Instructions for Authors

Comprehensive guidelines for preparing and submitting your ophthalmic research to JOS.

JOS publishes the following manuscript categories:

Original research articles should follow this structured format:

1. Title Page: Title, authors, affiliations, corresponding author contact, word count, keywords
2. Abstract: Structured with Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions sections
3. Introduction: Background, clinical rationale, and objectives of the study
4. Materials and Methods: Study design, patient population, surgical technique, outcome measures
5. Results: Findings presented with supporting data and clinical outcomes
6. Discussion: Interpretation, comparison with literature, clinical implications
7. Conclusions: Key findings and impact on ophthalmic practice
8. References: Vancouver style formatting

JOS requires high-quality ophthalmic images:

All ophthalmic research must comply with ethical standards:

• IRB/Ethics Committee approval for all human subjects research
• Declaration of Helsinki compliance
• Informed consent documentation
• ARVO Statement for animal research
• CONSORT compliance for randomized trials
• STROBE compliance for observational studies

References should be numbered consecutively in the order they appear:

• Journal Article: Smith AB, Jones CD. Outcomes of cataract surgery in diabetic patients. J Ophthalmol Sci. 2025;12(3):245-250.
• Book Chapter: Lee M. Glaucoma management. In: Chen R, editor. Clinical Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2024. p. 156-180.

1. Prepare: Format your manuscript according to these guidelines
2. Register: Create an account on ManuscriptZone submission portal
3. Upload: Submit manuscript, figures, consent forms, and supplementary materials
4. Review: Single-blind peer review by ophthalmology specialists (2-4 weeks)
5. Revise: Address reviewer feedback if revision is requested
6. Accept: Pay the APC after your manuscript is accepted
7. Publish: Your article goes live within 2 weeks of payment

JOS follows ICMJE criteria for authorship. All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to: conception/design or data acquisition/analysis; drafting or critically revising the manuscript; final approval; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Contributors who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors. Given the collaborative nature of ophthalmic research, we recognize that contributions may span clinical, surgical, and laboratory domains. Changes to authorship after submission require written confirmation from all authors.

Submissions should include a cover letter that briefly describes the study's significance, key findings, and relevance to clinical ophthalmology practice. Declare any prior publications of related work and confirm that the manuscript is original and not under consideration elsewhere. For surgical technique papers, describe the novelty of the approach and its potential clinical impact.

JOS encourages adherence to established reporting guidelines to ensure complete and transparent reporting of research:

• Clinical Trials: CONSORT Statement for randomized controlled trials
• Observational Studies: STROBE Guidelines for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies
• Diagnostic Accuracy Studies: STARD Guidelines
• Systematic Reviews: PRISMA Statement
• Case Reports: CARE Guidelines

Authors working with patient data must ensure appropriate de-identification and compliance with relevant privacy regulations. Clinical photographs must have identifiable features removed or have documented patient consent for publication. For studies using electronic health records, describe data governance and privacy protections. Provide ethics committee approval numbers and describe informed consent procedures.

Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise English following American English spelling conventions. Technical ophthalmic terminology should be used appropriately. Abbreviations should be spelled out at first use. Authors whose first language is not English may wish to have their manuscripts reviewed by a fluent English speaker before submission.

For surgical technique papers, high-quality video is often essential to demonstrate the described procedure. Videos should be in MP4 format with resolution of at least 720p. Include narration or text overlays explaining key surgical steps. Ensure patient consent covers video publication. Videos should be edited for clarity without unnecessary length. Including timestamp annotations helps readers navigate to specific techniques of interest in longer surgical demonstrations.

Submit all clinical images, OCT scans, and fundus photographs as separate high-resolution files (minimum 300 DPI). Ensure patient identifiers are removed or obscured in clinical photographs unless explicit consent for publication has been obtained. Multipanel figures should be clearly labeled with panel letters. Include scale bars where appropriate for microscopy images. Color figures are published at no additional charge under our standard APC.