Journal of Ophthalmic Science · ISSN 2470-0436
JOS considers basic, experimental, preclinical, clinical, translational and population research whose primary contribution concerns the eye, visual system, eye disease or delivery of eye care.
Ophthalmic science and vision research Peer-reviewed Open access Crossref DOI prefix 10.14302
Scope screenJOS
Meeting the journal’s scope does not guarantee peer review or acceptance.
I
The Journal of Ophthalmic Science provides a venue for research across ocular biology, visual neuroscience, experimental and preclinical ophthalmology, clinical care, imaging, therapeutics, surgery, engineering, rehabilitation and eye-health services.
The intended readers include ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgeons and trainees; optometrists and other eye-care clinicians; ocular biologists and vision scientists; imaging, engineering, diagnostic-accuracy and translational researchers; and researchers studying access to eye care.
The journal publishes research findings, not individual medical advice. Clinical implications should be proportionate to the study design and evidence.
These criteria govern new submissions. Earlier publication of a topic does not by itself establish that the same topic remains within the journal’s present scope.
II
The subject may cross an ophthalmic subspecialty boundary, but the manuscript’s principal contribution must remain identifiable as ophthalmic science.
Clinical research on anterior- and posterior-segment disease, including cornea, cataract, refractive care, glaucoma, retina and vitreous, uveitis, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology, orbital and lacrimal disease, and ocular pathology or oncology.
Medical, surgical or rehabilitative interventions assessed with appropriate patient selection, comparators, outcome measures, follow-up and adverse-event reporting.
Ophthalmic imaging, diagnostic-accuracy studies, biomarkers, functional testing and measurement methods that identify their reference standard, acquisition protocol and clinically relevant performance.
Ocular biology, visual neuroscience, preclinical disease models, ophthalmic biomaterials, devices and engineering, together with epidemiology, prevention, rehabilitation, screening and access-to-care research.
III
A topic is not in scope merely because it uses eye images or ophthalmic terminology. The work must make a substantive and assessable ophthalmic contribution.
| Area | Potentially within scope when | Normally outside scope when |
|---|---|---|
| AI and computational methods | The method addresses a defined ophthalmic question, uses appropriate ophthalmic data and comparators, and reports validation, uncertainty and limitations. | The work is a generic algorithm or computer-vision exercise without credible ophthalmic evaluation. |
| Devices, materials and engineering | The device, material or engineering method addresses a defined ophthalmic need and is evaluated with relevant biological, technical, preclinical or clinical evidence. | The work is generic engineering or materials research without an ophthalmic question, validation or application. |
| Vision science and neuroscience | The study advances understanding of ocular biology, the visual system, eye disease, diagnosis, rehabilitation or treatment. | The visual-system topic has no defined contribution to ophthalmic or vision science. |
| Systemic disease | The ocular manifestation, mechanism, diagnostic pathway or treatment consequence is the primary research question. | Ocular findings are incidental to a general medical study. |
| Population and services research | The outcomes concern vision, eye disease, ophthalmic screening, rehabilitation or access to eye care. | The study is general public-health or service research without a specific eye-health outcome. |
JOS does not consider work whose principal contribution cannot be evaluated as ophthalmic or vision science.
IV
Scope fit and scientific quality are separate decisions. The manuscript must provide enough information for editors and reviewers to assess the study, the evidence and the clinical interpretation.
State institutional ethics approval, informed consent and compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki where applicable. Interventional trials should provide a prospective public registration identifier.
Provide appropriate written publication consent for identifiable periocular or facial images. Removing names or placing a bar over the eyes does not replace consent.
Describe acquisition settings, grading or adjudication, quality control, reference standards and image processing. Disclose AI-assisted enhancement, segmentation or analysis.
Define selection criteria, outcomes, controls and missing-data handling. Report clinically meaningful effects with estimates and uncertainty or confidence intervals, not significance alone.
Describe the intervention, comparator, follow-up, protocol deviations and adverse events in enough detail to judge benefit, harm and applicability.
Include a data-availability statement and disclose funding, device, pharmaceutical and other financial or non-financial interests relevant to the work.
Detailed preparation and policy requirements are maintained in the Instructions for Authors and Editorial Policies.
V
The following categories align the journal’s published record with the current submission-system categories. The selected category must match the manuscript’s design and evidence.
A surgical technique is assigned to the article type that matches its study design and evidence; it is not presented here as a separate submission-system category.
VI
A manuscript is more likely to receive an efficient scope assessment when each of the following questions can be answered clearly in the title, abstract and methods.
Authors who remain uncertain about scope may contact the editorial office before submission. A scope enquiry does not constitute editorial approval or predict a publication decision.
Review the manuscript, ethics, image, data and reporting requirements before preparing files for submission.
Read the instructions for authors