FAQs

1. What are the benefits of publishing in BMJ Open Ophthalmology?

• Open Access – all articles published in BMJ Open Ophthalmology are freely available to a global audience on a number of databases, with the copyright retained by the author
• Compliance with funder Open Access mandates – publishing in BMJ Open Ophthalmology enables you to fulfill the Open Access requirements of funders such as the NIH, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK, including using the CC-BY license
• Rapid publication – all articles are subject to stringent peer-review and fast turnaround times, ensuring prompt publication through our continuous publication policy
• Trusted international brands – BMJ Ophthalmology maintains the scientific and international reputation of BMJ
• High readership visibility – bmj.com hosting makes sure papers are noticed; exceptional articles are press released

2. Is BMJ Open Ophthalmology currently indexed?

BMJ Open Ophthalmology is indexed in PubMed Central, DOAJ, Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science), Scopus and Google Scholar.

3. How do I submit?

Manuscripts should be submitted via the BMJ Open Ophthalmology online manuscript submission site.

4. My paper has just been rejected from British Journal of Ophthalmology, can I transfer my paper to BMJ Open Ophthalmology?

Your article will not automatically be transferred to BMJ Open Ophthalmology if rejected from British Journal of Ophthalmology; you can however choose this option when submitting your article through the online submissions system. Your manuscript can also be transferred to BMJ Open Ophthalmology from any other journal published by BMJ. When submitting your article is transferred to BMJ Open Ophthalmology from British Journal of Ophthalmology or another BMJ journal, we will obtain your previous peer review records and expedite your manuscript, resulting in a reduced time to decision. Manuscripts will be evaluated separately by the BMJ Open Ophthalmology editorial team, with different criteria for acceptance. Submission to the journal does not guarantee acceptance. Please email the editorial office at info.bmjophth@bmj.com for help or more information on submissions.

5. What is open access and an article publishing charge (APC)?

Open access equates to unrestricted access. Open access publishing strives to facilitate the the dissemination of research efficiently, effectively and equitably. All articles published in BMJ Open Ophthalmology are open access and are therefore available online in a permanent, universally accessible repository. The article publishing charge (APC) covers the costs of the publication process (which would traditionally be covered via subscription fees), including:

• Rigorous peer review through a maintained online submission system
• Production costs such as copyediting, typesetting, and preparation for online publication
• Continuous hosting of the article online, available worldwide
• Marketing efforts to increase the article’s exposure

6. What APC applies to BMJ Open Ophthalmology?

BMJ Open Ophthalmology levies an APC that reflects the true cost of the services provided. The standard APC for an article is GBP 1,700 (exclusive of VAT for UK and EU authors). Protocols have a discounted APC of GBP 1,000. There are no submission or page charges, and no colour charges. Payment of the APC may be made online by credit card, or by bank transfer following receipt of an invoice. Unless a waiver has been granted, accepted articles will not be published until payment has been received. Your institution may already have arranged to cover your publishing costs or you may be eligible for a discount. General information about BMJ’s Open Access Programme, including copyright policies and institutional memberships, is available via our Author Hub. It is the journal’s policy to publish articles after the APC is received. BMJ does not refund an APC once paid.

7. How do I pay the APC?

The submitting author must confirm at the time of submission that they will organize payment should the article be accepted for publication. Prompt payment is advised as the article will not be published until payment is received. Payment can be made through any of the following methods:

• Immediate payment online via credit card using a secure payment form as soon as the manuscript has been accepted.
• An invoice can be generated. Following receipt of an invoice, payment must be made within 30 days.

8. Does BMJ Open Ophthalmology offer discounts and waivers on the APC?

BMJ Open Ophthalmology offers a 100% waiver to corresponding authors from institutions based in HINARI Group A countries, and a 50% discount to authors from institutions based in HINARI Group B countries. Check with your institution before paying the APC. Your publishing costs might be covered through the BMJ Open Access Programme, or you may be eligible for a discount. More information about the BMJ Open Access Programme, including general information on Open Access and copyright policies, is available via our Author Hub.

9. Does BMJ Open Ophthalmology impose any copyright restrictions, and who retains copyright of the open access articles?

Authors retain copyright. Articles are published under a Creative Commons licence to facilitate reuse of the content. The standard licence is CC BY-NC, unless the funder mandates that it should be CC BY.

10. Will publishing in BMJ Open Ophthalmology be compliant with my funder’s mandate?

Publishing in BMJ Open Ophthalmology enables you to fulfil the Open Access requirements of various funders. Articles are published under a Creative Commons licence to facilitate reuse of the content. The standard licence is CC BY-NC, unless the funder (such as the Wellcome Trust, Research Councils UK, Austrian Science Fund, FWF, etc.) mandates that it should be their preferred CC BY licence which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. NIH employees must submit a completed and signed NIH Publishing Agreement and Manuscript Cover Sheet according to NIH’s Employee Procedures.

11. Which funding agencies allow direct use of grants to cover the APC?

If you received a grant to conduct your research, your first enquiry should be to whoever disburses the research funds. Much research funding is now granted on the condition that any resulting articles are published Open Access and are deposited in PubMed Central – publishing in BMJ Open Ophthalmology means that you meet both of these criteria. To help authors complete these requirements, many funders will permit payment of APCs from grants or have separate funds available. The Open Access Directory contains a list of universities that have funds for researchers to pay APCs. The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) has something similar – both mainly cover US institutions and are not comprehensive. The Compact for Open Access Publishing Equity is a collection of universities that have pledged support to establishing durable mechanisms for underwriting the APC model. Alternatively, contact your librarian to find out what support your institution offers. General information about BMJ’s Open Access Programme, including copyright policies and institutional memberships, is available via our Author Hub.

12. How do I subscribe?

BMJ Open Ophthalmology is an open access journal allowing freely available unrestricted and immediate online access to research globally; there is no print edition. Register for email alerts to be notified when new content is available.

13. How is the article cited?

As an online-only journal, articles are cited by their unique article number (Digital Object Identifier or DOI) instead of by volume, issue and page number.

14. What is the time to publication?

BMJ Open Ophthalmology aims to provide authors with a rapid peer review service. Continuous online publication ensures papers are published as soon as they are ready. All phases of the process can be tracked via our online systems.

15. How do I register for email alerts about BMJ Open Ophthalmology articles?

Visit the BMJ Open Ophthalmology email alert registration page to sign up for notification when new articles have published.

16. Who do I contact if I would like more information about BMJ Open Ophthalmology?

For all queries please contact the editorial office at info.bmjophth@bmj.com.