Barriers to Full Text Journal Publication of Abstracts Presented at Annual AAOMS Meetings

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to identify the perceived barriers to full-text journal publication (JP) from abstracts presented at the 2010-2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) meetings. Methods and Materials: In the present cross-sectional study, all unpublished AAOMS abstracts (n = 473) from the temporal period were procured using a database from a previous publication. An online questionnaire was then distributed to the primary or secondary author for whom an e-mail address was available through the AAOMS Member Directory (n = 260) to assess 1) the current publication status of the abstract; and 2) the perceived barriers to JP. The responses were summarized with descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 260 authors surveyed, 51 responded, for a response rate of 19.6%. At the time of the survey, 66.7% of the authors stated that submission for JP had not been pursued, and 15.7% stated that the abstract had achieved JP. However, no citations were provided. Overall, a low perceived priority (52.9%), insufficient time (50%), methodologic limitations (23.5%), and inadequate institutional support (17.6%) were the 4 primary reasons cited by the authors for the failure to pursue or achieve JP. Conclusions: JP of abstracts presented at the annual AAOMS meeting is very low, with many barriers to JP of presented abstracts.