From meeting presentation to peer-review publication--a UK review.
BACKGROUND
Annual academic surgical meetings provide a forum for the discussion of research. For the wide-spread dissemination of this information, peer-reviewed publication is required. The aim of this study was to compare the amount of presentations which go on to publication from 4 UK-based surgical meetings.


METHODS
We determined whether a presentation had led to a successful publication using PubMed, a median of 28 months following each meeting. We compared the ASGBI publication rate with the meetings of the Vascular Surgical Society (VSSGBI), the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) and the British Transplantation Society (BTS). We also compared the median impact factor of journals used.


RESULTS
The ASGBI and BTS had a similar rate of presentations resulting in publication, with 35% and 36% at 2 years, respectively. The VSS had a significantly greater proportion of presentations resulting in publication (54% at 2 years; P = 0.004), whilst the ACPGBI had significant fewer (24% at 2 years; P = 0.006). There was no difference in the median impact factors of the journals used between the meetings (Kruskal Wallis P = 0.883).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant variation between meetings in terms of turning presentations into publications. However, the majority of abstracts have still not been fully published within 2 years of presentation at the meeting.
Weale
A R
AR
Department of Surgery, Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Hospitals Trust, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, UK.
Edwards
A G
AG
Lear
P A
PA
Morgan
J D T
JD
D015706:Bibliometrics; D003226:Congresses as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033181:Information Dissemination; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom