ObjectivesTo enhance equity in clinical and epidemiological research, it is crucial to understand researchers' motivations for conducting equity-relevant studies. Therefore, we evaluated author motivations in a randomly selected sample of equity-relevant observational studies.Study design and settingWe searched MEDLINE for studies from 2020-2022, resulting in 16,828 citations. We randomly selected 320 studies purposefully sampled across income setting (high vs low-middle-income), COVID-19 topic (vs non-COVID-19) and focus on populations experiencing inequities. Of those, 206 explicitly mentioned motivations which we analyzed thematically. We then used discourse analysis to investigate the reasons behind emerging motivations.ResultsWe identified the following motivations: 1) examining health disparities, 2) tackling social determinants to improve access, and 3) addressing knowledge gaps in health equity. Discourse analysis revealed that motivations are likely due to concern for social justice and acknowledging the need to emphasize it in research. Other discourses include aspiring to improve healthcare efficiency, wanting to understand cause-effect relationships, and seeking to contribute to an equitable evidence base.ConclusionsUnderstanding why researchers assess health equity can aid in developing guidance for health equity that tailors to authors’ needs. We will take authors' motivations into account when developing and sharing equity guidance to meet their needs.