Purpose: To determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at
the Annual APGO/CREOG Meetings and compare it to rates from other medical
education conferences.
Background: Abstract presentations at conferences represent an
important means of disseminating scholarly activity. Failure to publish
educational research in peer-reviewed journals leads to unnecessary duplication
and publication bias.
Methods: The following characteristics were recorded from the
2014-2015 APGO/CREOG meeting abstracts: format (oral/poster), award status,
type of scholarship (research/educational innovation), methods
(quantitative/qualitative), and number of centers involved. Medline and
Google Scholar were searched using the names of the first and last author, and
key-words from the title and abstract. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact
tests were performed to determine which characteristics were associated with
publication. The previously reported publication rates from the 2005-2006
Research in Medical Education (RIME) and the Canadian Conference on Medical
Education (CCME) conferences were compared to the APGO/CREOG abstracts.
Results: 314 abstracts were reviewed, and 29 (9%) were
published. Award winning and oral abstracts, but none of the other
characteristics, were associated with higher publication rates. Of the
445 abstracts reviewed from the RIME and CCME conferences 141 (31%) were
published, which is a significantly higher rate than those from the APGO/CREOG
meetings (p>0.05).
Discussions: Award winning and oral abstracts were more likely to be
published. The rate of publication for abstract presented at APGO/CREOG
meetings is notably lower than other conferences. APGO/CREOG should
consider ways to increase the publication rate which would potentially enhance
the reputation of both the presenters and the Annual Meeting.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2019, Faculty, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, CME, UME,
