Han HC, Koshy AN, Lin T, Yudi M, Clark D, Teh AW, Farouque O. Predictors of ManuScript Rejection sYndrome (MiSeRY): a cohort study.
Med J Aust 2019;
211:511-513. [PMID:
31813172 DOI:
10.5694/mja2.50414]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To assess whether specific factors predict the development of ManuScript Rejection sYndrome (MiSeRY) in academic physicians.
DESIGN
Prospective pilot study; participants self-administered a questionnaire about full manuscript submissions (as first or senior author) rejected at least once during the past 5 years.
SETTING
Single centre (tertiary institution).
PARTICIPANTS
Eight academic physician-authors.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Duration of grief. MiSeRY was pre-specified as prolonged grief (grief duration longer than the population median).
RESULTS
Eight participants provided data on 32 manuscripts with a total of 93 rejections (median, two rejections per manuscript; interquartile range [IQR], 1-3 rejections per manuscript). Median age at rejection was 37 years (IQR, 33-45 years); 86% of 80 rejections involved male authors (86%), 56 of the authors providing data about these rejections were first authors (60%). The median journal impact factor was 5.9 (IQR, 5.2-17). In 48 cases of rejection (52%), pre-submission expectations of success had been high, and in 54 cases (58%) the manuscripts had been sent for external review. Median grief duration was 3 hours (IQR, 1-24 h). Multivariate analysis indicated that higher pre-submission expectation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.0; 95% CI, 1.5-18), first author status (aOR, 9.5; 95% CI, 1.1-77), and external review (aOR, 19.0; 95% CI 2.9-126) were independent predictors of MiSeRY.
CONCLUSIONS
To help put authors out of their MiSeRY, journal editors could be more selective in the manuscripts they send for external review. Tempering pre-submission expectations and mastering the Coping and reLaxing Mechanisms (CaLM) of senior colleagues are important considerations for junior researchers.
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