The publication rate and impact of abstracts presented at the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (1999-2005)

Aims: As there is no current information regarding the fate of abstracts presented at annual scientific meetings of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ), we examined the publication rate and indexed impact of original articles arising from these abstracts. Methods: Conference abstracts from 1999 to 2005 were evaluated as these were accessible in electronic file form. Searches were conducted for abstract authors and keywords were searched for in journal publication citations (to November 30, 2007) in the National Library of Medicine (NIH, USA) PubMed database. A match of abstract to retrieve full article was identified on the basis of authorship, similarities in titles and study design. The ISI Web of Knowledge(SM) citation database (Philadelphia, USA) was accessed for journal Citation Reports (R) impact factors (IF). Results: A total of 2172 abstract presentations resulted in 648 original publications (30%, mean IF = 4.4). Most publications were published within 1 (61%) or 2 years (84%), with a mean lag of 1.5 years. The proportions of abstract presentations represented by Clinical, Basic Science and Surgical categories were 70.6%, 26.9%, and 2.5%, respectively. Subsequent publication rates (and IF) arising from within these categories were 25.8% (IF = 4.8),34.4% (IF = 5.1) and 97.9% (IF= 3.1), respectively. Conclusions: (1) Almost a third of CSANZ abstract presentations result in publication of an original article. (2) Most are published within 1-2 years. (3) The average IF is mid-range, with 32% of publications having an IF above 4.4. Despite the limitations to publication faced by CSANZ members, a high quality and timely publication rate is nonetheless evident.