Radiologists' perception of professional journals

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Publishing
• Journal Prestige

Background:

• Understanding radiologists' journal preferences is crucial for scientific communication.
• Assessing perceptions of radiologic and general medical journals informs publication strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate radiologists' perceptions of leading radiology and general medical journals.
• To identify preferred journals for clinical and basic science research.
• To determine journals with high prestige and rapid publication.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 5,000 radiologists, including members of the American College of Radiology (ACR) and those in training.
• A follow-up phone survey was conducted on a smaller subset of radiologists.
• Response rates and data from mail and phone surveys were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A 20% response rate was achieved, with no significant differences between mail and phone survey results.
• Academic, private practice, and trainee radiologists showed similar journal assessments.
• Radiology was the top choice for a single journal, preferred for clinical research.
• Investigative Radiology was favored for basic science research.
• Radiology, AJR, and JCxT were ranked highest for publication speed and acceptance certainty.
• Radiology, NEJM, and JAMA were perceived as most prestigious and widely exposed.

Conclusions:

• Radiology is the most preferred journal overall and for clinical research.
• Investigative Radiology is recognized for its basic science contributions.
• Specific journals are recognized for their efficiency in publication and their overall prestige and reach.