Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about submitting, peer review, fees, and publication at OSCRSJ.
Categories
Submission & Eligibility
Who can submit to OSCRSJ?
Anyone in the global orthopedic surgery community — practicing orthopedic surgeons, fellows, residents, medical students, researchers, and allied health professionals involved in musculoskeletal care. All submissions must have at least one supervising physician as a co-author.
What types of articles does OSCRSJ accept?
We accept seven article types: Case Reports (1-3 patients), Case Series (4+ patients), Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses, Narrative Reviews, Surgical Techniques, Images in Orthopedics, and Letters to the Editor. All seven are evaluated under our standard double-blind peer review. See our Guide for Authors for detailed requirements for each article type.
What is a Narrative Review at OSCRSJ?
A Narrative Review is a structured expert synthesis of the orthopedic literature on a defined topic. Maximum 4,000 words, 30–80 references, with a required scope-and-search statement and a SANRA self-rating uploaded at submission. Narrative Reviews require a senior author or, for trainee-led work, a Section Editor named as a Mentored Review co-author. See the Guide for Authors for full structural and policy requirements.
What is the Mentored Review track?
The Mentored Review track is a sanctioned on-ramp for trainee-led Narrative Reviews. A trainee author (medical student, resident, fellow) pairs with a named OSCRSJ Section Editor who joins the author list as a co-author and named mentor. Peer review and structural requirements are identical to a Standard Narrative Review — only the authorship pathway differs. Email editorial@oscrsj.com to be matched with a Section Editor whose subspecialty aligns with your topic.
Can I submit a case that has been presented at a conference?
Yes. Conference presentations (posters or podium) do not constitute prior publication. However, the manuscript must contain substantially more detail than the conference abstract. Please disclose any prior presentations in your cover letter.
Can I submit a case report from a patient treated at any institution?
Yes. There are no institutional restrictions. However, you must comply with your institution's IRB requirements and obtain written patient consent for publication.
What subspecialties are covered?
All orthopedic subspecialties: trauma, spine, sports medicine, arthroplasty/joint reconstruction, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, pediatric orthopedics, and musculoskeletal oncology.
How do I submit my manuscript?
All submissions are handled through our online submission portal. Visit oscrsj.com/submit, register for a free author account (or sign in with your ORCID iD), and follow the 5-step submission wizard: choose your article type, upload your files (title page, blinded manuscript, figures, tables, reporting checklist), enter your manuscript details and keywords, add your co-authors and ICMJE contributions, and complete the declarations (conflicts of interest, funding, ethics, patient consent). Your draft is auto-saved at every step and you can return to finish later. The portal accepts .docx for manuscripts and TIFF/PNG/JPEG (≥300 DPI) for figures.
Review Process
What type of peer review does OSCRSJ use?
Double-blind peer review. Neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities during the review process.
How long does the review process take?
Our target turnaround has two milestones: (1) initial editorial response within 10 days of submission — the Editor-in-Chief screens for scope, completeness, and basic quality and either advances the manuscript to peer review or returns it; (2) full peer-reviewed decision within 30 days of submission — at least two independent reviewers evaluate the manuscript over the following 14–21 days and the editor issues an Accept / Minor Revisions / Major Revisions / Reject decision. Once accepted, articles are published within 35 days. Images in Orthopedics undergo expedited review (7–10 days for the full decision).
How many reviewers evaluate each manuscript?
Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant orthopedic subspecialty, plus an associate editor.
What are the possible editorial decisions?
Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. Most manuscripts require at least one round of revisions. A request for revision is a positive sign that the editorial team sees value in your work.
How long do I have to submit revisions?
14 days for minor revisions, 30 days for major revisions. Extensions may be granted upon request by contacting the editorial office.
What is double-blind peer review?
In double-blind review, neither the authors nor the reviewers know each other's identities. This ensures that every submission is evaluated solely on its scientific merit, clinical significance, and adherence to reporting standards.
Fees & Open Access
Is there a submission fee?
No. OSCRSJ does not charge any fees for submission or peer review. Fees only apply if your manuscript is accepted for publication.
What is the Article Processing Charge (APC)?
OSCRSJ is currently waiving the full APC for every manuscript submitted before August 1, 2026 as part of our launch window. After that, the APC is a flat $499 per accepted manuscript. See our APC page for full details.
Are discounts on the APC available?
Yes. We review discount requests on a case-by-case basis for medical students, trainees, and authors from lower-income settings. We do not want cost to be a barrier to publication — submit the discount inquiry form on our APC page or email waivers@oscrsj.com to start the conversation.
Is OSCRSJ open access?
Yes. All published articles are immediately and permanently free to read, download, share, and adapt under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You must give appropriate credit to the original authors and indicate if changes were made.
Does OSCRSJ assign DOIs?
Yes. Every published article receives a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) via Crossref, making it permanently citable and discoverable.
Formatting & Technical
What file format should I use for submission?
Microsoft Word (.docx). A typical submission consists of a separate Title Page (with author info), the blinded manuscript (which begins at the Abstract — no author info inside), a Tables.docx file if your manuscript has tables, and each figure as a separate high-resolution image file (TIFF, PNG, or JPEG; minimum 300 DPI; 600 DPI recommended). Do NOT embed figures or tables inside the manuscript file. Use the article-type-matched templates at oscrsj.com/templates — they have the correct format pre-applied (Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced, line numbering on, italic-only headings, hard page break before References).
Do I need to follow a specific reference style?
Yes. Vancouver style (numbered, in order of appearance). See our Guide for Authors for formatting examples.
Which reporting checklist do I need to submit?
CARE checklist for Case Reports; JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series; PRISMA 2020 checklist for Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses; SANRA self-rating for Narrative Reviews. All are mandatory for their respective article types and submitted as supplementary files at Step 2 of the submission portal. Manuscripts submitted without the appropriate checklist will be returned to authors.
How should I handle patient consent?
Written informed consent for publication must be obtained from the patient (or their legal guardian, or next of kin if the patient is deceased) before submission. The canonical OSCRSJ consent statements (5 variants — adult, pediatric, deceased, verbal-witnessed, IRB waiver) are at oscrsj.com/templates#consent. Copy the variant matching your patient situation verbatim into your manuscript at the appropriate point (typically near the end of the Case Presentation section, or in the Methods of a case series). Do not paraphrase. You may use your institution's own consent form to obtain the consent itself; do not upload the signed consent form unless requested by the editor.
What are the word limits for each article type?
Case Report: 2,000 words. Case Series: 3,000 words. Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis: 3,500 words. Narrative Review: 4,000 words. Surgical Technique: 1,500 words. Images in Orthopedics: 500 words. Letter to the Editor: 600 words. All word limits exclude the abstract, references, figure legends, and tables.
After Publication
How quickly are accepted articles published?
Accepted articles are typically published online within 14 days of final acceptance. Articles are published online first and then included in the next monthly issue.
Is OSCRSJ indexed in PubMed?
OSCRSJ is currently pursuing indexing. Our roadmap includes DOAJ listing, Crossref registration, and application to PubMed Central (PMC). We will update this page as indexing milestones are achieved.
Can I share my published article on social media or my personal website?
Absolutely. All OSCRSJ articles are published under CC BY 4.0, which means you are free to share and adapt your work for any purpose — including social media, your personal website, conference handouts, and teaching materials — provided you give appropriate credit. Authors retain copyright and may reuse their own work without restriction.
How do I correct an error in a published article?
Contact the editorial office at editor@oscrsj.com. Minor errors are addressed through a published erratum. Significant errors that affect the conclusions may require a correction notice or, in rare cases, retraction in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Will my article appear on Google Scholar?
Yes. All OSCRSJ articles are indexed by Google Scholar automatically. Additionally, Crossref DOI registration ensures your article is discoverable across major academic search engines and databases.
Still have questions?
Our editorial team is here to help.