Cornea research

Prof Harminder Dua

EuCornea has taken another major step forward in its development with the launch of a new online journal dedicated to the field of corneal research. The broad goal of JEuCornea, as the new journal has been called, is to promote the study and learning of the science and practice of all matters related to the health and management of diseases of the cornea, ocular surface, tears and associated tissues of the eye.

“We want to achieve this through the timely publication of high-quality manuscripts from across the globe, complemented by expert reviews, commentaries and editorials with free access to all readers,” explained Prof Harminder Dua, editor-in-chief of JEuCornea.

The journal will include articles related to the cornea and ocular surface, covering aspects of structure, function, biomechanics, refraction, imaging, diseases and their investigation, treatment and management. Instrumentation, interventions, innovations and aspects of delivery of care and its regulation will also be covered.

Prof Dua told EuroTimes that the journal will be very specialty-focused and also publish major reviews on current topics solicited from experts. “We will cover innovations in eye care delivery and novel innovations, including instrumentation and in particular eye-banking issues. Europe has been the source of numerous innovations in aspects of cornea and ocular surface. JEuCornea, whilst retaining a global perspective, is likely to have a European flavour,” he said.

All publications will be online and in English, but translations into other languages of full articles or their abstracts may be considered. While some may question the wisdom of launching another scientific journal in an already crowded field, Prof Dua and the board of EuCornea believe that JEuCornea has a real contribution to make.

“The field is packed but globally the number of researchers submitting papers is increasing and the acceptance rate of the mainstream journals is low or decreasing. As a consequence, many good papers from good researchers are struggling to get published,” he said.

Prof Dua said that the proliferation of “dot com” journals has not necessarily led to improved quality. “A new journal seems to appear almost every other day, and authors are confused as the credibility of many of these journals is unknown. Some are no doubt good journals but others are very difficult to assess. We hope that, with the backing of an organisation like EuCornea and a publisher like Elsevier, we will be able to provide a platform that can be trusted and provide reassurance to authors and readers,” he added.

The fact that JEuCornea is open access is another key advantage and sets it apart from many other mainstream journals, believes Prof Dua. “We hope to expand our readership and contributors in this manner and also provide a service to specialists in the field across the world, especially in countries where individuals and libraries often cannot afford to purchase access to all papers,” he said.

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS

Prof Dua said that would-be authors should not hesitate to put JEuCornea at the top of their list of potential journals for submission. “We will provide a very rapid turnaround and decision, with constructive comments for revision and improvement where needed. I would also advise authors to read the instructions for submission provided on the website and not to be afraid to submit work that has been rejected elsewhere, as all material received will be given a complete and fair assessment.

“Finally, authors are welcome to communicate with me, as editor-in-chief, or any member of the editorial board for questions or advice in relation to a proposed or submitted manuscript,” he said.

While any new venture is fraught with difficulty and runs the risk of failure, Prof Dua remains optimistic that JEuCornea will ultimately achieve its objectives.

“When EuCornea as a society was started seven years ago there was concern and scepticism. Today it is flourishing, with an ever-increasing membership and attendance at the annual conference. JEuCornea is being presented with the same questions and concerns. Time will tell, but the board of EuCornea and the editorial board of JEuCornea are confident and motivated to see this through,” he concluded.

Harminder Dua, editor-in-chief of JEuCornea:
harminder.dua@nottingham.ac.uk