Publication Rates For Abstracts Presented At The Aapos Annual Meeting

Background: American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) annual meetings provide opportunities to present research abstracts to a sub-specialty audience. However, these abstracts may undergo less rigorous peer review and may be associated with risks of non-publication or publication bias. This study aims to evaluate and analyze publication rates and potential factors that contribute to non-publication. Methods: We examined all abstracts (paper, hardboard posters, and electronic posters) accepted for presentation (n=1093) at the AAPOS annual meetings between 2015 and 2019. A comprehensive search was conducted to quantify the abstracts that were published to a peer reviewed journal within three years from presentation. Results: 41% of all presented abstracts went on to be published within three years. The most common journal was the Journal of AAPOS (31%). There were over three times more hardboard posters (n=624) than paper abstracts (n=180). Paper abstracts were published at the highest rate (53%) while electronic posters had the lowest rate (36%). The 2015 meeting had the lowest publication rate (36%) while the 2019 meeting had the highest publication rate (46%). Conclusion: There was an increasing trend in publication rates from 2015 to 2019 but a decreasing trend in publication rates into the Journal of AAPOS. Over half of the abstracts presented at AAPOS remain unpublished into peer reviewed journals within three years. Abstracts accepted as papers are more likely than other types to be published. With less than half of all abstracts being published, there is a significant opportunity to improve publication rates.