Harrison Reed1, Richard W Dehn, Reamer L Bushardt. 1. Harrison Reed practices critical care medicine at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., is an assistant professor in the PA program at George Washington University, and is a clinical editor and former acting editor in chief of JAAPA. Richard W. Dehn is a professor in the College of Health and Human Services at Northern Arizona University's Phoenix Biomedical Campus, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, and is editor in chief of JAAPA. Reamer L. Bushardt is professor and senior associate dean at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., a clinical, translational scientist in the Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C., and editor-in-chief emeritus of JAAPA. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: PA authors face many barriers to publication and may benefit from additional transparency in the editorial decision-making process. This study examined the most common reasons for rejection of original research submissions to JAAPA. METHODS: Senior JAAPA editors conducted a thematic analysis of reviewer and editor comments and used these broad themes to classify the reasons for rejection of original research manuscripts submitted to JAAPA. RESULTS: From October 2015 through December 2018, 77 research manuscripts were submitted to JAAPA. Fifty-six manuscripts were rejected, resulting in an overall rejection rate of 73.7%. Common reasons for rejection included: methodologic issues (55.4%), content outside the journal's scope (42.9%), poor writing quality (17.9%), guideline nonadherence (3.6%), lack of novelty (3.6%), and author(s) declining to revise the manuscript (1.8%). CONCLUSION: The most common reasons for manuscript rejection can be overcome through research planning and manuscript preparation.
OBJECTIVE: PA authors face many barriers to publication and may benefit from additional transparency in the editorial decision-making process. This study examined the most common reasons for rejection of original research submissions to JAAPA. METHODS: Senior JAAPA editors conducted a thematic analysis of reviewer and editor comments and used these broad themes to classify the reasons for rejection of original research manuscripts submitted to JAAPA. RESULTS: From October 2015 through December 2018, 77 research manuscripts were submitted to JAAPA. Fifty-six manuscripts were rejected, resulting in an overall rejection rate of 73.7%. Common reasons for rejection included: methodologic issues (55.4%), content outside the journal's scope (42.9%), poor writing quality (17.9%), guideline nonadherence (3.6%), lack of novelty (3.6%), and author(s) declining to revise the manuscript (1.8%). CONCLUSION: The most common reasons for manuscript rejection can be overcome through research planning and manuscript preparation.