Abstract
Objective This study aims to assess publishing trends, motivations, preferences, and challenges
among pediatric surgeons globally.
Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pediatric surgeons from multiple countries,
distributed through the Trainees of European Pediatric Surgery (TEPS) network and
social media. The anonymous questionnaire contained 26 items focusing on journal preferences,
motivations for publishing, obstacles faced, peer-review experiences, open access
publishing, and methods of research dissemination.
Results A total of 172 responses were collected from pediatric surgeons in 33 countries.
Most respondents worked in tertiary hospitals (88%) and were consultants or senior
attendings (49%). Over half (65%) had published at least one scientific paper in the
last 3 years. PubMed was the primary search engine (82%), and pediatric surgical journals
were the preferred outlets for publication (87%). Key motivations for choosing a journal
were impact factor (22%) and scope (19%), while publication costs (38%) and slow review
processes (22%) were the primary deterrents. Open access publication options were
used by more than half of respondents, with a third spending less than €2,500 on fees.
Social media, particularly Instagram, emerged as a popular platform for research dissemination.
Conclusion Pediatric surgeons prefer publishing in specialized journals, with impact factor
and scope being key drivers of journal choice. Publication costs and the peer-review
process are the most significant obstacles. Efforts to address these challenges, such
as reducing fees and enhancing the review process, are crucial for facilitating research
dissemination in pediatric surgery.
Keywords
global publishing trends - research dissemination - peer-review - publication barriers
