RESEARCH
REVIEWED BY Caterina Watson, AFASA ASA SIG: Research REFERENCE
Analysis of recent Australasian Sonographers Association (ASA) conference abstracts: How many progress to publication?
Author: Jo-Anne Pinson Journal: Sonography. 2020; 7: 148–153 Open Access: No (article accessible to ASA members in Sonography journal) READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
WHY THE STUDY WAS PERFORMED Sonographer training requires accomplishment in clinical skills and an accredited course of postgraduate study. Knowledge interpretation and critical thinking are developed during this period. The conference abstract is another tool to hone these professional skills. This study was the first known analysis of the ASA conference abstract to publication rate. It compares this rate to similar allied health and radiology conference abstract publication rates. This metric can be used as a benchmark for future studies to gauge research shifts within the Australian sonography profession.
HOW THE STUDY WAS PERFORMED Between 2015 and 2017, 605 abstracts were identified in the Sonography special issue ASA conference abstracts publication. This was reduced to 297 Australian abstracts. Excluded abstracts included invited plenary speakers (35), international and workshop abstracts (133), and incomplete conference abstracts (140). Australian abstracts were traced in peer-reviewed journals using the following search criteria: author, research institute, date of publication, comparable data or methodology, and conclusion equivalent to conference abstract. Published conference proceedings, grey literature and white papers were not considered journal publications.
WHAT THE STUDY FOUND From 297 abstracts, 59 abstracts resulted in the publication of full texts. These publications were distributed over 29 journals and had more than 430 citations (average 7.4 citations/publication). Sonography journal published the full text for 32.2% of the 59 abstracts.
Future research could focus on clinicians’ reasons why they do not publish. Implementation of programs to improve clinicians’ ability to publish would add value to the health service in terms of evidence, recognition and patient outcomes.
Over three years, the ASA conference abstract to publication rate was 19.9%. This figure was within range for emergency ultrasound conference abstracts, which had a publication rate of 22.8%. Radiology conferences have been reported to have a publication rate of 44.9%, considerably higher than abstract publication rates for allied health bodies. Of the accepted ASA abstracts, 11.8% were from non-metropolitan areas. The average number of accepted poster abstracts was 16.0 ± 7.0. The average number of accepted oral presentation abstracts was 83.0 ± 17.0. Duplication of data was examined in multiple conference abstracts and different conference years. The replication rate for ASA Sonography special issue abstracts was reported to be 2.7%.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Some presentations may never be intended for publication but are used for gaining presentation experience or conference funding. ASA conference presenter professions (not plenary speakers) included sonologist, radiologist, cardiologist, surgeon, obstetrician, and gynaecologist. A more relevant abstract to publication metric might be found with the presenter professions focusing on sonographer, educator, researcher, and allied health professional. This may reveal a truer reflection of research participation in the sonography profession. Gauging a profession’s research participation can inform the research culture. Identifying the uptick in research activity has been an interesting trend noted in the other allied health groups of emergency medicine and radiography. For example, radiography has reported annual increases in the number of doctoral awards, publications and citations. This has been interpreted as growth in research participation. This study is a snapshot of Australian research presented at ASA conferences between 2015–2017. A repeat study may provide evidence for a similar trend in the Australian sonography profession.
Making waves
JANUARY 2024 | 11
