Instructions for Authors
SCOPE
Cornea is a peer reviewed, scientific journal for the submission of original manuscripts describing clinical observations, clinical trials, basic investigation with clinical applicability, and unique and important case reports related to diseases of and medical and surgical treatment of the cornea and external eye.
Instructions for Authors (this page)
Reprint Ordering
Permissions Requests
Reprints
Ethical/Legal Considerations
Originality and validity of manuscript
A submitted manuscript must be an original contribution not previously published (except as an abstract or preliminary report), must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and, if accepted, must not be published elsewhere in similar form, in any language, without the consent of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Although the editors and reviewers make every effort to ensure the validity of published manuscripts, the final responsibility rests with the authors, not with the Journal, its editors, or the publisher.
Author’s Role
Each person listed as an author is expected to have participated in the study to a significant extent. Cornea abides by the Authorship Criteria as set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Please visit http://www.icmje.org/index.html to review the criteria and to determine whether contributors should be listed as authors or be listed in the acknowledgments.
Patient anonymity and informed consent
It is the author's responsibility to ensure that a patient's anonymity is carefully protected. For photographs or videos, the author must obtain written and signed permission from the patient if the patient could be recognizable.
Compliance with NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements
A number of research funding agencies require or request authors to submit the post-print (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. As a service to our authors, LWW will identify to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) articles that require deposit and will transmit the post-print of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or other funding agencies to PubMed Central. The revised Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the appropriate mechanism.
Permissions
Authors must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use direct quotations, tables, or illustrations that have appeared in copyrighted form elsewhere, along with complete details about the source. Any permission fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material, not the responsibility of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Copyright
Each author must complete the journal's copyright transfer agreement, which includes a section on the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest based on the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals" (www.icmje.org/update.html).
Copyright forms are collected electronically. The Additional Information submission step will lead you through the process.
A copy of the form is made available to the submitting author within the Editorial Manager submission process. Co-authors will automatically receive an Email with instructions on completing the form upon submission of the manuscript.
You may edit a co-author's E-mail address if you receive an undeliverable E-mail, view their Form responses, or Resend the verification form to your co-authors via the 'Author Status' action item in your 'Submissions Being Processed' or 'Revisions Being Processed' folders.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors must state all possible conflicts of interest in the manuscript, including financial, consultant, institutional and other relationships that might lead to bias or a conflict of interest. If there is no conflict of interest, this should also be explicitly stated as none declared. All sources of funding should be acknowledged in the manuscript. All relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding should be included on the title page of the manuscript with the heading “Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:” For example:
Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: A has received honoraria from Company Z. B is currently receiving a grant (#12345) from Organization Y, and is on the speaker’s bureau for Organization X – the CME organizers for Company A. For the remaining authors none were declared.
TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS
(Note: All Submissions Should be Succinct)
Basic Investigation: Laboratory studies related to the Cornea and having direct or indirect clinical importance.
Book Review: Limited to subject matter of the journal and are published on-line only. Books for review should be sent to Mark Mannis, MD, at: 4860 Y St, #2400, Sacramento, CA 95817-2307
Case Report: Should report new and important findings and should be limited to no more than 3 or 4 typescript pages, be limited to 10 references, and use only one or two high quality photographs. These are not strict rules, but suggestions.
Clinical Science: Should report well done clinical studies. Studies should be approved by an appropriate ethical committee/Institutional Review Board and adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Where appropriate, clinical trials should be registered with clinicaltrials.gov and the registration number included in the manuscript.
Editorial: The journal does not accept unsolicited editorials. If you are contemplating writing an editorial, please check with the Editor.
Letter to Editor: Readers’ comments on previously published articles in the Journal. Letters to the Editor should be limited in length and references.
Review: Should be on topics important to the field. Please check with the Editor to discuss potential topics.
Technique: Should succinctly describe new methods and include appropriate illustrations.
Invited Submission: Select topics determined by the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editors. (No abstract should be included for Cornea Classics and Controversy/Point-Counter Point submissions. Please include an abstract for Brief Reviews and a 50-word precis for Cutting Edge submissions. Key words should be included for all Invited Submissions.)
Invited Submissions Guidelines
Feature
Purpose
Length
Number of References
Abstract Requirement
Keywords
Brief Definitive Reviews
Discussing the known, the not known, and where the field is heading
Approximately 4,000-5,000 words
Up to 30
Required
Required
Classics in Cornea
Highlighting highly cited classic pieces in the Cornea literature
Approximately 500 words
No more than 3-5; Highlighted article will be reprinted with the piece
None Required
Required
Controversy
Discussing hot button/controversial topics
Approximately 2,000-4,000 words*
Up to 25*
None Required
Required
Cutting Edge
Discussing significant topical advances in science or technology
Approximately 2,000-3,000 words and 3 display items (tables and figures)
Up to 12
Precis of 50 words
Required
Point-Counter-Point
Multiple authors discussing, in a pro/con format, hot button/controversial topics
Up to 1,000 words per author
Up to 10 per author
None Required
Required
*Determined by senior editors
Preparation and Submission of the Manuscript
The journal requires ALL manuscripts and illustrations to be submitted via our online submission site at http://www.editorialmanager.com/cornea/. We will NOT accept hard copy manuscript submission or submissions received by email or CD. Manuscripts that do not adhere to the following instructions will be returned to the corresponding author for technical revision before undergoing peer review.
General Format
All manuscripts must be submitted in English and double-spaced for all copy, including legends, footnotes, tables, and references. Use the automatic page numbering and continuous line numbering functions. Please clearly label every file name to correspond with content (e.g. Main Manuscript, Figure 1, Table 1, etc).
Title page
Include:
Complete manuscript title
Full author names
Academic degrees (e.g. PhD, MD)
Affiliations of all authors including city and country
Postal address, email address, and telephone number of the corresponding author
Conflict of interest statement (if there is no Conflict to disclose, please state so on the title page)
3-5 keywords
Disclosure of any funding received for this work – Please clearly identify if your research was funded from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Wellcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); and other(s)
Please specify if the corresponding author is different from the author who is to receive reprints.
Abstract
A structured abstract is required in 2 places: at the beginning of the submission process, where requested; and in the manuscript, following the title page.
It should include sections for purpose, methods, results and conclusion and is limited to 250-word count.
Text
Organize the manuscript into four main headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. A conclusion section should not be included. Define abbreviations at first mention in text and in each table and figure. If a brand name is cited, supply the manufacturer's name and address (city and state/country). Acknowledge all forms of support, including pharmaceutical and industry support, in an Acknowledgments paragraph.
Abbreviations
For a list of standard abbreviations, consult the AMA Manual of Style or other standard sources. Write out the full term for each abbreviation at its first use unless it is a standard unit of measure.
References
The authors are responsible for the accuracy of the references. Key the references (double-spaced) at the end of the manuscript. Cite the references in the text in the order of appearance using superscripts. Cite unpublished data, such as papers submitted but not yet accepted for publication or personal communications, in parentheses in the text. If there are more than three authors, name only the first three authors and then use et al. Refer to the List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus for abbreviations of journal names, or access the list at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html.
Sample references are given below:
Journal article
1. Terry MA. The evolution of lamellar grafting techniques over twenty-five years. Cornea 2000;19:611-616.
Book chapter
2. Pels E, Beekhuis WH, Volker-Dieben HJ. Long-term tissue storage for keratoplasty. In: Brightbill FS, ed. Corneal surgery. Theory, technique, and tissue. St. Louis: Mosby, 1999:897.906.
Entire book
3. Brightbill FS, ed. Corneal surgery. Theory, technique, and tissue. St. Louis: Mostby, 1999.
Software
4. Epi Info [computer program]. Version 6. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1994.
Online journals
5. Friedman SA. Preeclampsia: a review of the role of prostaglandins. Obstet Gynecol [serial online]. January 1988; 71:22.37. Available from: BRS Information Technologies, McLean, VA. Accessed December 15, 1990.
Database
6. CANCERNET-PDQ [database online]. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 1996. Updated March 29, 1996.
Internet
7. Gostin LO. Drug use and HIV/AIDS [JAMA HIV/AIDS web site]. June 1, 1996. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/ethics. Accessed June 26, 1997.
Figures
A) Creating Digital Artwork
Learn about the publication requirements for Digital Artwork: http://links.lww.com/ES/A42
Create, Scan, and Save your artwork and compare your final figure to the Digital Artwork Guideline Checklist (below).
Upload each figure to Editorial Manager in conjunction with your manuscript text and tables.
B) Digital Artwork Guideline Checklist
Here are the basics to have in place before submitting your digital artwork:
Artwork should be saved as TIFF, EPS, or MS Office (DOC, PPT, XLS) files. High resolution PDF files are also acceptable.
Crop out any white or black space surrounding the image.
Diagrams, drawings, graphs, and other line art must be vector or saved at a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. If created in an MS Office program, send the native (DOC, PPT, XLS) file.
Photographs, radiographs and other halftone images must be saved at a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
Photographs and radiographs with text must be saved as postscript or at a resolution of at least 600 dpi.
Preferred mode of image capture, when possible and appropriate, is with a dilated pupil to maximize corneal details.
Each figure must be saved and submitted as a separate file. Figures should not be embedded in the manuscript text file.
Remember
Cite figures consecutively in your manuscript.
Number figures in the figure legend in the order in which they are discussed.
Upload figures consecutively to the Editorial Manager web site and enter figure numbers consecutively in the Description field when uploading the files.
Figure Legends
Legends must be submitted for all figures. They should be brief and specific, and they should appear on a separate manuscript page after the references. Use scale markers in the image for electron micrographs, and indicate the type of stain used.
Color Figures
Authors may choose to pay to publish color figures in the print issue of the journal. There is a per figure color charge. At the proof stage, authors will be given the option to choose to pay for color in print. If an author does not want to pay for color, the publisher will convert the images for print to black and white for free. All color figures will appear in the online version of the article at no cost to the author.
Tables
Each table must be saved and submitted as a separate word doc file. Tables should not be embedded in the manuscript text file. Please do not upload images of tables. All tabular matter must be editable. An image of a table, such as a scan, is not acceptable for publication. Cite tables consecutively in the text and number them in that order. They should be self-explanatory and should supplement, rather than duplicate, the material in the text
Supplemental Digital Content (SDC)
Authors are encouraged to submit supplemental digital content to enhance their article's text and to be considered for online posting only. Supplemental digital content may include as the following types of content: text documents, graphs, tables, figures, graphics, illustrations, audio, and video. Cite all supplemental digital content consecutively in the text. Citations should include the type of material submitted, should be clearly labeled as "Supplemental Digital Content," should include a sequential number, and should provide a brief description of the supplemental content. Provide a legend of supplemental digital content at the end of the text. List each legend in the order in which the material is cited in the text. The legends must be numbered to match the citations from the text. Include a title and a brief summary of the content. Authors must get written and signed permission from patients if the patient would be recognizable. Copyright and Permission forms for article content including supplemental digital content must be completed at the time of submission. If an article with SDC is accepted, our production staff will create a URL with the SDC file. The URL will be placed in the call-out within the article. SDC files are not copyedited by LWW staff, they will be presented digitally as submitted.
Supplemental Digital Content Size & File Type Requirements
To ensure a quality experience for those viewing supplemental digital content, it is suggested that authors submit supplemental digital files no larger than 10 MB each. Documents, graphs, and tables may be presented in any format. Figures, graphics, and illustrations should be submitted with the following extensions: .tif, .eps, .ppt, .jpg, .gif.
Supplemental Video and Audio Guidelines
MP4 Video Format
This document provides general guidelines for encoding videos to MP4. All video destined for the journals platform MUST be encoded in MP4 Video (.mp4) format. This format allows for embedded, streaming playback through the journal website and also works on iOS and Android mobile devices.
H.264 Video Codec
Video should be encoded using the H.264/Advanced Video (AVC) codec with the extension as (.mp4). H.264 is an excellent codec for desktop video and can be played in wide variety of mobile browsers including the iPhone/iPod/iPad and Android. Its compression quality is better than any other widely available codec on the market, meaning that at the same bitrate, a H.264 video will generally look better than a video in another codec (and conversely, at the same visual quality, a H.264 file will generally be smaller).
MP3 Audio Codec
Audio should be encoded using the MPEG Layer III (MP3) codec. Videos with people talking and no music can be encoded in mono. Videos using music should be encoded in stereo.
File Size
Stand Alone
For standalone video that will be posted in the video gallery video size should be limited to (1) GB in size. Given the encoding recommendation for 1280x720, this would allow for around 45 minutes of video. It is advised to break videos more than 45 minutes into multiple parts for the best user experience.
SDC
For Supplemental Digital Content (SDC) video size should be limited to (100) MB in size.
For more information, please review LWW's requirements for submitting supplemental digital content: http://links.lww.com/A142.
Style
Pattern manuscript style after the American Medical Association Manual of Style (10th edition). Refer to drugs and therapeutic agents by their accepted generic or chemical names, and do not abbreviate them. Use code numbers only when a generic name is not yet available. In that case, supply the chemical name and, if appropriate, a figure giving the chemical structure of the drug. Capitalize the trade names of drugs and place them in parentheses after the generic names. To comply with trademark law, include the name and location (city and state in USA; city and country outside USA) of the manufacturer of any drug, supply, or equipment mentioned in the manuscript. Use the metric system to express units of measure and degrees Celsius to express temperatures, and use SI units rather than conventional units.
For enquiries regarding submission of your manuscript
Please contact the Production Coordinator, Leslie Burke at: lburke@corneasociety.org or (703) 591-2220.
Open Access
LWW’s hybrid open access option is offered to authors whose articles have been accepted for publication. With this choice, articles are made freely available online immediately upon publication. Authors may take advantage of the open access option at the point of acceptance to ensure that this choice has no influence on the peer review and acceptance process. These articles are subject to the journal’s standard peer-review process and will be accepted or rejected based on their own merit.
Authors retain copyright
Authors retain their copyright for all articles they opt to publish open access. Authors grant LWW a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.
Creative Commons license
Articles opting for open access will be freely available to read, download and share from the time of publication. Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommerical No Derivative 3.0 which allows readers to disseminate and reuse the article, as well as share and reuse of the scientific material. It does not permit commercial exploitation or the creation of derivative works without specific permission. To view a copy of this license visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0.
Compliance with NIH and Other research funding agency accessibility requirements
A number of research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the post-print (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. As a service to our authors, LWW identifies to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) articles that require deposit and transmits the post-print of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or other funding agencies to PubMed Central. The revised Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the mechanism. LWW ensures that authors can fully comply with the public access requirements of major funding bodies worldwide. Additionally, all authors who choose the open access option will have their final published article deposited into PubMed Central.
FAQ for open access
http://links.lww.com/LWW-ES/A48
After Acceptance
Electronic Page Proofs and Corrections
Corresponding authors will receive electronic page proofs to check the copyedited and typeset article before publication. Portable document format (PDF) files of the typeset pages and support documents (such as the reprint order form) will be sent to the corresponding author by e-mail.
Complete instructions will be provided with the e-mail for downloading and printing the files and for faxing or e-mailing the corrected page proofs to the publisher.
It is the author's responsibility to ensure that there are no errors in the proofs. Changes that have been made to conform to journal style will stand if they do not alter the authors' meaning. Only the most critical changes to the accuracy of the content will be made. Changes that are stylistic or are a reworking of previously accepted material will be disallowed. The publisher reserves the right to deny any changes that do not affect the accuracy of the content. Authors may be charged for alterations to the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries. Proofs must be checked carefully and corrections faxed within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, as requested in the cover letter accompanying the page proofs.
Reprints
Authors will receive a reprint order form with the electronic page proofs that includes reprint costs. Reprint requests should be faxed with the corrected proofs, if possible. Reprints are normally shipped 6 to 8 weeks after publication of the issue in which the item appears. Contact the Reprint Department, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 351 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; Fax: (410) 528-4434; E-mail: reprints@wolterskluwer.com with any questions.
Publisher's contact
E-mail corrected page proofs, reprint order form, and any other related materials to Aidan Derrico, E-mail: Aidan.Derrico@wolterskluwer.com
