Time Lapse between Hypothesis and Publication in the Medical Sciences

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Abstract
We studied a number of factors involved in the publication of 103 papers by Mayo Clinic authors. Basic-science and clinical-research articles averaged about four years from initiating the research idea until publishing; case reports averaged about two years, and literature reviews three years. Of this time, 75 per cent was spent contemplating the basic idea, performing the research, and writing the paper. The rest was required for processing, from institutional editing through publication. Most clinical workers wrote at home, and most basic researchers at the office. In a surprising 23 per cent of papers, about three fourths of the manuscript was written by someone other than the first author. Of references cited, between 10 per cent and 20 per cent were to the authors' own work or to that of co-workers. Half the papers were revised or rejected at least once, prolonging the journal handling time only in papers rejected or requiring more than one revision. (N Engl J Med 292:1273–1276, 1975)