Journal of Otolaryngology Advances · Instructions for Authors
Instructions for authors
Everything needed to prepare a JOA submission, in the order it is needed: what the journal accepts, how a manuscript is structured, what each statement must say, how figures, tables and references are prepared, and what happens after the files are uploaded.
ISSN 2379-8572 (electronic) Single-blind by default; double-blind on request CC BY 4.0
Before you write
Two things decide most outcomes before a word of the manuscript is written: whether the subject is inside the journal’s territory, and whether the study design supports the claim the paper wants to make.
Journal of Otolaryngology Advances (JOA) publishes clinical, surgical, translational and basic-science research in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. A central, substantive ENT contribution establishes scope eligibility. Methods and evaluation must support the claims and be appropriate to the study type; clinical deployment or demonstrated patient benefit is not required for every laboratory, mechanistic or early-stage device study. The Aims and Scope defines all seven domains.
Conclusions must be proportionate to the evidence, including when results are negative or inconclusive. A single case does not establish efficacy, causality or prevalence, and clinical efficacy is not inferred from preclinical or bench results alone. A paper that overstates its design is the most common reason a sound piece of work is sent back.
Read the editorial policies before preparing the ethics, consent, registration and data statements. They are requirements, not formalities, and a manuscript missing them is held at screening.
Article types
Choose the type that matches what the study can establish. The type decides what a reviewer will look for, and a mismatch between the type and the design is resolved at screening rather than in review.
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Original research
Randomized clinical trials, comparative studies, and prospective or retrospective cohorts. A prespecified comparison with defined primary and secondary outcomes, a stated follow-up period, and adverse events reported alongside benefit. Structured abstract; IMRaD structure.
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Systematic review and meta-analysis
A reproducible search with the full strategy given, stated inclusion and exclusion criteria, an assessment of the quality of the evidence combined, and a PRISMA flow diagram and checklist. Registration of the review protocol is encouraged and is cited where it exists.
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Review article
A narrative or scoping synthesis that helps a clinician read a literature rather than listing it: what is established, what is contested, and what would settle the question. The search approach is described even where the review is not systematic.
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Translational and laboratory study
Preclinical, laboratory or device work with a clear otolaryngological question. Suitable controls, comparators, measurement validity and limitations are reported, and clinical efficacy is not claimed from bench results.
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Technical report and surgical innovation
Enough procedural detail for the technique to be repeated, with the conditions, instrumentation, case selection and learning curve it depends on made explicit, and outcomes reported with follow-up.
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Case report and case series
A defined method and stated outcomes, and a lesson that reaches beyond the individual patient — a diagnostic problem, a management decision, an unexpected outcome or a technique worth describing. An uncommon presentation is not on its own sufficient. Written consent to publication is required, and CARE reporting is followed.
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Short communication
A focused report of a single finding, a methodological note, or an early result that is complete in itself. Same requirements for ethics, consent and data as a full paper, at a shorter length.
Length and file specifications for each type are confirmed by the editorial office at screening; if a manuscript is unusually long or carries an unusual number of figures for its type, describe why in the cover letter or ask before you submit.
Manuscript structure
Research manuscripts follow IMRaD. The sections below are given in the order in which they appear in the submitted file.
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01
Title page
Full title; each author’s full name, ORCID iD and complete affiliation including department, institution, city and country; the corresponding author’s name, postal address and email; and the word count. For double-blind review this file is the only place identifying information appears.
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02
Abstract
Structured for research and systematic reviews, under the headings Objectives, Methods, Results and Conclusion. Unstructured for reviews, technical reports, case reports and short communications. The abstract reports what was found, with the numbers; it does not promise what the paper will show.
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03
Keywords
Terms naming the anatomy, the condition, the intervention or instrument, and the study design, in the words a colleague would search for. Prefer established index terms to invented phrases.
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04
Introduction
What is known, what is not, and the specific question this study answers. Stated in a few paragraphs, not as a review of the field.
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05
Methods
Design, setting and dates; how participants or specimens were selected and how many; the intervention or exposure and the comparator; the outcomes with their definitions and the instruments used to measure them; follow-up; and the analysis plan with the software and version. Ethics approval and consent are stated here as well as in the statements section.
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06
Results
Participant flow and characteristics, then the outcomes in the order the Methods defined them. Effect estimates with confidence intervals, not p-values alone. Adverse events and losses to follow-up are reported whether or not they favor the conclusion.
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07
Discussion
What the finding means for practice or for the science, how it sits against the existing evidence, and the limitations of the design — stated plainly rather than argued away. Conclusions are held to what the design supports.
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08
Statements, acknowledgments and references
The required statements in section 04 below, then acknowledgments, then the reference list, then figure legends and tables.
For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
Required statements
These are checked at screening. Each is a short paragraph, and each says something specific: a statement that says only “ethical approval was obtained” is incomplete.
- Ethics approval
- Names the research ethics committee or institutional review board, the approval or exemption reference, and confirms that the work conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. Studies of human tissue or identifiable records are included.
- Informed consent
- States that participants gave informed consent to take part and to publication, or names the body that waived consent and the grounds on which it did so.
- Consent for identifiable material
- For any case report or series, and for any clinical photograph, endoscopic image, radiograph or operative video of an identifiable patient: written consent to publication was obtained. Non-essential identifying details are removed from the text and the images.
- Trial registration
- Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
- Animal welfare
- Names the institutional animal-care committee and the protocol number, and describes housing, anesthesia, analgesia and the method of euthanasia. ARRIVE reporting applies.
- Data availability
- Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. Say where the supporting data are held and under what conditions they can be obtained; where clinical data cannot be shared, say why and describe how a qualified researcher may apply.
- Funding
- Names each funder and award number and describes the funder’s role in design, conduct, analysis, reporting and the decision to publish. Where the work was unfunded, the statement says so.
- Competing interests
- Declares financial and non-financial interests for every author, including those of an immediate family member. Where there are none, the statement says so.
- Author contributions
- Describes what each author did. Generative AI tools cannot be authors; permitted use that affected text, code, images or analysis is disclosed here.
Reporting guidelines
| Study design | Guideline | What the checklist is for |
|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | CONSORT | Participant flow, randomization, blinding, and the prespecified outcomes against those reported |
| Observational study — cohort, case-control, cross-sectional | STROBE | Selection, variables, bias, and how confounding was handled |
| Systematic review or meta-analysis | PRISMA | Search strategy, screening, risk-of-bias assessment, and the flow diagram |
| Case report or series | CARE | Timeline, clinical findings, diagnostic reasoning, intervention and outcome |
| Diagnostic-accuracy study | STARD | Reference standard, blinding of index and reference tests, and the 2×2 results |
| Animal research | ARRIVE | Sample size, allocation, outcome measures, and welfare-related assessments |
| Quality-improvement study | SQUIRE | The context, the intervention as it evolved, and how the effect was measured |
| Study protocol for a trial | SPIRIT | Design, methods and administrative detail before the trial reports |
Patient-reported outcome and quality-of-life instruments are named with their version and, where relevant, the validated translation used. Where a threshold for a minimal clinically important difference is applied, cite the source of the threshold.
Figures, tables and supplementary material
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Figures
Supplied as separate files at the highest resolution available, numbered in the order they are first cited, and each cited in the text. Every figure carries a legend that states what is shown, the scale or units, the number of observations, and any statistical test applied. Lettering must remain readable at the size the figure will print.
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Clinical images
De-identified so far as the clinical point allows, with written consent to publication obtained and stated. Masking the eyes does not make a facial photograph anonymous; remove dates, identifiers and institutional marks from radiographs and endoscopic captures.
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Image integrity
Adjustments to brightness, contrast or color are applied to the whole image and disclosed in the legend. Selective enhancement, erasure, duplication or splicing is not permitted, and a composite must show its divisions. Original unprocessed images may be requested.
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Tables
Supplied as editable text, not as images, numbered in citation order, each with a title and with units given in the column heads. Footnotes define every abbreviation used in the table, whether or not it was defined in the text.
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Supplementary material
Extended methods, additional tables, datasets, reporting checklists and operative video. Each file is cited in the text, carries a descriptive name and a legend, and is published as supplied — supplementary files are not copyedited or typeset.
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Reused material
Written permission is obtained for any figure, table, image or extended quotation reproduced from another source, and the source is credited in the legend. Permission is supplied with the submission.
References
References are numbered in the order of first citation in the text and listed in that order. The journal’s published style gives the authors, the year in parentheses, the title, the abbreviated journal name, the volume and the page range, with the DOI where one exists. Examples in the journal’s own style:
| Source | Form |
|---|---|
| Journal article | Windfuhr J P, Chen Y S. (2003) Hemorrhage following pediatric tonsillectomy before puberty. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 67(4): 371–376. doi:10.1016/s0165-5876(02)00393-6 |
| Book | Author A B. (2019) Title of the Book. 3rd ed. City: Publisher. 112–140. |
| Book chapter | Author A B. (2019) Title of the chapter. In: Editor C D, ed. Title of the Book. City: Publisher. 55–72. |
| Webpage | Organization Name. (2024) Title of the page. Accessed 12 March 2026. https://example.org/page |
| Dataset | Author A B. (2023) Title of the dataset. Repository Name. doi:10.5281/zenodo.0000000 |
| Preprint | Author A B. (2025) Title of the preprint. medRxiv. Preprint. doi:10.1101/2025.00.00.00000000 |
| Trial registration | Title of the trial. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00000000. Registered 4 January 2024. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00000000 |
| Software | Author A B. (2024) Name of the software. Version 2.1. Publisher or repository. doi:10.0000/zenodo.0000000 |
What to upload
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Cover letter
States what the study found and why it fits JOA, discloses any preprint, conference presentation or overlap with earlier work by the same authors, and confirms that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
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Title page
A separate file, as described in section 03. For a double-blind request it is the only file carrying identifying information.
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Main manuscript
An editable text document with continuous line numbers and page numbers, tables placed after the references, and figure legends listed after the tables.
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Figures
One file per figure, named by figure number, at the highest available resolution.
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Supplementary files and checklists
The completed reporting checklist for the design, any consent documentation the journal requests, and supplementary material named to match its citation in the text.
Where to upload it
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript. The routes below are the approved ones; the submit a manuscript page sets out what happens after the upload.
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Primary route
ManuscriptZone
The publisher’s submission system, and the route the editorial office works from. Select Journal of Otolaryngology Advances when you begin.
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Alternative route
Simple manuscript submission form
A single-page form for authors who cannot use the portal. Open it with this journal already selected and confirm that the form shows Otolaryngology Advances before you send it.
openaccesspub.org/manuscript-submission-form?journal=joa (opens in a new tab)
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Assisted route
Editorial office
Where neither route is workable, write to the editorial office with the manuscript title and the author list and the office will arrange the submission with you.
Format questions — acceptable file types for a particular figure, whether a video can be carried, how to supply a very large dataset — are answered quickly by the editorial office, and are better asked before upload than after.
After you submit
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01
Screening
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal’s scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review. A manuscript may be declined at this stage without external review.
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02
Peer review
Peer review is single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
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03
Decision
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal. The decision arrives with the reviewers’ comments.
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04
Revision
Return a point-by-point response addressing every comment, and a revised manuscript with the changes marked. Where you disagree with a reviewer, say so and give the reason; a reasoned disagreement is a legitimate response. Substantial revisions may be sent back to the reviewers.
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05
Acceptance and the charge
The article processing charge is invoiced after acceptance and has no bearing on the decision. The amount and terms are on the article processing charges page.
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06
Production and proof
The accepted manuscript is copyedited and typeset, and the corresponding author reviews a proof. Check names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, funding, numbers in the tables and the reference details: after publication these are changed only by a published correction.
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07
Publication
The article is published under CC BY 4.0 with copyright retained by the authors, receives its identifier and metadata deposit, and is assigned to a volume and issue. The indexing page sets out the deposit, harvesting and preservation arrangements.
To withdraw a manuscript after submission, follow the withdrawal policy: contact the editorial office and wait for written confirmation before submitting the work elsewhere.
Submission checklist
- The otolaryngological contribution is clear in the title and the abstract
- The article type matches what the study design can establish
- Every author meets the authorship criteria, has approved the submission, and has an ORCID iD where one exists
- Ethics approval or exemption is stated with the approving body and the reference
- Informed consent is stated, and written consent to publication is held for every identifiable patient or image
- An interventional trial carries its registry name, number and registration date
- A data-availability statement is present
- Funding and competing interests are declared for every author
- An author-contribution statement is included, with any AI use disclosed
- The reporting checklist for the study design is completed and uploaded
- Figures are separate files, cited in order, with legends; tables are editable text
- Permission is held for every reused figure, table or extended quotation
- References are numbered in citation order and carry DOIs where they exist
- A cover letter discloses any preprint, prior presentation or overlapping publication
- If double-blind review is wanted, the reviewer manuscript carries no identifying information
Where to go next
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Aims and scope
The subject territory, the study designs accepted, and the fit checklist.
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Article processing charges
The charge, when it falls due, and the withdrawal policy.
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Submit a manuscript
The approved submission routes and what to have ready.
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For reviewers
What a reviewer is asked to assess — useful reading before you submit.
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Copyright and license
What CC BY 4.0 permits and what rights you keep.
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Current issue
Recently published work, as a guide to what the journal accepts.
Ask before you submit
A question about scope, about which article type fits a study, or about how to prepare a particular file is answered faster before submission than after. The editorial office will tell you whether a subject fits the journal.
Journal of Otolaryngology Advances (JOA)
ISSN 2379-8572 · Crossref DOI prefix 10.14302 ·
Published by Open Access Pub ·
Articles are published under CC BY 4.0 with copyright retained by the authors.