What is the Ochsner Journal?
The Ochsner Journal is a peer-reviewed quarterly medical journal, published in March, June, September, and December by the Academic Division of Ochsner Clinic Foundation.
Founded in 1942 by five physicians, Ochsner is one of the largest independent academic health systems in the United States and the largest health system in the Gulf South.With 40 hospitals owned, managed, and affiliated, more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers, 30,000 employees, and more than 4,500 affiliated physicians in more than 90 medical specialties and subspecialties, Ochsner is one of the largest independent academic health systems in the United States, the largest health system in the Gulf South, and Louisiana’s largest private employer. Ochsner serves patients from across Louisiana, every state in the nation, and more than 70 countries. Ochsner is also home to the Ochsner Clinical School, University of Queensland with more than 400 students.
The Ochsner Journal supports Ochsner’s mission to serve, heal, lead, educate, and innovate.
Why should I publish in the Ochsner Journal?
Unlike many narrowly focused niche journals, the Ochsner Journal publishes articles from all medical fields. Quality articles from orthopedics, women’s services, cardiology, neurosciences—in fact, all specialties and subspecialties—are welcome at the Journal and create wonderfully diverse collections of articles in each of our general topics issues. We also welcome papers on quality improvement projects and innovative programs, editorials on timely subjects, and letters.
Your work will be highly visible. All Ochsner Journal articles and letters are searchable at PubMed, and the full text is available at PubMed Central and at the Ochsner Journal website. The Ochsner Journal is completely open access—none of our content is behind a paywall. No one who wants to read your paper will have to pay a fee for the PDF or the full-text version.
You won’t have to pay for publication. Unlike many subscription journals that charge open access fees (often upwards of $1,000), the Ochsner Journal does not charge authors for open access. We also do not charge article processing fees or any other type of page/publication fees.
Who can submit a manuscript to the Ochsner Journal?
The Ochsner Journal welcomes manuscript submissions from healthcare professionals and researchers across the world. Our editorial mix includes original research, case reports, literature reviews, editorials, and other articles that span the spectrum of medical practice and scientific research.
Does the Ochsner Journal charge subscription or author fees?
As stated earlier, the Ochsner Journal does not assess subscription, author, submission, open-access, or page charges. (We like to emphasize this point.)
I submitted a manuscript to the Ochsner Journal. What now?
Staff in the editorial office will review your paper for compliance with the author instructions. If we find any problems, your manuscript will be unsubmitted and returned to you, or in some cases, rejected without review. Complete submissions that comply with the author instructions will be processed through to peer review. Once your manuscript has been peer reviewed, you will receive an email from the Journal’s Editor-in-Chief. Your manuscript may be rejected, conditionally accepted pending revision, or accepted without revision. If revision is required, you will have time to revise and resubmit.
If your article is accepted, our medical editors will copyedit your article and return it to you for approval. When you receive your copyedited manuscript, share it with your coauthors, answer all queries, and make any final edits. After you return the copyedited version, the paper will be finalized and submitted for layout. You will be sent a final proof for review. At proof stage, corrections are only made for major errors because of the cost. Once you return the proof, your article continues to press for publication, and you will be notified when it is published ahead of print on the web or published in an issue.
If my article is accepted for publication, who owns the copyright?
Articles in the Ochsner Journal are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY). The original authors retain copyright, but content can be reused without permission or fee provided that the work is properly cited.
When you submit your manuscript for consideration and review, you must also submit a signed Author Attestation, License for Publishing CC BY, Financial Disclosure, and Permissions for Acknowledgements form. This document acknowledges all authors’ agreement to publish the work open access in the Ochsner Journal and to grant to any third party, in advance and in perpetuity, the right to use, reproduce, or disseminate the article with proper citation. The form also includes acknowledgements of author responsibility and financial disclosure. All listed authors are required to sign this form.
Can I review for the Ochsner Journal?
If you would like to be a reviewer for the Ochsner Journal, please email us with your interest.
Can you tell me more about the Ochsner Journal’s audience and reach?
The Ochsner Journal provides a wide range of peer-reviewed, timely, and practical information for practicing physicians, healthcare professionals, and physicians in training. In publication since 1999, the Journal supports Ochsner’s mission to serve, heal, lead, educate, and innovate.
Since the Journal began depositing full-text content with PubMed Central in 2010, access, citations, and metrics have steadily increased year over year. All Ochsner Journal articles are fully searchable and available in full-text form through PubMed. Currently, more than 200,000 Ochsner Journal items are accessed at PubMed Central every month.