Publication Speed Across Neurosurgery Journals: A Bibliometric Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Bibliometrics
• Journal Publishing

Background:

• Journal impact factor and publication speed are key factors influencing author journal selection.
• Bibliometric data for neurosurgery journals remain under-assessed.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for authors and journal editors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze bibliometric data, specifically publication speed and impact factor, in leading neurosurgery journals.
• To determine the correlation between journal impact factor and publication speed in neurosurgery.
• To assess trends in publication speed over time within the field.

Main Methods:

• Eight leading neurosurgery journals were selected for analysis.
• Original articles and reviews published between 2016 and 2020 were sampled.
• Data collected included time from submission to acceptance (SA), acceptance to online publication, and submission to online publication, alongside journal impact factor.

Main Results:

• A total of 1617 articles were reviewed.
• The mean time from submission to acceptance was 131 days, acceptance to online was 77 days, and submission to online was 207 days.
• Higher impact factors correlated with significantly longer publication times (e.g., 38.9 days longer submission to online publication per impact factor point increase).

Conclusions:

• Publication speed in neurosurgery journals varies significantly.
• Journal impact factor is associated with longer publication times.
• There is an increasing trend in publication times over the study period.