Predictors of Abstract to Publication Conversion at the 2023 BAD meeting

Introduction: Conferences allow early research dissemination, yet many abstracts never reach full publication. Abstract-to-publication conversion rates are often used as a marker of research quality and conference impact. Objectives: To determine the proportion of abstracts presented at the 2023 British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) Annual Meeting subsequently published and to identify factors associated with publication Methods: This retrospective bibliometric study included all research abstracts presented at the 2023 meeting, identified in the British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 188, Supplement 4 (June 2023). Corresponding publications were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Data collected included study design, research topic, presentation format, author characteristics, and geographic origin. Factors associated with publication success were assessed using Poisson regression to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of 133 abstracts, 63 (47.4%) were subsequently published. Measured from the abstract submission deadline (9 January 2023), median time to publication was 12.8 months, with 47.6% published within 12 months. Analytical study designs (adjusted RR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.02–2.90) and cutaneous oncology topics (adjusted RR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.02–2.24) were independently associated with increased publication success. Conclusions: Approximately half of the abstracts presented at the 2023 BAD Annual Meeting progressed to peer-reviewed publication. Analytical study design and research focused on cutaneous oncology were independently associated with higher publication likelihood. These findings highlight factors associated with successful dissemination of dermatology research.