Instructions to authors

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

General Information
Full name: Bulletin of the Belgian Society of Ophthalmology
Journal name abbreviation: Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol

The Bulletin of the Belgian Society of Ophthalmology (Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol) publishes only original articles on clinical investigations, clinical observations, review articles and editorials. Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol will not consider manuscripts that have appeared, in part or in total, in other publications. Likewise, updates of previously published studies that add little data to an existing publication will not be considered. Although articles can be submitted in French, Dutch, and German, the Editorial Board strongly suggests submitting manuscripts in English.


ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Manuscripts submitted to the Bull Soc Belge Optalmol 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as an abstract or preliminary report), must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and if accepted, must not be published elsewhere in similar form, in any language or country. Each person listed as an author is expected to have participated in the study to a significant extent.

The Editors-in-Chief are responsible for establishing and maintaining the highest possible standards of the Journal as well as for maintaining its integrity and the final responsibility rests with the authors, not with the Journal, its Editors, or the Publisher. The Editors-in-Chief and the Editorial Board are primarily responsible for ensuring a fair review process and will give unbiased consideration to all submitted manuscripts. The statements and opinions contained in the articles of the Bull Soc Belge Optalmol are solely those of the individual Authors and contributors.

Copyright transfer
The copyright transfer will be filled in during submission online. It is the Corresponding Author's responsibility to be sure that all Authors meet the required criteria.

Patient anonymity and informed consent:
It is the Authors' responsibility:
- to protect patients' anonymity. When a patient is identifiable in a photograph, the Author(s) must supply the Journal with evidence of the patient's permission to publish the photograph. If necessary, Author(s) should mask the figure accordingly and remove names.
- to verify that for manuscripts reporting the results of experimental investigation on human subjects, human derived materials, or human medical records, include a statement that the study was performed with informed consent and following all the guidelines for experimental investigation in human subjects required by the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Ethics Committee of which all authors are affiliated.


MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
Manuscripts must be submitted online: www.editorialmanager.com 

Manuscript can belong to the following categories:
Original articles. Previously unpublished manuscripts, directed to ophthalmologists and visual science specialists describing clinical investigations, clinical observations, relevant clinical laboratory investigations. An original article should consist of around 16-18 double-spaced, typewritten pages, corresponding to 6-8 printed pages. The text of articles must be divided into sections with the headings Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion

Short communications/Case reports are published in a limited number.
They should be typed double-spaced and be no more than 6 double-spaced, typewritten pages in length including references (no more that 7). Please refer to "Manuscript Guidelines". No more than 3 authors are allowed and no more than 3 figures may be used. A figure with more parts (i.e. a, b, c) will be considered as 3 figures. Single case reports will only be considered if they add significant new information.

Correspondence. Letters to the Editor should contain comments on articles published by the Journal. They should be typed double-spaced and be no more than 3 pages in length including references and figures. Letters should be addressed to the Editors-in-Chief and the article examined should be cited in the first paragraph. Letters should end with the writer's name, degree and location.
Editorials. Editorials are solicited by the Editors-in Chief.


MANUSCRIPT GUIDELINES

Manuscripts that do not adhere to the following guidelines will be returned to the Corresponding Author for technical revision before undergoing the peer review process.

Title page
The first page should include:
-  the complete manuscript title (max 135 characters including letters and spaces);
-  short title (max 75 characters including letters and spaces);
-  full names and affiliations for all authors, listed as initials and last name (i.e. P.M. Smith);
-  corresponding Author's information (full mailing address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail address);

The title page must include a statement on proprietary interest (state whether any Authors have proprietary interest or not).  When applicable, state grants and funds in support of the Study. If the paper was presented at a meeting, state its name, place and date on which it was read.

Abstract and keywords
On a new page submit abstract and keywords in English. The abstract must not exceed 250 words. It must be structured and divided in the sections Purpose, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. It must be acceptable for use without revision by abstracting journals. Below the abstract, identify 3 to 6 keywords in alphabetical order under which you believe the article should be indexed.

Text
Starting on a new page, type manuscript using Arial font size 12, as this creates less problems when building your PDF, and save it as Word document (.doc). Use double spacing and do not justify the right margin. Use only standard abbreviations and avoid abbreviations in the title. The full term for which an abbreviation stands for should precede its first use in the text. The average published manuscript in Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol, including references, is up to 6 pages in length. This corresponds to between 16 and 20 double-spaced typewritten pages. Type your manuscript as a single Word file, divided in the following sections: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion.

Tables and Figures must be submitted as separate files and not embedded in the word document.

Tables
As a general rule, tables should not unnecessarily offer duplicate information given in the text. Type each table on a separate sheet, using double spacing. Tables should be created in a Word document using the table tools. Do not format tables as columns or tabs and do not submit tables as figures. Tables should be numbered consecutively in Roman numerals by order of citation in the text. Each table must include title, appropriate column heads and explanatory legends, including definitions of any abbreviation used. References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend. These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text.

Figures
Figures must be submitted as individual files. Do not embed them in the Word document. Cite figures consecutively in the text, and number them in the order in which they are discussed. If figures are not submitted in a high enough resolution for publishing, they will be returned to the author.

Digital art should be created/scanned, saved and submitted as either a TIFF (tagged image file format) or an EPS (encapsulated postscript) file. Do not submit figures as PPT files (PowerPoint files).  Electronic photographs and scanned images must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Line art must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. Any figure containing text should be saved only as TIFF file. Colour images must be created/scanned and saved and submitted as CMYK files. The Author should use colour figures only when necessary.

No text should appear on the face of a figure. Lettering, arrows, and other symbols should be large enough to remain legible after reduction to a figure with a base of 10 cm. All symbols or letters that appear on the figures should be defined in the legend. Arial font should be used for any lettering or text on a figure. If possible use the same font type and size in all artworks (we recommend Arial 12).

Figure legends
Starting on a new page, type legends for figures double-spaced, with Arabic numerals corresponding to the figures. All figures must have a legend. When symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters are used to identify parts of the figures, identify and explain each one clearly in the legend.

Acknowledgements
Acknowledge statistical consultation and assistance (when provided by a person different from the author) in an acknowledgement at the end of the article before the references Indicate the name, degree and affiliation of the individual. For all others assisting in the preparation of a manuscript acknowledgements cannot be done, however valuable their service.

References
References should follow the text and begin on a separate page. They must be double-spaced and numbered consecutively in order of appearance in the text. Switch off any automated reference numbering tool, if in use. Identify references in text, tables, and legends in Arabic numerals in parentheses, i.e. (7). References used within tables should appear as footnotes in the table legend. These references should not be repeated in the main reference list unless they are also cited within the text. List only references that the reader can retrieve in a literature research and that are pertinent to the manuscript. The titles of journals should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus/Medline. All references must be verified by the Author(s) against the original documents. Personal communications and unpublished data should be limited and incorporated into the text without a reference number.

Any references to studies (including books or articles) that have been accepted for publication, but not yet published, should indicate where they will be published and have the term "in press" in the reference in place of volume and page numbers. These must be updated prior to publication, if possible.

References MUST be presented as follows:

Standard journal article: (List all Authors when six or less; when seven or more, list only first three and add et al.)  François J, Hanssens M. Statistical study of vascular pseudo papillitis. Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol 1976; 173: 665-70.

Chapter in a book: Lynn JR, Fellman RL, and Starita RJ. Principles of Perimetry. The Glaucomas, 2th ed. St Louis: CV Mosby, 1996; 491.

If there is any doubt about abbreviation of a journal name, it should be spelled out completely.

SUBMISSION OF A REVISED MANUSCRIPT
If it is determined through the review process that your manuscript requires revision, the revised version must be submitted within 3 months from the date of the decision letter (20 days for short communications). Revisions not received within the allotted time will not be considered.

When submitting a revised version of a paper, the author must submit a detailed Response to Reviewers that clearly states point-point  how each issue raised by the reviewers has been covered and where it can be found (each reviewer's comment followed by the relative author reply). Additionally, the revised manuscript needs to be submitted with changes visible and also with changes accepted.

PUBLICATION PROCESS
All manuscripts will be edited to conform with Editorial Board policy in accordance with the "Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals". When the manuscript has been paged up, proofs will be submitted to the Author for approval.
The Editors-in-Chief accept the manuscript with the understanding that the Authors cooperate in a timely manner with the production process, including any response to future correspondence from the Bull Soc Belge Ophtalmol or its readers.

Page proofs
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 will be sent to the corresponding author by e-mail. Complete instructions will be provided. Proofs should be reviewed carefully by more than one person and returned by fax to the publisher within 72 hours of receipt to avoid delay in publication. 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 and Authors may be charged for alterations to the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries.

Reprints
The Corresponding Author will receive a complimentary copy of the issue featuring her/his article. Authors will receive a reprint order form and a price list with the page proofs. 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.

Bulletin of the Belgian Society of Ophthalmology
Editors-in-Chief Michèle Detry-Morel & Thierry Zeyen

August 19, 2011