Acceptance rates for manuscripts submitted to veterinary peer-reviewed journals in 2012.

The research article investigates the acceptance rates of manuscripts submitted to veterinary peer-reviewed journals in 2012 and also discerns the proportions of these that were accepted in varying states such as without revision, post revision, and those rejected.

Objective and Methodology

• The main aim of this article is to determine the acceptance rates for manuscripts sent to veterinary peer-reviewed journals during the year 2012. The study also seeks to explore the percentages of these manuscripts that were accepted in different conditions – without any revisions, after revisions, and ones that were rejected altogether.
• To gather the necessary data, the researchers employed the methodology of self-reporting email questionnaires. Editors from 118 peer-reviewed journals listed under the subject category of veterinary sciences on the Web of Science were approached via email and requested to provide relevant information related to manuscripts submitted to their respective journals in the year 2012.

Results

• The researchers managed to gather data from 30 journals, which accounted for a 26% response rate. This response rate is significant since it affects the generalizability of the study’s results.
• The mean acceptance rate was found to be 47%, with a standard deviation of 15%. This variability in the data reflects the differences between journals in their acceptance rates.
• On average, 3 ± 5% of the submitted manuscripts were accepted without any revisions. This indicates the high standards and rigorous review process involved in these journals.
• The study found that 44% ± 15% of the submitted manuscripts were accepted after revisions had been made, suggesting that a significant number of manuscripts initially submitted are not up to the standards expected by these veterinary science journals.
• Data showed that 4 ± 4% of the manuscripts were withdrawn by the authors themselves, with a significant 46 ± 17% manuscripts being rejected outright. This demonstrates the stringent review and acceptance processes that these journals have to maintain their credibility and high quality.

Conclusions

• The study concludes that very few manuscripts get accepted without revisions, signifying that prospective authors must be prepared to invest time and effort into revising and resubmitting their manuscripts for publication.
• The findings revealed that less than half the submitted manuscripts are accepted, implying that prospective authors need to strive for higher quality in their manuscript submissions to increase their chances of acceptance.