期刊对信件施加相当大的控制,批评先前研究的评论和在线评论(出版后批评)。我们在22个科学学科(N=330种期刊)中的15种排名最高的期刊上评估了与出版后评论相关的政策(研究一)和实践(研究二)。两百零七种(63%)期刊接受了发表后的批评,并经常对长度(中位数1000,四分位数范围(IQR)500-1200字)和提交时间(中位数12,IQR4-26周)施加限制。最严格的限制是175字和两周;一些政策没有限制。在2018年接受发表后批评的期刊发表的2066篇随机抽样研究文章中,39(1.9%,95%置信区间[1.4,2.6])与至少一个出版后批评相关联(总共有58个出版后批评)。在58个出版后的批评中,44收到了提交人的答复,其中41人断言最初的结论没有改变。临床医学具有最活跃的出版后批评文化:所有期刊都接受出版后批评,并且总体上发表了最多的出版后批评。但也对长度(中位数400,IQR400-550字)和提交时间(中位数4,IQR4-6周)施加了最严格的限制.我们的研究结果表明,排名靠前的学术期刊往往对培养构成严重障碍,出版后批评的文献和传播。
Journals exert considerable control over letters, commentaries and online comments that criticize prior research (post-publication critique). We assessed policies (Study One) and practice (Study Two) related to post-publication critique at 15 top-ranked journals in each of 22 scientific disciplines (N = 330 journals). Two-hundred and seven (63%) journals accepted post-publication critique and often imposed limits on length (median 1000, interquartile range (IQR) 500-1200 words) and time-to-submit (median 12, IQR 4-26 weeks). The most restrictive limits were 175 words and two weeks; some policies imposed no limits. Of 2066 randomly sampled research articles published in 2018 by journals accepting post-publication critique, 39 (1.9%, 95% confidence interval [1.4, 2.6]) were linked to at least one post-publication critique (there were 58 post-publication critiques in total). Of the 58 post-publication critiques, 44 received an author reply, of which 41 asserted that original conclusions were unchanged. Clinical Medicine had the most active culture of post-publication critique: all journals accepted post-publication critique and published the most post-publication critique overall, but also imposed the strictest limits on length (median 400, IQR 400-550 words) and time-to-submit (median 4, IQR 4-6 weeks). Our findings suggest that top-ranked academic journals often pose serious barriers to the cultivation, documentation and dissemination of post-publication critique.