Delay and failure to publish dental research

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the incidence and time taken to full publication of abstracts presented at dental scientific meetings.

Design: A retrospective observational study.

Setting: All abstracts from the 1993 proceedings of the European Orthodontic Society (EOS) and European Organisation for Caries Research (ORCA) and a 10% random sample of abstracts from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) conferences.

Methods: A cross-referenced Medline search of abstract title and authors was undertaken to determine whether abstracts had been published as full papers. Searches were censored 1 year prior to and 5 years post publication as an abstract. Publication rate was compared between abstracts presented orally and as posters.

Main outcome measures: Publication as a full paper and time taken to publication.

Results: 546 abstracts were investigated. 252 abstracts (46.1%) were found as full reports. Median time to publication of all abstracts was 18 months (IQR 9, 30 months). 99 of the oral abstracts (57%) and 153 (41%) of the poster abstracts were published. Relative Risk Oral vs Poster=1.37 CI (1.19, 1.55).

Conclusion: More than half of the research presented at EOS, IADR and ORCA in 1993 remained unpublished 5 years after presentation at the conference. Oral presentations were published more frequently than poster presentations.