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The pattern of publishing previously rejected articles in selected journals
Family Medicine
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Most published medical articles, especially in top journals like the New England Journal of Medicine, are original submissions. However, some manuscripts rejected by leading journals find publication elsewhere.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Scholarly Publishing
- Academic Medicine
Background:
- Faculty in medical schools are incentivized to publish research articles.
- The manuscript submission and publication process for academic journals is not well-studied.
- Understanding journal rejection and acceptance rates is valuable for authors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of prior rejections among articles published in family medicine journals.
- To compare the rates of "not previously rejected" manuscripts across different high-impact medical journals.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to authors who published in nine journals relevant to family medicine teachers.
- Data were collected from 517 authors, representing a 96% response rate.
- Analysis focused on identifying articles that had been previously rejected by other journals.
Main Results:
- The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated the highest "not previously rejected" rate at 98%.
- The Journal of the American Medical Association had the lowest "not previously rejected" rate at 68%.
- Approximately 11% of articles in the other eight surveyed journals had been previously rejected by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Conclusions:
- Top-tier journals like NEJM have a high rate of original submissions.
- Manuscripts rejected by prestigious journals may be subsequently published in other academic outlets.
- This study provides insights into journal rejection and acceptance dynamics for medical researchers.
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