The journey from congress to journal: publication patterns of ECR 2019 oral presentations

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the publication outcomes of oral presentations delivered at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2019 and examine factors influencing conversion to full-text articles; findings were also compared with ECR 2010. Materials and methods A total of 1817 oral presentations from ECR 2019 were analyzed. Publication status was determined by searching PubMed/MEDLINE up to December 2023. For each matched article, Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and Google Scholar citations/year were recorded. Additional variables included country of origin, collaboration type, imaging modality, and study design. Statistical analyses used chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results Of 1817 oral presentations, 844 (46.5%) were published, with no significant difference from ECR 2010 (43%, p = 0.091). Abstracts originated from 71 countries, with Italy (16.5%) and China (15.5%) contributing the most. Publications appeared in 254 journals. Publication rates varied significantly by country ( p < 0.001), with Switzerland (74.4%) and the Netherlands (68.8%) achieving the highest rates. When analyzed by continent, abstracts from Asia showed a significantly higher publication rate than those from Europe (52.3% vs. 43.6%, p = 0.001). Publication outcomes also varied significantly by imaging modality ( p = 0.002) and subspecialty ( p < 0.001). Breast imaging achieved the highest median JIF (4.9), whereas Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) demonstrated the highest median annual citation count (10.5). Conclusions Nearly half of the ECR 2019 oral presentations achieved peer-reviewed publication, maintaining rates from 2010. The congress’s contributor landscape has become more global, with greater participation from Asia. While traditional radiological fields remain prevalent, AI/ML abstracts demonstrated high citation rates. These findings reflect contemporary trends in radiological research. Critical relevance statement By analyzing the publication outcomes of ECR 2019, with comparisons to 2010 data, this study examines evolving global patterns in publication outcomes, offering insights to enhance the dissemination of radiological research. Key Points Converting oral presentations to publications remains challenging in radiological research. Nearly half of the ECR 2019 oral presentations were published, showing a modest, non-significant increase from ECR 2010. The congress has become increasingly global, with notable growth in participation from Asia. This study reveals radiology’s evolving scientific landscape and current research priorities. Graphical Abstract