Title : Predictors of abstract-to-publication conversion at the 2023 British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting: A retrospective bibliometric analysis
Abstract:
Background: Conferences allow early research dissemination, yet many abstracts never reach full publication. Abstract-to-publication conversion rates are often used as a marker of research quality and conference impact.
Objectives: To determine the proportion of abstracts presented at the 2023 British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) Annual Meeting subsequently published and to identify factors associated with publication.
Methods: This retrospective bibliometric study included all research abstracts presented at the 2023 meeting, identified from British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 188, Supplement 4 (June 2023). Corresponding publications were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Data collected included study design, research topic, presentation format, author characteristics, and geographic origin. Factors associated with publication success were assessed using Poisson regression to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results: Of 133 abstracts, 63 (47.4%) were subsequently published, including 13 (9.8%) prior to conference presentation. Median time to publication was 6.8 months, with 65.1% published within 12 months. Analytical study designs (adjusted RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.02–2.90) and cutaneous oncology topics (adjusted RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.02–2.24) were independently associated with increased publication success.
Conclusions: Approximately half of abstracts presented at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting progressed to peer-reviewed publication, most within one year of presentation. Analytical study design and research focus on cutaneous oncology were independently associated with higher publication likelihood. These findings highlight factors associated with successful dissemination of dermatology research.
