Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A pandemic has posed a major challenge to health systems all over the world. All countries have realized that the only way to get real growth and development and solve their problems is to use what they have learned from research. METHODS: A descriptive and analytic type of study was conducted with the help of experts in the field of health research. The components affecting the research system were obtained via process approach and content analysis methods, and then the position of each component was identified by the Mic Mac technique. RESULTS: Seventeen influential structural components in the health research system were identified. The leadership and management components had the most direct and indirect influence among other components. The health promotion component had a greater dependency than the other components. CONCLUSION: All health systems need to provide adequate financial resources and manpower to provide a useful research system. Human resources are the most important inputs to such a system. Components such as the research process, research sustainability, quality, or innovation in research can play a balancing role. Having the right infrastructures for creating, transferring, developing, and getting access to knowledge makes it possible to do systematic science. It is hoped that this science will be used in other results of the health research system, like improving the effectiveness or promoting health.