PV article 28 June 2023
A message from Dr Gemma Arblaster
Editor in Chief of the British and Irish Orthoptic Journal
I have recently returned from an excellent BIOS conference in Belfast and have been enthused by all the exciting research, service evaluation, audit and clinical developments happening across the BIOS membership. It was also fantastic to hear about the research our pre-registration students are undertaking in their different universities. Orthoptists have lots to ‘shout about’ and I would encourage you all to consider publishing the research you are doing, so that others can read it, share it and use it in their practice.
It has been a busy few months behind the scenes for the British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ) as the journal has moved to a new journal management system. However, the website remains the place to visit to access published content, submit a manuscript or sign up to be a reviewer: www.bioj-online.com
Mr Bob Taylor has stepped down after many years on the BIOJ Editorial Board. We thank Bob for all his hard work and enthusiasm, as he has been a strong supporter of the BIOJ. Mr Nadeem Ali has joined the Editorial Board and we look forward to working with Nadeem in the coming months.
We also received our 2022 Annual Report, which describes our metrics and achievements over the previous year. The BIOJ has received a higher number of submissions and we have a growing international readership, which are both excellent to see. Readers access our content via a number of routes and social media remains a useful way to share information about new and popular publications. We remain ‘open access’ so it is free to read BIOJ content, free to download BIOJ publications and free to publish in the journal. This gives us a ‘unique selling point’ and ensures we remain competitive in the field. I’ve selected a couple of highlights from the annual report that you might be interested in.
Our top three most viewed and downloaded articles of all time are:
Patterson, G., Howard, C., Hepworth, L. and Rowe, F., 2019. The Impact of Visual Field Loss on Driving Skills: A Systematic Narrative Review. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 15(1), p.53–63.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.129
Vancleef, K. and Read, J.C.A., 2019. Which Stereotest do You Use? A Survey Research Study in the British Isles, the United States and Canada. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 15(1), p.15–24.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.120
Randall, D., Griffiths, H., Arblaster, G., Bjerre, A. and Fenner, J., 2018. Simulation of Oscillopsia in Virtual Reality. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 14(1), p.45-49.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.112
Our most downloaded article of 2022 was:
Garretty, T., 2011. Convergence excess accommodative esotropia: a descriptive review of patients presenting over a period of 10 years. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 8(0), p.23-28.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.36
Our most tweeted article of 2022 was:
Bjerre, A., Griffiths, H., Foulds, M. and Arblaster, G., 2022. Evaluation of the Nystagmus Information Pack. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 18(1), p.111–120.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.269
Our top articles (most viewed and downloaded) of the last three years were:
2022
Farrelly-Waters, M. and Mehta, J., 2022. The Impact of Preceptorship for Newly Graduated Orthoptists on Clinical Confidence and Attitudes towards Public Health. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 18(1), p.1–10.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.248
2021
Francis, J.E., 2021. Abducens Palsy and Anosmia Associated with COVID-19: A Case Report. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 17(1), p.8–12.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.167
2020
Ansell, K., Maconachie, G. and Bjerre, A., 2020. Does the EyeChart App for iPhones Give Comparable Measurements to Traditional Visual Acuity Charts?. British and Irish Orthoptic Journal, 16(1), p.19–24.DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/bioj.146
These examples of recent published articles highlight that there is something in the BIOJ for all BIOS members, no matter what your clinical interest. So visit the website to find out more. You can also follow us on social media. Liking, sharing and retweeting posts helps us to shout about what we are doing and promote BIOS and BIOJ.
And finally – a huge thank you to all the BIOJ Editorial Board members and reviewers for their work supporting the journal. Without reviewers the journal would not function or be in such a strong position. Reviewing manuscripts submitted to the BIOJ is a vital part of the academic publication process and we are always interested in new reviewers coming forward. Over the coming months we are looking to develop resources to support new reviewers. If anyone would like further information about becoming a reviewer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Gemma Arblaster
BIOJ Editor in Chief
Twitter: @BIOJOrthoptics
Facebook page: British and Irish Orthoptic Society
LinkedIn: British and Irish Orthoptic Journal
