Factors affecting time to publication in information science

Area of Science:

• Information Science
• Bibliometrics
• Scholarly Communication

Background:

• Publication speed is crucial for research evaluation systems.
• Understanding factors influencing journal publication time is essential for researchers.
• The study focuses on six prominent information science journals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors affecting the publication speed of scholarly articles.
• To analyze the relationship between author characteristics and publication time.
• To investigate the impact of author affiliation and citation count on manuscript processing speed.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of publication time (submission to decision) for articles in six information science journals.
• Statistical examination of factors including author affiliation (editorial board members, productive authors, country income), number of authors, and citation count.
• Comparative analysis of publication timelines based on these identified factors.

Main Results:

• Articles authored by editorial board members or prolific authors of a journal are published significantly faster.
• Increased author count correlates with longer publication times.
• Manuscripts with higher citation counts and those from authors in central or high-income countries experience shorter publication durations.
• Researchers collaborating with established authors from central countries benefit from accelerated publication.

Conclusions:

• Author prominence, citation impact, and geographical origin significantly influence scholarly publication speed.
• These factors create an advantage for certain researchers, potentially impacting academic careers, particularly for early-career scientists.
• The findings highlight the importance of strategic collaborations and author positioning for efficient dissemination of research findings.