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

Reasons for performing studyRelatively few journals publish their annual acceptance rate, although this figure is of scientific and academic interest. ObjectivesTo determine the acceptance rate for manuscripts submitted to veterinary peer-reviewed journals during 2012 and to determine the proportions of submitted manuscripts that were accepted without revision, accepted after revision or rejected. Study designSelf-reporting email questionnaire MethodsEditors of 118 peer-reviewed journals listed in the Web of Science in the subject category veterinary sciences were invited by email to submit data pertinent to manuscripts submitted to their journal in 2012. ResultsData were received from 30 (26%) journals. Mean s.d. acceptance rate was 47 +/- 15%. On average 3 +/- 5% submitted manuscripts were accepted without revision, 44% +/- 15% manuscripts were accepted after revision, 4 +/- 4% manuscripts were withdrawn by authors, 46 +/- 17% manuscripts were rejected and 3 +/- 5% manuscripts were still pending at the end of the study period. ConclusionsWith so few manuscripts accepted without revision, prospective authors must expect to expend time and effort revising and resubmitting their manuscripts for publication. Although authors are frequently able to correct manuscript flaws identified by reviewers, the knowledge that less than half submitted manuscripts are accepted might help stimulate prospective authors to try to submit better quality manuscripts.