.3 Gather data

1.4 Process data

1.5 Create results

1.6 Draw conclusions

1.7 Report

2 Research goals

2.1 Create new knowledge or refine existing knowledge

2.2 Solve problems

2.3 Answer questions

2.4 Find a given fact or pattern

2.5 Progress in science and healthcare

2.6 Development and improvement of medicines

2.7 Development and improvement of illness treatment

2.8 Better physicians

2.9 Improve work experience of physicians

2.10 Improve patient experience and trust

2.11 Improve organisation within the hospital

2.12 Intellectual development of physician-scientist

2.13 Prestigious for the career development of the physician-scientist

2.14 Improve education

3 Research characteristics

3.1 Hard

3.2 Detailed and careful

3.3 Intensive

3.4 Challenging

3.5 Large scaled

3.6 Useful

3.7 Additional obligations

3.8 Unilateral work environment

4 Research topics

4.1 Healthcare

4.2 Prevention

4.3 Organizational

5 Research requirements

5.1 Collaboration

5.2 Finance

5.3 Ethical approval

6 Motivating factors

6.1 Personal development

6.2 Acknowledgment or rewards

6.3 Contributing to knowledge or patient care

6.4 Curiosity

6.5 Different fun parts of conducting research

6.6 Variety

6.7 Ability to work independently

6.8 Topic

6.9 Opportunity to network

6.10 Possibilities to conduct research available

6.11 Research orientation

6.12 Collaboration

6.13 Inspiring role models

6.14 Need for extra challenge

7 Demotivating factors

7.1 Content

7.2 Other priorities

7.3 Lack of time

7.4 Mental pressure

7.5 Lack of support

7.6 Inadequate atmosphere or collaboration

7.7 Lack of or disappointing results

7.8 Lack of contribution

7.9 Difficulty

7.10 Gathering and processing of data

7.11 Statistics

7.12 Less attractive than clinical practice

7.13 Lack of autonomy

7.14 Misfit with personality