The British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ) is the official journal of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society, and was first published in 1939. Just as the role of orthoptists has evolved over time, the journal has also seen many changes over the years. Despite the changes, one thing has remained constant – the drive to share best practice through well conducted research.
We recently moved BIOJ to a new online academic publisher (White Rose University Press). The journal is now an online-only journal, and members will no longer be receiving a paper copy. We are an open access journal which means that BIOJ is available to the reader without financial, legal, or technical barriers. This has many advantages as it facilitates easier information sharing, which ultimately should drive evidence-based practice. Anyone can access the journal – orthoptists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, vision scientists, policy-makers, the list is endless. Unlike other journals, BIOJ currently does not incur any article processing charge (APC), meaning that it is free to publish research in BIOJ. Moving to an online only publisher means that once an article is accepted for publication it can be uploaded to the website straight away. This makes BIOJ an attractive proposition when authors are considering where to submit their research – not only is it free to publish work in, others can access the articles without having to pay to view them, and their work can be “out there” quickly.
The BIOJ invites submissions relating to original research, review articles, case reports and scientific letters to the editor in areas related to clinical ocular motility, visual function, amblyopia, binocular vision and strabismus. The journal will accept submissions from a wide variety of disciplines, including orthoptists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and vision technicians, among others.
The new BIOJ website is up and running and can be found here: www.bioj-online.com. The previous online content from the old journal website has been transferred, and new content is also available.
The success of any academic journal can only be achieved with support from a number of people. Firstly and perhaps most importantly, is our team of reviewers. Our reviewers are a group of people from a range of disciplines, including orthoptists, optometrists, vision scientists, ophthalmologists, and statisticians. Each manuscript submitted to BIOJ is anonymously reviewed by two (or sometimes three) reviewers. Reviewers are asked to consider a number of things when making a recommendation as to whether a manuscript should be published in BIOJ. Over the next few months we will be updating members about the review process in Parallel Vision. We are always on the lookout for new reviewers – if this is something that you may be interested in, please email Jill Carlton (Editor) at [email protected].
We are very excited about the new look BIOJ and we are working hard on ways to further improve the reputation and international standing of the journal. We make no secret of the fact that we are working towards a Medline-indexing application within the next 5 years. BIOJ would not be where it is today without the drive and dedication of many. Previous editors, reviewers past and present, and authors have all contributed to its success. As a group we have a responsibility to honour and respect the legacy of BIOJ, and work collectively to ensure its bright future.