Factors for Predicting Time to Acceptance in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Purpose The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) is a high-impact journal that publishes crucial research to inform surgeons’ clinical decision-making. The purpose of this study was to determine the median time from submission to acceptance for articles published by the JAAOS and to evaluate factors which may influence time to acceptance. Methods All studies published in JAAOS from 2020-2022 were obtained. Abstracts were screened for submission and acceptance dates, and time to acceptance was calculated. Studies were excluded if dates were unavailable. Data extracted included article type, main topic, and sex of the first author. Simple linear regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and independent samples t-test were utilized for univariate analysis. For multivariate analyses, a standard least squares regression was applied. Results We analyzed 754 articles. Over the past 3 years, time to acceptance has not significantly changed (p = 0.894). Regarding article type, letters had the shortest time to acceptance (median 5 days, IQR 2-10, p<0.0001), while interventional studies had the longest time to acceptance (median 171.5 days, IQR 106-309.5).. Articles pertaining to COVID-19 (median 62 days, IQR 2-121) and diversity (median 90 days, IQR 24-156) had the shortest times to acceptance. Articles pertaining to radiology (median 189.5 days, IQR 100-309.5) and trauma (median 183 days, IQR 126.5-269.5) had the longest times to acceptance (p<.0008). Time to acceptance was not significantly different between male and female first authors. Conclusion This study provides a tool for authors to estimate their mean time from submission to acceptance based on the characteristics of their study. With literature submissions constantly increasing each year with unknown times to acceptance, authors may make a more informed decision with journal selection based on the qualities of their study.