Submissions

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission is ready for and fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines here, then register an account (or login if you have an existing account)

About

The African Eye Health and Vision Science Journal is an open-access, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to advancing clinical optometry, ophthalmic epidemiology, and visual optics. We publish rigorous original research, reviews, and clinical studies with a distinct focus on eye conditions, population health trends, and disease control strategies relevant to the African context. By providing a robust platform for evidence synthesis and clinical dialogue, the journal empowers practitioners, researchers, and public health professionals to collaboratively improve ocular health outcomes across the continent.

Focus and Scope

The GOA Journal is the official journal of the Ghana Optometric Association. It provides a platform for the dissemination of research findings and relevant literature in the field of eye care and its related disciplines. The journal is published electronically twice a year, and accepts contributions from the following areas and disciplines

• Clinical Optometry
  • Paediatric Optometry
  • Geriatric Optometry
  • Contact lenses
  • Ocular Prosthetics
• Vision Science
  • Physiological and visual Optics
  • Computer vision
  • Electrophysiology
  • Psychophysics
• Public health in eye care
• Ophthalmic imaging
• Vision rehabilitation
• History of Eye Care
• Eye Care Education
• Professional Practice and Guidelines

In addition to research articles and reviews, the GOA Journal also welcomes case studies, expert commentaries, and editorials that address current trends and innovations in eye care. We strive to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration by publishing work that intersects with other areas of healthcare, technology, and policy-making, thereby broadening the scope of discussion and impact. Our rigorous peer-review process ensures that all published content meets high standards of quality and scientific integrity. The journal serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, educators, and policy-makers, contributing to the advancement of eye care practices and the improvement of patient outcomes worldwide.

Submission Checklist

 The GOA Journal is the official journal of the Ghana Optometric Association. It provides a platform for the dissemination of research findings and relevant literature in the field of eye care and its related disciplines. Our rigorous peer-review process ensures that all published content meets high standards of quality and scientific integrity.

There are no article processing fees. Articles are published under an open-access model, making them freely accessible to the global scientific community.

Manuscript Preparation

• File Format: Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or LaTeX format.
• Formatting: Ensure that the text is double-spaced and uses a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12-point size).
• Title Page: All submissions must include a title page containing:
• Title: This should be concise and should not exceed 25 words.
• Author Names: Full names of all authors, along with their institutional affiliations. The names must strictly be in the following format: SURNAME, FIRST NAME OTHER NAMES.
• Corresponding Author: Name, email address, and full contact details.
• Keywords: List 4-6 keywords that reflect the content of your manuscript.

Manuscript Types and Limits

The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts for publication:

• Original Research Articles and Clinical Trials: Up to 3,000 words excluding references. Requires a structured abstract (250 words limit). Clinical trials must adhere to recognized reporting formats like CONSORT.
• Review Articles and Meta-Analyses: Up to 6000 words, excluding references. Requires a structured abstract (300 words limit). Submissions of review articles or meta-analyses must follow the PRISMA guidelines.
• Methods Papers: Up to 5,000 words. Requires a structured abstract (250 words limit).
• Short Communications (Brief Reports): Up to 3,000 words, excluding references. Requires a structured abstract (300 words limit).
• Perspective or Opinion Articles: Up to 3,000 words.
• Review Protocols: Typically 2,000 to 3,000 words. Requires a structured abstract (250 words limit).
• Case Reports and Case Series: Up to 2,500 words, excluding references. Requires an abstract (150 words limit).
• Technical Notes: Up to 2,000 words. Requires a structured abstract (150 words limit).
• Editorials: Up to 1,500 words excluding references.
• Letters to the Editor: Up to 1,000 words excluding references.

Figures and Tables

• Limits: A maximum of 4 tables and 4 figures shall be acceptable for all manuscripts types except Reviews and meta-analysis which has a limit of 6 figures and 6 tables.
• Figures: Submit figures in high-resolution (300 dpi) JPEG, PNG, or TIFF format. Each figure should be numbered consecutively and accompanied by a brief caption.
• Tables: Tables should be created using the table function in Word or LaTeX, not as images.

References

• Style: References should be formatted according to the Vancouver style, as specified by the journal.
• In-Text Citation: In-text citations should be numbered in the order they appear and enclosed in square brackets (e.g., [1], [2]).
• Reference List: List all references at the end of the manuscript. Each reference should include all authors (do not use "et al.").

Ethical Considerations

• Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial or personal relationships that could influence the work.
• Ethical Approval: For studies involving human participants or animals, include a statement confirming that ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee. A reference number should be provided if applicable.
• Informed Consent: If applicable, a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained from all participants should be included.

Peer Review

This journal operates a open/single anonymous/double anonymous, peer review policy.

Licences

The following licences are allowed:

• Copyright (external link, opens in new tab).
  © the author(s). All rights reserved.
• CC BY 4.0 (external link, opens in new tab).
  Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• CC BY-ND 4.0 (external link, opens in new tab).
  Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• CC BY-NC 4.0 (external link, opens in new tab).
  Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (external link, opens in new tab).
  Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• CC BY-SA 4.0 (external link, opens in new tab).
  Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Publication Fees

Article Processing Charges (APCs) are waived for this journal until 2029.

Publication Cycle

The journal is published electronically twice a year.

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