Scientific papers presented at the European Congress of Radiology 2000: publication rates and characteristics during the period 2000-2004

The publication fate of abstracts awarded prizes at European Society of Paediatric Radiology annual scientific meetings

BACKGROUND

The European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) awards prizes for outstanding work presented at their annual scientific meetings. The proportion of ESPR prize-winning abstracts to journal publications is not known. Contextualising abstract-to-publication proportions by evaluating publication experience can yield valuable insights and actionable outcomes to support researchers in overcoming barriers to journal publication.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the abstract-to-publication proportion of prize-winning ESPR abstracts and prize-winning authors' experience of publishing in Pediatric Radiology, the affiliated journal of the ESPR and other specialist international paediatric radiology societies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed was searched for titles of ESPR prize-winning abstracts from 1977 (the year of first award) up to and including 2021, where the presenter was either first or co-author, and the article was published 2 years before or after the presentation year. If not found, a general internet search was performed. Titles of all retrieved articles were evaluated for inclusion. A survey was distributed to all ESPR prize winners to better understand their experiences around journal submission.

RESULTS

Over 44 years, 108 prizes were awarded. The prize-winning abstract-to-publication proportion was significantly higher (59.3%, OR=2.10, P=0.012) than the recently published pediatric radiology "abstract to publication rate" (41.9% from 2013-2016). Moreover, prize winners were more than twice as likely than to achieve journal publication (OR=2.10), and as first author (OR=1.33). The majority of awardees published their work as first author (52/64, 81.3%): the first-author abstract-to-publication proportion was not significantly higher than the paediatric radiology "abstract-to-publication rate" (48.1%, OR=0.33, P=0.330). Sixty-four survey responses were received (59.3%, out of a total 108 awarded prizes). Just over 20% of prize-winning work was published in Pediatric Radiology, with 41.5% of respondents reporting a good to excellent submission experience.

CONCLUSION

Prize-winning and first-author abstract-to-publication proportions are higher for ESPR-awarded abstracts than the most recently reported paediatric radiology "abstract-to-publication rate", suggesting that prizes are either awarded to work most likely to be published or that being awarded a prize encourages publication. Given that just over 40% of prize-winning abstracts remain unpublished, the ESPR should do more to support and encourage all authors to publish their work.

Gender and Racial Diversity in Relation to Publication Rates at the Canadian Association of Radiology Annual Scientific Meetings 2016 to 2019

Purpose: To determine the overall rate of publication of abstracts presented at the 2016 to 2019 Canadian Association of Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting (CAR ASM), with an emphasis on gender and racial diversity. Methods: Abstracts from publicly available past programs were analyzed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for publication status, time to publication (TTP), author affiliation, and journal of publication. Past programs were used to determine the abstract format, abstract category, and the subspecialty and imaging modalities explored. First author demographics were identified using the Namsor software. Results: Four hundred and sixty-two abstract presentations were included in the analysis with an overall conversion rate of 34.63%. Two hundred and ninety-two (63.2%) of the first-authors were male-identified, of which 104 (35.62%) were published. In contrast, 170 (36.8%) were female-identified, of which 56 (32.94%) were published. Additionally, 50.87% first-authors were identified as white, 38.31% asian, 6.06% black, 4.76% latino, and 0.00% indigenous. While diversity was seen in demographics, 60% of publications had a white first-author. The following conversion rates were found: 40.85% white, 30.51% asian, 25% black, and 13.64% latino. In terms of abstract category, radiologist-in-training had the highest conversion rate at 60.71%. The median TTP was 14 months, with an average impact factor of 5.26. Conclusion: Less than half of abstracts at the 2016 to 2019 CAR ASM were published and both gender and racial disparities in relation to conversion rates were identified. Measures to improve publication rates and overall diversity in Radiology are warranted.

Fixing the anesthesia research crisis in Japan

To explore the current status of anesthesia research activity in Japan, we analyzed the number of abstracts presented at the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (JSA) annual meetings by several factors including gender, society branches, and subspecialty categories. The number of abstracts at JSA annual meetings has declined sharply since 2016 with no gender gap. A decrease in the neurological field predated the overall decline, but other subspecialty categories showed a similar decline. Although the Tokyo, Tokai-Hokuriku, and Kyushu branches were responsible for more than half of the reduction, the trend was similar among all branches. In a survey regarding academic activities of university hospital residents and faculty, Ph.D. aspirants' rate was only 20-30%. Residents had never presented an abstract at scientific conferences and never published any papers at nearly 40% and 30% of the university hospitals, respectively. Our survey suggests that junior anesthetists are losing interest in research. Senior faculty and mentors must redouble efforts to embed and encourage research in departments and by anesthetists in training. If a revival of anesthesia research in Japan does not occur then a service only specialty awaits.

Presentation to publication: Changes in paediatric radiology research trends 2010-2016

BACKGROUND

More than half of paediatric radiology research presented at annual conference meetings between 2010-2012 remains unpublished. It is unclear if there are any improvements in this statistic despite some initiatives to improve awareness of the importance of evidence-based medicine.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the abstract to publication rates (APRs) originating from recent paediatric radiology meetings, trends in research topics and factors associated with publication success.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All PubMed cited articles originating from oral presentations at European Society of Paediatric Radiology, Society for Paediatric Radiology or International Paediatric Radiology conferences between 2013-2016 were evaluated, and compared to those from previously published data from the same conferences dated 2010-2012. Publication rates, study design and topic as well as characteristics of the research group (e.g., author affiliations and number) were evaluated and compared between published and unpublished groups.

RESULTS

The APR increased to 433/937 (46%) for abstracts presented between 2013-2016, compared to 300/715 (42%) in 2010-2012 (P=0.094). The largest proportion of publications comes from academic and tertiary centres (324/433 [75%]). International collaboration increased to 49/433 (11%) from 18/300 (6%) in 2010-2012 (P=0.018). A greater proportion of work was published within 12 months of conference: 41% in 2013-2016, compared to 29% in 2010-2012 (P=0.02). Paediatric Radiology remained the most popular destination journal, publishing 167/433 (39%) articles.

CONCLUSION

There was a slight increase over time in the proportion of abstracts that resulted in publication, yet more than half of abstracts still do not reach publication status. Further work should identify how radiologists (particularly those outside tertiary and academic centres) can be supported to share their research.

Research on Research: Publication of Projects Presented at Medical Imaging Research Days Across Canada

OBJECTIVE

Twenty-one previous studies have shown a mean presentation to publication conversion rates at radiology conferences of 26%. There have been no prior studies on publication of medical imaging residency research presentations. Our objective was to determine how many medical imaging resident research projects presented at internal program research days across Canada go on to publication.

METHODS

A list of unique medical imaging resident research presentations given at program research days during the 2012-2013 to 2016-2017 academic years was generated via e-mail contact of programs or review of publicly available data on program websites. Unique resident presentations were identified and publications associated with these presentations were sought via database and Internet searching. The number of publications, publishing journals, and time to publication was determined.

RESULTS

Data from 32 research days at 7 programs were assessed. A total of 287 resident presentations were identified. Of these 287 presentations, 99 had associated publications (34% presentation to publication conversation rate), with variation in presentation numbers and publication conversion rates between schools. These 99 presentations were associated with a total of 118 publications in a total of 57 different journals. Time from presentation to publication was calculable for 109 of the 118 articles. Fifteen (14%) were published before research day and 94 (86%) were published after research day with a mean time to publication of 12.3 ± 13.6 months for all articles.

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty-four percent of resident research presentations at Canadian medical imaging program research days go on to publication.

Abstract to publication rate: Do all the papers presented in conferences see the light of being a full publication?

BACKGROUND

Every year the scientific sessions of Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS) are marked by presentation of free papers, posters, and award paper sessions, which are usually meant for presentation of new research which is not yet published. Hence, it is expected that these papers will be published in near future so that the scientific literature is distributed and shared with wider audience.

AIM

This paper aims to evaluate the abstract to publication rate of papers presented during ANCIPS in the years 2012-2014.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this study, all the free papers, posters, and award papers presented during the ANCIPS of 2012-2014 were listed, and electronic searches were carried out to search for published articles. In addition, one of the authors of papers not found in the electronic searches were contacted through E-mail.

RESULTS

A total of 1081 papers were presented during the ANCIPS in the 3 year period under study. Of these, 64 were award papers, 622 were free papers, and 395 were posters. Majority (n = 807; 74.6%) of these could be categorized as research data-based presentations; this was followed by case reports/series (203; 18.8%), review of literature (n = 35; 3.3%), and others (n = 36; 3.3%). Overall, only 27% of the papers were published after at least 5 years of the presentation. Of all the award papers, 69.6% of papers were published, whereas only 26.8% of free oral papers and 22.5% of free posters were published. About half (45.6%) of the papers were published in national journals. In terms of indexing, among those which were published, 62.8% were published in Medline-indexed (PubMed-listed) Journals with a mean impact factor of 1.

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that only 27% of the abstracts presented during the ANCIPS are ultimately published as full text articles in the next 5 years.

Who? What? Where? A snapshot of Nuclear Medicine Research Presentations from recent ANZSNM conferences in Australia and New Zealand

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to: 1) discover location (by city) of contributors to poster and oral presentations at recent ANZSNM conferences; 2) determine the nuclear medicine themes most commonly explored; 3) establish institutions producing the highest number of oral and poster abstracts and 4) determine publication rates of conference abstracts to full papers from recent ANZSNM conferences.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of abstracts published in the Internal Medicine Journal Special Issues 2014-2019 identified 614 abstracts. Invited plenary speaker abstracts were excluded. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. Conference abstracts were analysed using the following criteria: poster or oral presentation, author/s, city location, hospital and subject matter. Themes defined by the ANZSNM conference committee for abstract submission were: cardiology, oncology, neurology, therapy, renal/urology, gastrointestinal, paediatrics, musculoskeletal, infection/inflammation, technology, physics, radiation safety, radiopharmacy/radiochemistry, education, or general. Retrospective analysis of 555 conference abstracts (excluding New Zealand and International, 59 abstracts) using Google Scholar, Pubmed and Google databases was undertaken. Abstract titles, key words, institutions and/or authors' names were used to find peer-reviewed papers. Identified papers were authenticated through either open access, publicly available author information or Monash University's library access. Published paper citations were also recorded (up to 1st July 2019).

RESULTS

Analysis of 614 abstracts 2014 - 2019 was performed. Over five years, the average number of poster abstracts was 67.8 and oral 55.0. Sydney submitted the highest number of poster abstracts, while Melbourne the highest number of oral abstracts. Most popular abstract theme was oncology for both poster and oral abstracts. Publications found had in excess of 1250 citations.One hundred and one publications from one hundred and seven conference presentations were identified, distributed across sixty journals. Conference presentation to full publication rate was 18.2%; excluding 2019 conference abstracts the rate was 21.5%.

CONCLUSION

Publishing research findings is a challenging process. A retrospective analysis of research presented at recent ANZSNM conferences by abstract content was undertaken, with conference presentation to full publication rate found to be at the lower end of reported literature findings.

What happens to global health research: analysis of the full-length publication rates of research abstracts presented at two major global health conferences

BACKGROUND

Global health research has been expanding rapidly. The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) and Global Health and Innovation Conference (GHIC) are the two major conferences for global health research. It is unclear how much of the presented research goes on to full-length publication.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine publication rates and journals of CUGH and GHIC research.

METHODS

A total of 1449 abstracts from CUGH and GHIC from 2014 to 2015 were searched by title, author and keywords using Google Scholar and PubMed. Publications were categorised according to WHO Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) categories.

RESULTS

Research was published in 293 journals at a rate of 34.0%, within an average of 15.1 months. The 15 MEDLINE indexed global health journals accounted for just 5.5% of publications.

DISCUSSION

Despite growth in global health research, publication rates from the two major conferences are low. The majority of publications in journals are not MEDLINE indexed global health journals. Improved publication and consolidation of global health research is critical.

CONCLUSION

Global health conference publication rates are low. Effective dissemination is critical as the field grows. This may require increased publishing support, improved indexing and consolidation of global health research.

Subsequent Publication of Radiological Society of North America Education Exhibits After Solicitation by RadioGraphics

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the rate of subsequent publication of education exhibits solicited by RadioGraphics at the 2013 and 2014 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meetings in PubMed-indexed journals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The 2013 and 2014 RSNA meeting programs were reviewed, and all solicited education exhibits were recorded. The PubMed database was searched from 2013 to 2018 to identify peer-reviewed articles published in PubMed-indexed journals that were based upon 2013 and 2014 education exhibits.

RESULTS

Of 2213 education exhibits at the 2013 meeting, 219 (9.9%) were solicited by RadioGraphics, of which 133 (60.7%) have been subsequently published in 25 PubMed-indexed journals. Of 2151 education exhibits at the 2014 meeting, 190 (8.8%) were solicited by RadioGraphics, of which 132 (69.5%) have been subsequently published in 24 PubMed-indexed journals. Among subsequently published education exhibits, most appeared in RadioGraphics for both the 2013 (n = 82; 61.2%) and 2014 (n = 101; 75.9%) meetings.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 65% of education exhibits solicited by RadioGraphics from the 2013 and 2014 RSNA meetings were subsequently published in PubMed-indexed journals within 4-5 years of solicitation. More articles were published in RadioGraphics than in any other journal. These publication rates compare favorably to previously reported scientific abstract subsequent publication rates at major medical society meetings.

Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts

BACKGROUND

Abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings are usually available only in conference proceedings. If subsequent full publication of results reported in these abstracts is based on the magnitude or direction of the results, publication bias may result. Publication bias creates problems for those conducting systematic reviews or relying on the published literature for evidence about health and social care.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review reports of studies that have examined the proportion of meeting abstracts and other summaries that are subsequently published in full, the time between meeting presentation and full publication, and factors associated with full publication.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index, reference lists, and author files. The most recent search was done in February 2016 for this substantial update to our earlier Cochrane Methodology Review (published in 2007).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included reports of methodology research that examined the proportion of biomedical results initially presented as abstracts or in summary form that were subsequently published. Searches for full publications had to be at least two years after meeting presentation.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We calculated the proportion of abstracts published in full using a random-effects model. Dichotomous variables were analyzed using risk ratio (RR), with multivariable models taking into account various characteristics of the reports. We assessed time to publication using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

Combining data from 425 reports (307,028 abstracts) resulted in an overall full publication proportion of 37.3% (95% confidence interval (CI), 35.3% to 39.3%) with varying lengths of follow-up. This is significantly lower than that found in our 2007 review (44.5%. 95% CI, 43.9% to 45.1%). Using a survival analyses to estimate the proportion of abstracts that would be published in full by 10 years produced proportions of 46.4% for all studies; 68.7% for randomized and controlled trials and 44.9% for other studies. Three hundred and fifty-three reports were at high risk of bias on one or more items, but only 32 reports were considered at high risk of bias overall.Forty-five reports (15,783 abstracts) with 'positive' results (defined as any 'significant' result) showed an association with full publication (RR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.40), as did 'positive' results defined as a result favoring the experimental treatment (RR =1.17; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.28) in 34 reports (8794 abstracts). Results emanating from randomized or controlled trials showed the same pattern for both definitions (RR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32 (15 reports and 2616 abstracts) and RR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.32 (13 reports and 2307 abstracts), respectively.Other factors associated with full publication include oral presentation (RR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.40 to 1.52; studied in 143 reports with 115,910 abstracts); acceptance for meeting presentation (RR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.48 to 1.85; 22 reports with 22,319 abstracts); randomized trial design (RR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.67; 47 reports with 28,928 abstracts); and basic research (RR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.74 to 0.82; 92 reports with 97,372 abstracts). Abstracts originating at an academic setting were associated with full publication (RR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.34 to 1.92; 34 reports with 16,913 abstracts), as were those considered to be of higher quality (RR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.73; 12 reports with 3364 abstracts), or having high impact (RR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.82; 11 reports with 6982 abstracts). Sensitivity analyses excluding reports that were abstracts themselves or classified as having a high risk of bias did not change these findings in any important way.In considering the reports of the methodology research that we included in this review, we found that reports published in English or from a native English-speaking country found significantly higher proportions of studies published in full, but that there was no association with year of report publication. The findings correspond to a proportion of abstracts published in full of 31.9% for all reports, 40.5% for reports in English, 42.9% for reports from native English-speaking countries, and 52.2% for both these covariates combined.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

More than half of results from abstracts, and almost a third of randomized trial results initially presented as abstracts fail to be published in full and this problem does not appear to be decreasing over time. Publication bias is present in that 'positive' results were more frequently published than 'not positive' results. Reports of methodology research written in English showed that a higher proportion of abstracts had been published in full, as did those from native English-speaking countries, suggesting that studies from non-native English-speaking countries may be underrepresented in the scientific literature. After the considerable work involved in adding in the more than 300 additional studies found by the February 2016 searches, we chose not to update the search again because additional searches are unlikely to change these overall conclusions in any important way.

Conversion of Skeletal Society of Radiology annual meeting abstracts to publications in 2010-2015

Background

Material presented at conferences is meant to provide exposure to ongoing research that could affect medical decision making based on future outcomes. It is important then to evaluate the rates of publication from conference presentations as a measure of academic quality as such research has undergone peer review and journal acceptance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the fate of abstracts presented at the Skeletal Society of Radiology Annual Meetings from 2010-2015.

Materials and Methods

Conference abstracts were searched using Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed (which includes Medline) to locate the corresponding published reports. The data recorded for published studies included date published online, in print, or both; the journal in which it was published; and the 5-year journal impact factor. When an abstract was not confirmed as published, authors were contacted by email to verify its publication status or, if not published, the reason for nonpublication.

Results

A total of 162 abstracts were published out of 320 presented (50.6%) at the SSR conferences from 2010 to 2015 with 59.9% (85/142) of publications occurring within two years of the conference date (not counting abstracts published prior to conference). Mean time to publication was 19 months and is calculated by excluding the 20 (12.3%) abstracts that were published prior to the conference date. The median time to publication is 13 months (25th-75th percentile: 6.25-21.75). The top two journals publishing research studies from this conference were Skeletal Radiology and The American Journal of Roentgenology. These journals accepted 72 of the 162 (44.4%) studies for publication. Of the 14 authors who responded with 17 reasons for not publishing, the most common reasons were lack of time (7-41.2%), results not important enough (4-23.5%), publication not an aim (3-17.6%), and lack of resources (3-17.6%).

Discussion

At least half of the abstracts presented at the annual meeting for the Society of Skeletal Radiology are accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The majority (59.9%) of these publications were achieved within two years of the conference presentation. The rate at which presentations are published and the journals that accept the abstracts can potentially be used to compare the importance and quality of information at conferences.

Publication rates of abstracts presented at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists annual scientific meetings: Any change since 2004?

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at annual Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) conferences.

METHODS

The College's Annual Scientific Meetings (ASMs) from 2010 to 2013 were examined, with the goal of comparing these results to the findings of an earlier identical study that examined RANZCR ASMs from 1996 to 1999.

RESULTS

Of the 1152 research abstracts presented, 468 (41%) had been published as full articles. The overall abstract to publication ratio (APR) for radiology was 34% and for radiation oncology was 57%. For oral presentations, these were 44% for radiology and 55% for radiation oncology. Papers were published in a wide variety of journals but 23% of articles appeared in the College's journal, the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology. The mean time between presentation and publication was 16.5 months (median 17 months).

CONCLUSION

Publication rates are comparable with international reports. The APR has increased since the previous study for both disciplines, but more so for Radiation Oncology.

Publication rates of abstracts presented at major interventional radiology conferences

PURPOSE

We aimed to determine the publication rate and factors predictive of publication of oral presentations at the annual meetings of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Society of Europe (CIRSE) and the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR).

METHODS

Keywords and authors from oral presentation abstracts at the 2012 CIRSE and SIR annual meetings were used to search PubMed and GoogleScholar for subsequent publication. Logistic regression was performed to identify whether number of authors, country of origin, subject category, methodology, study type, and/or study results were predictive of publication.

RESULTS

A total of 421 abstracts (CIRSE-126, SIR-295) met the inclusion criteria. The overall publication rate across both conferences was 44.9%. Time from conference presentation to publication was 15±8.9 months for CIRSE and 16.3±8.8 months for SIR (P > 0.05), with a combined time interval of 15.9±8.8 months for both. The median impact factor of published abstracts was 2.075 (interquartile range, 2.075-2.775) for CIRSE and 2.093 (2.075-2.856) for SIR (P > 0.05). The most common country of origin for published abstracts was Germany (27.1%) at CIRSE and the United States (69%) at SIR. Logistic regression did not identify factors that were predictive of future publication.

CONCLUSION

Publication rates were similar for CIRSE and SIR. Factors such as country of origin, topic of study and study results were not predictive of future publication. Authors should not be discouraged from submitting their work to journals based on these factors.

The fate of abstracts presented at Turkish national radiology congresses in 2010-2012

PURPOSE

This study aims to evaluate the analysis and publication rates of abstracts presented at the Turkish National Radiology meetings in 2010-2012.

METHODS

Abstracts presented in the national radiology meetings of 2010, 2011, and 2012 were included in the study. The presentations were classified according to presentation type (oral or poster presentations), study type, study design, imaged organ or body systems, imaging modalities, time interval between the presentation and the publication date, and the journal in which the article was published. The conversion rate of presentations into full-text articles in peer-reviewed journals were surveyed through PubMed. The time from presentation in the meetings to publication was determined. The distribution of journals was also demonstrated.

RESULTS

The total number of presentations submitted in three national radiology meetings was 3,192. The publication rate was 11% for the 2010 meeting, 8.2% for the 2011 meeting, and 9.6% for the 2012 meeting. A total of 300 papers were published, with an average of 15 months (range, 0-42 months) between presentation and final publication. The first three refereed international journals with the most number of papers derived from these meetings were Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Clinical Imaging, and European Journal of Radiology.

CONCLUSION

The overall publication rate of scientific abstracts from Turkey was lower than those from overseas countries. Encouraging the authors to conduct higher-quality research would raise the publication rate as well as improve the quality and success of our scientific meetings.

Characteristics and trends in publication of scientific papers presented at the European Congress of Radiology: a comparison between 2000 and 2010

OBJECTIVE

To determine journal publication rates of scientific papers presented orally at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2010, with comparison of country data to ECR 2000.

METHODS

All oral presentations from ECR 2010 were evaluated for publication between 2010 and 2014 using the MEDLINE database. Countries, collaborations, subspecialties, modalities and study design were ranked by publication percentage. Chi-square tests were used to compare publication percentages for each category of variables. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for each country relative to the host nation, Austria. ECR 2010 country statistics were compared with analogous data from ECR 2000.

RESULTS

In total, 360/840 abstracts were subsequently published (43 %). The author's country of origin (p = 0.02), subspecialty (p = 0.02) and study design (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with subsequent publication. Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Germany were among the top six countries by publication percentage in 2000 and 2010. In 2010, Switzerland had the highest publication rate (62 %) and HR in comparison to Austria (HR 2.62 [1.31-5.25], p = 0.01). Three Asian nations increased relative publication rates over the 10-year period.

CONCLUSION

Several European nations consistently convert relatively high percentages of oral abstracts at ECR into publications, and the influence of Asian countries is increasing.

MAIN MESSAGES

• Certain European nations consistently publish high percentages of orally presented abstracts at ECR. • The influence of several Asian countries on ECR is increasing. • Country, subspecialty and study design are significantly associated with journal publication. • Authors collaborating internationally have the highest publication rates and mean impact factors. • Among all modalities, PET-CT, MRI and CT have the highest publication percentages.

Presentation to publication: proportion of abstracts published for ESPR, SPR and IPR

BACKGROUND

Advancement of knowledge requires presentation and publication of high-quality scientific research. Studies submitted for presentation undergo initial peer review before acceptance and the rate of subsequent publication may be taken as an indicator of access to publication for pediatric radiology studies.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the proportion of abstracts also published in journals for pediatric radiology conferences and identify factors associated with publication success.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All Medline articles that originated from oral presentations at the European Society for Paediatric Radiology (ESPR), the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) or the International Pediatric Radiology (IPR) conferences between 2010 - 2012 were evaluated. Descriptive statistics to evaluate published and unpublished groups were calculated overall and split by characteristics of the abstracts such as number of authors.

RESULTS

Overall number of abstracts published was 300/715 (41.9%), with most articles published in radiology specific journals (181/300; 60.3%), with median impact factor 2.31 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.65-3.14, range: 0-18.03). Those published after the conference (262/300, 87.6%) had a median time to publication of 18 months and for those published before, the median time was -11 months. Median sample size in published articles was 52 (IQR: 33-105, range: 1-6,351).

CONCLUSION

Of pediatric radiology oral abstracts, 41.9% achieve publication after a period of at least 3 years from presentation. Studies originating from certain countries and on certain subspecialty topics were more likely to get published.

Analysis of subsequent publication of scientific orally presented abstracts of the French National Congress of Radiology. Part II: Focus on the French abstracts

AIM

To evaluate the publication rate of scientific abstracts that were presented orally at the 2008, 2009, and 2010 annual meetings of the French Society of Radiology by French radiologists, and to perform a French regional analysis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Orally presented abstracts were identified by examining online abstract books of the 2008, 2009, and 2010 annual meetings of the French Society of Radiology, and cross-checked by reviewing the paper version of abstracts for the same period. Only abstracts from French teams were selected. The administrative region of submission was noted for each abstract and for each region the total population, the number of active radiologists, the number of active members of the French Society of Radiology and the number of academic radiologists were noted. Imaging subspecialties were also noted.

RESULTS

625 abstracts were identified resulting in 268 publications (publication rate: 43%). The median number of presentations and publications per region was 18 (range: 1-255) and 7 (range: 0-101), respectively. The ratio per million inhabitants was 7.5 and 3 respectively. The median number of presentations and publications per 100 active radiologists (respectively members of the FSR) was 7 and 3 (respectively 10 and 4). The median number of presentations and publications per academic radiologist were 2.6, and 1.2, respectively. The regional variations for each indicator were high (40-180%). Three subspecialties had a publication rate of more than 50%: thoracic imaging (58%), abdominal imaging (52%), and genitourinary imaging (51%).

CONCLUSION

The publication rate of orally presented French scientific abstracts was high, with important variations according to the regions of origin and imaging subspecialties.

Analysis of subsequent publication of scientific orally presented abstracts of the French national congress of radiology. Part I: General characteristics

PURPOSE

To evaluate the publication rate of scientific abstracts orally presented at the annual meeting of the French Society of Radiology (FSR), and to identify factors associated with publication.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Abstracts were selected from the books of abstracts of the 2008-2010 annual meetings of the FSR. For each abstract, country of origin, diagnostic/interventional radiology, imaging techniques (plain radiography, angiography, ultrasound [US], computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), human/experimental study, retrospective/prospective design, number of subjects, oncologic study or not were noted. Publications were searched in Medline-indexed journals and factors associated analyzed by multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and forty-four abstracts lead to 298 publications (publication rate 40%). Most abstracts reported retrospective studies (61%), in humans (94%), diagnostic imaging (85%), from European authors (90%), and oncology (27%). Median number of subject was 39 (19-87). Main imaging techniques were MRI, CT, US (46%, 29%, 21%). Publications were mostly in English (89%), in radiological journals (72%), with a mean 3.5±3.7 impact factor. Publication was associated with a prospective design (OR=1.80), a submission from Europe (OR=1.71), angiography (OR=2.44), and oncology (OR=1.81).

CONCLUSION

The annual meeting of the FSR is in French, but the rate of publication of presented abstracts is high, mostly in English in reputable journals.

Subsequent full publication of abstracts presented in the annual meetings of the Spanish Society of Cardiology

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The Spanish Society of Cardiology holds an annual national meeting with a large number of presentations but the number of full-text publications resulting from these presentations and the journals accepting these manuscripts is unknown. This study aimed to identify the full-text publication rate of accepted abstracts and to analyze the bibliometric features of subsequent publications.

METHODS

We randomly selected a sample of 300 oral presentations at the meetings of the Spanish Society of Cardiology in 2002, 2005 and 2008. Subsequent publications were identified through the Science Citation Index-Expanded, Scopus, Índice Médico Español, and Índice Bibliográfico Español en Ciencias de la Salud.

RESULTS

Of 300 abstracts, 115 resulted in 147 full publications, representing a publication rate of 38.33%. The meeting with the highest publication rate (43%) was held in 2005. The subject category with the highest number of publications was Pediatric Cardiology/Congenital Heart Disease (58.8%). Time to full publication was usually 2 years (30.61%). Articles were published in 57 journals. The journals publishing the highest number of articles were Revista Española de Cardiología (n=55; 37.41%) and the European Heart Journal (n=8; 5.44%).

CONCLUSIONS

The high percentage of articles published in the upper half of journals listed in Journal Citation Reports under the category of cardiac and cardiovascular system (83%) can be taken as an objective quality indicator of the results presented at these meetings. However, more than 60% of the abstracts did not result in full publications, thus depriving the scientific community of potentially interesting results.

Publication rate of scientific abstracts presented at ESSR 2008 and 2009

OBJECTIVE

During the ESSR 2011 Research Committee Meeting, the duration of intellectual property of a research proposal was discussed. A duration of 2 years from idea to publication was suggested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how many ESSR 2008 and 2009 scientific abstracts were PubMed cited in print within 2 years of the congress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In September of 2011, two researchers independently performed a literature search using author names and title words of all ESSR 2008 and 2009 scientific abstracts published in Skeletal Radiology. In case of similarity or doubt, a senior reviewer made the final decision. Publication details were recorded and analyses were performed in Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA).

RESULTS

Until September of 2011, 62 out of 137 ESSR 2008 and 2009 scientific abstracts (45%) were PubMed cited in print [2008: 34/73 (47%); 2009: 28/64 (44%)]. 54 out of 137 abstracts (39%) were PubMed cited in print within 2 years of the congress [2008: 30/73(41%); 2009: 23/64 (36%)] including eight out of 137 abstracts (6%), which were already published before the congress [2008: 4/73 (5%); 2009: 4/64 (6%)]. The top-ranking journal in absolute numbers of publications was Skeletal Radiology. The top publishing country was the United Kingdom. Study sample size and first author position between abstract and publication did not change in the majority.

CONCLUSIONS

Thirty-nine percent of ESSR 2008 and 2009 scientific abstracts were published within 2 years of the congress including 6% that were already PubMed cited in print before the congress.

Publication rates of abstracts presented at five national pharmacy association meetings

BACKGROUND

Abstract presentations at professional meetings provide a medium for disseminating the findings of scholarly activity. Rates of abstract publication from various biomedical disciplines have been evaluated, with pharmacy noted to be lower than other specialties. Previous research on pharmacy abstract publication rates was conducted for a limited number of professional meetings but has not been assessed using Google Scholar.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the full publication rate of abstracts presented at the 2005 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Spring and Annual Meetings, American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting, and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Summer and Midyear Clinical Meetings.

METHODS

Publication status was assessed for abstracts presented during the 2005 ACCP Spring and Annual Meetings, APhA Annual Meeting, and ASHP Summer and Midyear Clinical Meetings using PubMed and Google Scholar. Data collected included abstract category, study category, practice site, database(s) in which publication appeared, time in months to publication, publication type, and journal of publication.

RESULTS

Evaluation of 2,000 abstracts presented in 2005 revealed an overall full publication rate of 19.8% (n = 384). Nearly all pharmacy abstracts were published as manuscripts (98.4%; n=378) and indexed in PubMed and Google Scholar (91.9%; n = 353), although a significant percentage were indexed in Google Scholar only (7.8%; n = 30). The mean time to full publication was 16.8 months (SD ±11.9 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Results were consistent with previously reported full publication rates of abstracts from pharmacy association meetings, indicating that abstracts presented at pharmacy meetings continue to have a lower full publication rate than other health disciplines.

Publication rate of abstracts of papers and posters presented at Medical Library Association annual meetings

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to ascertain the publication rate of abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the Medical Library Association (MLA) for the years of 2002 and 2003. The secondary objectives were to examine possible reasons for non-publication and factors influencing publication.

METHODS

A total of 442 abstracts from both meeting years, consisting of presented papers and posters, were examined. The 2 methods used to obtain a publication rate were literature searches and an online questionnaire sent to first authors. The questionnaire also asked abstract authors about reasons for non-publication and other factors that might have influenced their decisions about whether or not to submit the project for publication.

RESULTS

The overall publication rate from the survey was 26.5%, and the publication rate found via literature searching was 27.6%. The most common reason given for non-publication was time restrictions. Also notable was the large proportion of abstracts written by librarians working at universities and those having 25 or more years in the library profession.

DISCUSSION

Publication rates for abstracts presented at the Medical Library Association meetings for the years studied rank at the low end in comparison with other medical professional associations. Further research into factors affecting publication may reveal ways to increase this rate.

Publication rates for abstracts presented by Korean investigators at major radiology meetings

Objective

To determine the publication rate of abstracts presented by Korean investigators at national and international radiological meetings, and to identify predictive factors of publication.

Materials and Methods

Abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the Korean Radiological Society (KRS), and abstracts presented by Korean investigators at the annual meetings of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and European Congress of Radiology (ECR) from 2001 to 2002 were searched for subsequent publication, using PubMed and the Korean Medical Database. The following variables were evaluated. 1) The overall publication rate; 2) the publication rates according to the radiological subspecialty, presentation type (oral or poster), sample size (≤ 20, 21-50, or > 50), study design (prospective or retrospective), statistical analysis (present or absent), and study outcome (positive or negative); 3) the time to publication; 4) the journal where the study was published; 5) consistency between the abstract and the final publication.

Results

Of 1,097 abstracts, 301 (27.4%) were subsequently published, at an average of 15.8 ± 13.8 months after presentation in 48 journals. The publication rates for studies presented at the RSNA (35.4%) and ECR (50.5%) conferences were significantly higher than that for the KRS conference (23.6%, p < 0.05). Vascular/interventional radiology studies had the highest publication rate (33.1%), whereas musculoskeletal radiology studies had the lowest publication rate (17.1%). Other factors associated with subsequent publication were prospective design, use of statistical testing, and a positive study outcome.

Conclusion

The publication rate is significantly lower for the KRS (23.6%) meeting abstracts as compared to those of the RSNA (35.4%) and ECR (50.5%). Prospective design, use of statistical testing, and positive study outcome have a statistically significant effect on the publication rate.

[Publication rate for oral presentations made at the Journées Dermatologiques de Paris meeting]

BACKGROUND

The fate of oral presentations presented at a dermatological meeting has not been assessed to date. Our aim was to determine the publication rate for oral presentations presented at the "Journées dermatologiques de Paris" (JDP) meeting in peer-reviewed journals. Our secondary goals were to identify factors associated with publication and to examine the consistency of reporting of research findings presented in the conference abstract and subsequent full publication.

METHODS

Abstracts presented orally at the JDP 1999-2004 were identified in the book of congress abstracts. Two independent operatives performed a Medline search cross-referencing lead and last authors and keywords.

RESULTS

The publication rate was 57.6% with mean time to publication of 20.3months. The median impact factor was 2.8. Factors associated with subsequent publication were study topic (p=0.04 for oncology) and study type (p=0.03 for fundamental research and p=0.005 for randomized controlled trials). The congress abstracts and full-text publication differed primarily in terms of sample size and data given in the "Results" section.

DISCUSSION

More than half of all abstracts presented orally at the JDP congress are subsequently published in journals with a median impact factor comparable to those seen for other scientific congresses for which similar analysis has been conducted. These results confirm the scientific quality of this particular congress, in addition to its vocation of continuous medical training.

An observational study of the proceedings of the All India Ophthalmological Conference, 2000 and subsequent publication in indexed journals

Aims:

To determine the quality of reporting in the proceedings of the All India Ophthalmological Conference (AIOC) 2000, subsequent rate of publication in an indexed journal and differences between the proceedings and the journal version of these papers.

Design:

Observational study.

Materials and Methods:

All papers presented at the AIOC 2000 were retrieved from the proceedings and assessed for completeness of reporting. To determine the subsequent full publication, a Medline search was performed as of January 2007; consistency between the proceedings paper and the final publication was evaluated. Statistical analysis: Chi square and Fisher′s exact tests were used to compare publication rates based on geographical location, subspecialty and study design; Student′s t-test was used to compare differences based on the number of authors and sample size.

Results:

Two hundred papers were retrieved; many failed to include study dates, design or statistical methods employed. Thirty-three (16.5%) papers were subsequently published in indexed journals by January 2007. The published version differed from the proceedings paper in 27 (81.8%) instances, mostly relating to changes in author name, number or sequence.

Conclusions:

The overall quality of reporting of scientific papers in the proceedings of the AIOC 2000 was inadequate and many did not result in publication in an indexed journal. Differences between the published paper in journals and in proceedings were seen in several instances. Ophthalmologists should be cautious about using the information provided in conference proceedings in their ophthalmic practice.

Better reporting of randomized trials in biomedical journal and conference abstracts

Well reported research published in conference and journal abstracts is important as individuals reading these reports often base their initial assessment of a study based on information reported in the abstract. However, there is growing concern about the reliability and quality of information published in these reports. This article provides an overview of research evidence underpinning the need for better reporting of abstracts reported in conference proceedings and abstracts of journal articles; with a particular focus in the area of health care. Where available we highlight evidence which refers specifically to abstracts reporting randomized trials. We seek to identify current initiatives aimed at improving the reporting of these reports and recommend that an extension of the CONSORT Statement (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), CONSORT for Abstracts, be developed. This checklist would include a list of essential items to be reported in any conference or journal abstract reporting the results of a randomized trial.

Are Abstracts Presented at the EAU Meeting Followed by Publication in Peer-Reviewed Journals?

PURPOSE

Our goal was to assess the rate and time-course of peer-reviewed publication of abstracts presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual Meeting and to identify factors predictive of publication.

METHODS

All abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2000 and 2001 EAU annual meetings were identified from the related published supplements in European Urology. The subsequent publication rate was estimated for the corresponding studies based on a scan of Medline covering a 5-year period following the meetings. We examined whether the following factors were associated with publication rate: research type, study subject, and country of origin. The analysis was performed using logistic regression of the dichotomous variable of publication versus non-publication and the candidate factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 47.3% of 1406 abstracts presented at the EAU meetings were followed by publication in peer-reviewed journals. Pre-clinical research studies were more likely to be published than clinical studies (53.3% vs 45%, p<0.05). Prospective series were more likely to be published than retrospective ones (46.5% vs 32.2%, p<0.05). Studies presented at the meetings were mostly from Europe (74.2%). Mean time to publication was 8.6 months, and in most cases, the reports were published in The Journal of Urology and European Urology. The mean IF of journals where papers were published was 1.95.

CONCLUSIONS

Almost half of the abstracts presented at the EAU are ultimately published in peer-reviewed journals, usually within 2 years after presentation. The publication rate differs significantly according to country of origin, study subject, and research type.

Estudio bibliométrico de la actividad, estructura y evolución de la radiología en España

From a bibliometric perspective, we reviewed: 1) the scientific activity in the field of diagnostic imaging in Spain, based on the percentage of presentations at the SERAM congresses (1994-1998) later published as articles in scientific journals. The value obtained (15%) is low in comparison with other international congresses, although similar to values for other national congresses in radiology. Both in national and international congresses, collaboration among radiologists from different institutions or countries and between radiologists and clinicians increases the percentage of publications, thus confirming the positive correlation between collaboration and scientific productivity. 2) We also examined the relationship between scientific productivity and the hierarchical structure of Spanish radiology departments (resident, associate, section chief, and department chief). Hierarchical groupings with the participation of residents were found to be more stable from year to year in scientific production, and the group residents + associates had the highest percentage of authorship (21%). 3) Finally, we reviewed the literature to assess the visibility and dissemination of the journal Radiología, estimating the impact factor that the journal would obtain if it were included in the Journal Citation Reports (JRC) database. We emphasize the importance of the inclusion of Radiología both in Medline, the best known and most widely used source of information in the health sciences, and in the JCR.

Frequency and determinants of nonpublication of research in the stroke literature

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Selective nonpublication will yield publication bias and a published literature imperfectly representative of the full range of scientific findings. We evaluated the proportion of research abstracts presented at the leading United States research meeting in stroke, the International Stroke Conference (ISC), which were subsequently published as full-length articles and investigated the factors associated with full manuscript publication.

METHODS

Features of all abstracts presented at the annual ISC meeting in February 2000 were analyzed. Search of the National Library of Medicine PubMed database and written communication with abstract authors was performed to determine conversion of abstracts to fully published manuscripts over the subsequent 5 years.

RESULTS

Among the 353 abstracts presented at the 2000 International Stroke Conference, 108 were oral presentations and 245 posters. Overall, 202/353 (62.3%) resulted in full-length publications, with a median time to publication of 15 months. In multivariate analysis, factors increasing likelihood of full-length publication were: platform rather than poster presentations (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% CI, 1.6 to 5.5), authors with a university affiliation (OR 2.2, 95% CI, 1.2 to 4.1), and European region of origin (OR 2.2, 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.4), whereas topic concerning community/risk factors decreased the likelihood of publication (OR 0.3, 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.74). Positive results, multicenter collaboration and industry sponsorship did not affect publication rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 1 of every 3 abstracts presented at an international stroke meeting was not published as a full manuscript within 5 years. Poster abstracts were less likely to be published in full manuscript form than oral presentations.

Scientific papers presented at the 2000-2001 European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) meetings: publication rates during the period 2000-2004

The aim of this study was to investigate the rate at which abstracts orally presented at the ESGAR 2000 and 2001 meetings were published between 2000-2004, and to identify predictive factors of publication. The abstracts of ESGAR meeting presentations were reviewed and classified according to organ, modality, type of design, country of origin of the studies and basic categories of diagnostic or interventional. The presentations were searched for publication in Medline-indexed journals using the PubMed server. The publication rates of the presentations, the time period between the presentation and publication, and the journal in which the article had appeared were investigated. An overall number of 109 publications were found originating from 276 presentations (39.5%). The median and inter-quartile range [IQR] between the abstract presentation and subsequently full publication was 18 months [1.0 -53.0]. The journal with the highest number of derived articles from abstract presentation was European Radiology (n=21, 19.2%). Retrospective studies were found to be more frequently published than prospective studies (p=0.001). The publication rate did not show any statistically significant difference between groups of other classifications. The publication rate of studies orally presented at ESGAR meetings was 39.5%. No specific variable other than the type of design of the studies appeared to influence the publication rate.

Scientific papers presented at the European Congress of Radiology: a two-year comparison

The purpose of this report was to determine the rate at which abstracts orally presented at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2001 were published in 2001-2005 Medline-indexed journals and to compare publication rates and factors with presentations at the ECR in two different periods (2001 and 2000). Absolute and relative publication rates (APR, RPR) and different publication-related factors were analysed. From 991 abstracts originating from 52 countries, 449 articles (APR 45%) were subsequently published in 125 journals, most frequently in European Radiology (n=79, 18%). Country of origin statistically (p<0.0001) influences subsequent publication of the abstract, with Germany having the highest number of presentations (n=300) and derived articles (n=175, RPR 58%) whereas Sweden had the highest RPR (82%). Interventional and physics studies had the highest RPR (59% and 58%, respectively). The ECR meeting has a very high and stable APR (ECR 2001: 45% vs ECR 2000: 47%), and the journal European Radiology had the larger number of related publications (18% RPR following ECR 2001 compared with 14% from ECR 2000). Germany had the highest number of presentations and publications for both meetings. The highest RPR for ECR 2001 was found in interventional and physics studies whereas chest and cardiac studies had the highest RPR for ECR 2000.