P068 Predictors of publication rates among abstracts presented at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting: a retrospective observational study

Abstract

Scientific conferences provide an important platform for the early dissemination of research; however, not all presented abstracts progress to full publication. Subsequent publication in peer-reviewed journals enables wider dissemination and is commonly used as a surrogate marker of research quality. Despite the BAD Annual Meeting being the largest national dermatology conference in the UK, contemporary data on abstract publication rates and associated predictors are limited. Our aim was to determine the publication rate and time to publication of abstracts presented at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting, and to identify factors associated with successful publication. A retrospective observational study was conducted of abstracts presented in the main scientific sessions at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting. Abstracts were identified from British Journal of Dermatology Supplement 4 (June 2023). Publication status was determined using PubMed and Google Scholar searches up to 28 months after the conference. Only full-text articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Data collected included presentation format, session type, author affiliation, publishing journal, impact factor and time to publication. Of 133 abstracts, 63 were published, yielding an overall publication rate of 47.4%. The median time to publication was 8 months, with 69.8% published within 12 months and 95.2% within 24 months. Oral presentations had a slightly higher publication rate than posters (50% vs. 46.7%), with Registrar Orals achieving a 100% publication rate. Publications appeared across 31 journals, with 27.3% published in journals with an impact factor > 10. Interestingly, the most frequently published topics mirrored the most commonly presented, particularly cancer and drug-related research. Almost half of abstracts presented at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting progressed to full publication. Presentation format and session type were associated with publication success. These findings provide insight into dermatology research dissemination and may inform future conference abstract selection and research support.