Introduction
Founded in the summer of 2020, the journal "Medical hypothesis, discovery & innovation in optometry" is a quarterly, open-access, double-blind peer-reviewed publication that focuses on research related to optometry. Our goal is to provide a scientific platform for communication among researchers in the field. The journal appeals to a wide audience of visual scientists and publishes original articles, reviews, case reports, and commentaries, with a particular emphasis on original research.
We are affiliated with and published by IVORC (Registration File Number: 803630055), a registered non-profit corporation based in Austin, Texas, United States. Additionally, we offer complimentary English editing services for submitted papers.
Guidelines for Authors to Submit a Manuscript
All submitted manuscripts should be unique and should not have been published or currently be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions should be in English. Each author is required to review and approve the authorship responsibilities and publication ethics principles outlined on our website. Additionally, all authors should provide a statement of competing interests. One author should be designated as the corresponding author, and their contact details along with their postal address should be included. The corresponding author will also need to sign the copyright agreement on behalf of all co-authors.
All abstracts must be structured; however, abstracts are not required for editorials or letters to the editor. We accept the following types of manuscripts: original articles, review articles, hypotheses, editorials, letters, and case reports (preferably accompanied by a comprehensive literature review).
Requirements for Different Types of Articles
Original articles should include the following components: a structured abstract, 3–5 keywords, an introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, an ethical declaration, funding information, acknowledgments, and references. There is no limit on the number of supporting documents that may be included. Additionally, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) must be registered with any RCT Registries that are approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Case reports (preferably accompanied by a comprehensive literature review) should include the following components: a structured abstract, 3–5 keywords, an introduction, a case presentation, a discussion, conclusions, an ethical declaration, information about funding, acknowledgments, and references. The structured abstract should consist of three parts: background, case presentation, and conclusions. Informed consent must be obtained from patients or their legal representatives before reporting their cases. The journal reserves the right to request the original signed informed consent form.
Review articles include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-syntheses, realistic review, narrative reviews, and scoping reviews. Authors must clearly define inclusion/exclusion criteria, specify the study type, intervention, population, exposure, outcomes, and data sources. The methods section should detail the search strategy, selection criteria, data extraction, quality assessment, analysis, and registry details (if applicable). A structured abstract is required, covering background, methods, results, and conclusions. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses following PRISMA guideline are strongly encouraged.
Hypothesis: The structured abstract of this article type should include a background, a hypothesis, and conclusions. The main body of this manuscript consists of an introduction, the hypothesis, an evaluation of the hypotheses, and conclusions.
Editorials and letters: Editorials and letters should ideally be no longer than 2,500 words. Letters that discuss articles published in this journal should be submitted within nine months of the publication of the main article. These submissions will go through the peer-review process. An abstract is not required.
Relevant links concerning further details about study designs
CASP: https://casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists/
COREQ: https://academic.oup.com/intqhc/article/19/6/349/1791966
CROSS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33886027/
ENTREQ: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23185978/
GRADE-CERQual: https://www.cerqual.org/
GRIPP2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28768629/
PRISMA (2020): http://prisma-statement.org/prismastatement/Checklist.aspx
PRISMA-ScR: http://www.prisma-statement.org/Extensions/ScopingReviews
SRQR: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/srqr/
STROBE: https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/
TIDieR-PHP: https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1079
TRIPOD: https://www.tripod-statement.org/resources/
Publication Fees
The Article Processing Charge (APC) for accepted papers is Euro 2,400, covering an unlimited word count, with no additional page charges or supplementary fees. The APC applies to all types of articles.
The journal does not receive any funding from governmental, educational, charitable, or other sources. Because we do not accept advertisements, we require authors to pay the APC for their work to be published. This fee covers the costs associated with open access, journal production, web hosting, database management, online repository services, archiving, XML conversion, reference formatting, and an unlimited number of color figures. Submission of a manuscript and the peer review process are free of charge. Accepted papers also benefit from comprehensive English editing at no extra cost.
To ensure transparency, the APC is clearly outlined on the journal's website. Authors are informed about the APC at the beginning of the submission process to prevent any unexpected financial commitments. Please note that APCs are non-refundable after the official acceptance letter is issued or if an article is retracted. At this time, we do not offer full waivers or discounts.
If there are any changes to the APC or additional fees, authors will be notified in advance through the journal's website and submission guidelines. Editorial decisions are made independently of fees or waiver status, and the peer review process remains focused on the quality and originality of research. These policies are designed to ensure the financial sustainability of the journal while upholding fairness, transparency, and academic integrity.
Note: If you have any questions about the APC payment process, please contact our editorial office at optometry@mehdijournal.com.
Manuscripts should be prepared with the following guidelines:
Cover letter: The cover letter should explain the rationale behind conducting the study. It should include a statement confirming that the article will not be submitted to any other journal until the review process is complete. Additionally, authors must indicate whether they have published or submitted any related papers on the same topic.
Title page: The title page should contain the study's title, the authors' names (along with their email addresses), and their affiliations. The corresponding author’s complete mailing address, telephone number, and email address should also be provided.
Abstract: The abstract should preferably be less than 400 words and structured under appropriate headings. It must be concise and easily understandable for readers. Note that abstracts are not required for editorials or letters to the editor. Authors should include three to five keywords selected from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for indexing purposes.
Introduction: The introduction should provide a brief background of previous studies, identify potential gaps in the literature, and clearly state the aim of the study.
Methods: The methods section should detail the step-by-step approach used to gather data and conduct statistical analyses. It should explicitly mention the inclusion and exclusion criteria and ideally be presented in chronological order. For reports of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), authors should refer to the CONSORT statement. Reporting guidelines can enhance the quality of the study and ensure all necessary information is provided. Authors can find valuable assistance on the EQUATOR Network website.
Results: Results should be communicated in chronological order within the text, tables, and figures. Tables and figures should be cited in the order they appear in the text. Figures need captions displayed in a separate section, with all abbreviations expanded. Tables should include a title and a footnote explaining any abbreviations. Ensure all figures and tables are cited in the text, avoiding repetition of information found in the tables. Include figures only if they contribute additional information. High-resolution figures (600 dpi) should be submitted in TIFF format. If you have reused or adapted figures, tables, or any academic materials from previously published papers, please obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Discussion: The discussion section should compare the research findings with those from other relevant publications, presenting arguments and counterarguments. It should highlight both the strengths and limitations of the study and discuss the implications of the findings for future research or clinical practice.
Conclusions: The conclusions should summarize the final results and provide brief recommendations derived from the study. It is important not to overstate or make claims that exceed the study's findings. Conclusions should not only highlight the main findings but also indicate their implications for patient care or research. What is the key take-home message from your study? How should this information influence patient treatment?
Funding and acknowledgments: All funding sources and acknowledgments should be clearly stated in the submission.
References: References should be listed numerically in the order they are cited in the text, following the Vancouver style as outlined in the PubMed style. For additional reference formats, refer to the NLM style guide for authors, editors, and publishers. All references cited must be included in the reference section.
Use of AI assistance: If any artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been utilized in any part of the manuscript, this should be acknowledged both in the manuscript and during submission. Please note that AI tools do not qualify for authorship and cannot assume responsibility for the research outcomes; hence they should not be included in the author list.
Editorial Policies
For our complete guidelines, please visit the Journal Policies page.
Peer Review Policies
For detailed information, please visit the Journal Policies page.
Ethics in Publications
Please refer to our full guidelines on the Journal Policies page.
Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
For more information, please visit the Journal Policies page.
Author Inquiries
For any inquiries related to article submissions, please contact the editorial office at:
Email: optometry@mehdijournal.com
Phone: +1 (281) 8990369
You can also follow us on LinkedIn.
Copyright Notice
Our journal is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows for the copying and redistribution of the material for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original work is properly cited.
Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal the exclusive license and right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
How to receive permission to re-use a PDF or part of it?
To use the online production of our articles (partially or totally), including a figure, table, image, or a PDF, please contact Copyright.com and ask for permission.