Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Practitioners and researchers, policymakers and administrators, counselors and advocates rely on JVIB for its delivery of cutting-edge research and the most up-to-date practices in the field of visual impairment and blindness. JVIB offers immediate access to information from the leading researchers, teachers of students with visual impairments, orientation and mobility practitioners, vision rehabilitation therapists, early interventionists, and low vision therapists in the field.
| Sandra Lewis | Florida State University, USA |
| Jane N. Erin | University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA |
| Susan Bruce | Boston College, USA |
| Stacy Kelly | Northern Illinois University, USA |
| Tessa McCarthy | University of Pittsburgh, USA |
| Janet Szlyk | The Chicago Lighthouse and University of Chicago at Illinois, USA |
| Rona L. Pogrund | Texas Tech University, USA |
| Robert Wall Emerson | Western Michigan University, USA |
| Susan Bruce | Boston College, USA |
| Mary Frances Cotch | National Eye Institute, USA |
| Frances Mary D'Andrea | University of Pittsburgh, USA |
| Jane N. Erin | University of Arizona, Tuscon, USA |
| M. Cay Holbrook (Chair) | The University of British Columbia, Canada |
| Stacy Kelly | Northern Illinois University, USA |
| Sandra Lewis | Florida State University, USA |
| Lauren J. Lieberman | The College at Brockport Kinesiology, USA |
| Tracy L. Matchinski | Illinois College of Optometry, USA |
| Tessa McCarthy | University of Pittsburgh, USA |
| Michele Capella McDonnall | Mississippi State University, USA |
| Rona L. Pogrund | Texas Tech University, USA |
| Pamela Sieving | National Institutes of Health Library, USA |
| Yue-Ting Siu | San Francisco State University, USA |
| Lachelle E. Smith | Salus University, USA |
| Janet Szlyk | The Chicago Lighthouse and University of Chicago at Illinois, USA |
| Robert Wall Emerson | Western Michigan University, USA |
| Sarahelizabeth Baguhn | American Foundation for the Blind, USA |
| Laura Bozeman | University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA |
| Diane Fazzi | Board of Trustees, American Foundation for the Blind, and California State University–Los Angeles, USA |
| Carlie Rhoads | American Foundation for the Blind, USA |
| Arielle Silverman | American Foundation for the Blind, USA |
| Rebecca Burrichter | American Foundation for the Blind, USA |
| Stephanie Enyart | American Foundation for the Blind, USA |
If the Sage Track manuscript submissions site presents any accessibility blockers or is otherwise not accessible to you for any reason, please email jvib@sagepub.com for navigation and other accessibility support.
General Guidelines on Preparation and Length of Manuscripts
Manuscripts should be written in standard English, following the style outlined in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition. The manual is available for purchase from the web site of the American Psychological Association (APA). In addition, a number of web sites offer guidance on APA format, such as the APA Style web site, the APA Style Writing Workshop of the online Writing Workshop of Purdue University, and JVIB's own Instructions for Preparing Structured Abstracts.
Length
A manuscript needs to meet the length requirements of the category or department of the journal to which it is being submitted. Details are available in the description for each category in the Submission Categories section of this page. The maximum length of full manuscripts is 5,000 words. Maximum lengths of Research Reports, Practice Perspectives, and Practice Reports are 2,500 words. The word count includes all tables and references, but does not include the cover page. Note that one double-spaced word- processed page equals about 250 words.
Abstracts
Every article published in JVIB after January 1, 2012 that includes original data and meta-analyses needs to include a structured abstract of no more than 300 words. Abstracts should be prepared in JVIB style—see Instructions for Preparing Structured Abstracts.
Other articles need to include an unstructured abstract of no more than 50 words that summarizes the objective, main points, and conclusions of the article.
Abstracts are not required for Research Reports, Practice Reports, Around the World, Practice Perspectives, editorials, commentaries, or special features. If you are unsure whether to write a 50- or 300-word abstract, please submit a 300-word abstract. The editors will provide additional guidance during the peer review process.
Terminology
As in other areas of study, the fields of visual impairment and vision rehabilitation have their own terminology. However, different authors use these terms in different ways, and the meanings of various terms often overlap. To avoid confusion, authors are advised to define their terminology clearly in the manuscript. For a list of preferred terminology of AFB Press, the publisher of JVIB, visit the AFB Press Guidelines for Contributors.
Formatting and Electronic File Preparation
JVIB uses Microsoft Word as its standard word processor for text, but manuscripts may also be submitted in Rich Text Format or ASCII. Authors should prepare their manuscripts as plainly as possible to facilitate problem-free copyediting and typesetting. JVIB's standard file formatting preferences include one-inch margins, Times Roman 12-point type, double-spaced lines, and numbered pages.
Figures and Tables
Figures and tables should not be embedded in text files. Each one should be saved as a separate file. Figures should be created in black and white or grayscale only and in a mainstream graphics software package, such as Word, Adobe Illustrator, Free Hand, Adobe Photoshop, or Excel. Reserve tables and figures to present crucial data directly related to the text of the manuscript and to simplify a discussion that would otherwise be dense with numbers. These elements should in all cases supplement, not duplicate, the text.
Photographs
When submitting photographs taken with a digital camera, images should be created at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) and stored as EPS, JPEG, or TIF files.
Submission Categories
Article:
Full-length manuscripts on research, theory, reviews of the literature, or practice-based activities. The topics may have far-reaching and broad impact. All articles are peer reviewed.
Length: 2,500-5,000 words
Research Report:
A shorter format for presenting research results. The main difference between articles and Research Reports is length. In addition, Research Reports may have a more focused or narrow impact than articles and may report pilot studies, research in progress, or studies with a small number of subjects. All Research Reports are peer reviewed.
Length: 1,000-2,500 words
Practice Perspectives and Practice Reports:
JVIB publishes two briefer features that are intended for readers who work daily with people who are visually impaired. Authors of these features are often practicing professionals.
In Practice Perspectives, authors describe strategies that have helped them in teaching a particular skill or topic. They use observations and examples from their own experience that will help others to be more effective in instruction roles. This feature is an excellent forum for first-time authors who are also practitioners. Practice Perspectives are peer reviewed.
Length: 500-2,000 words
Practice Reports also provide information that will be useful for professionals in practice, but they include data or systematic explorations of a question related to instruction. Although authors describe a more focused investigation of an issue or question than they would in a Practice Perspectives, literature reviews or methodological detail are not necessary. Practice Reports are peer reviewed.
Length: 1,000-2,500 words
Around the World:
A forum for reporting on research or programs that are specific to one culture or part of the world and that may not have broader relevance. Around the World manuscripts are peer reviewed.
Length: 500-2,500 words
Comment:
A discussion of a timely topic, based on the author's experience or opinions. Comments are not peer reviewed.
Length: 500-1,000 words
Letter to the Editor:
A direct response to a paper that was recently published in JVIB. The authors of the paper referred to are given a chance to respond to the letter in the same issue in which the letter appears. Note that letters may be edited for length and style. Letters are not peer reviewed.
Length: Varies
Book Review:
An evaluation of a recent book that assesses its value for JVIB readers. Unsolicited manuscripts are not considered. Scholarly books should be sent to the Editor in Chief for consideration; general interest books about blindness or disability should be sent to AFB Press.
Length: 500-1,000 words
News From the Field:
A venue for announcing and describing events, programs, initiatives, or other newsworthy items in the blindness field. News From the Field submissions are not peer reviewed. Submissions should be sent to AFB Press.
Length: 250-1,500 words
Calendar:
Unsigned short pieces announcing new programs and events related to visual impairment. Information, such as press releases or announcements, should be sent to AFB Press. The information will not be used in its entirety, but will be used as source material for staff-written items.
Length: 75-250 words
Publishing Criteria
All work submitted to JVIB must be the author's original work. The work must be submitted only to JVIB and must not have been published before, including online.
The manuscript needs to have the potential to provoke thought within the field of visual impairment and blindness or to help practitioners better perform their professional duties, add new knowledge, serve as a notation on previously published work, or have the potential to stimulate notations by others. Also, it is equally important in qualitative and quantitative studies to give a detailed account of sample selection, sample characteristics, and observation (including questioning) methods. Authors are encouraged to discuss how the findings of their study might affect the day-to-day services delivered by educators, rehabilitation specialists, and other practitioners.
JVIB encourages the submission of qualitative papers that interpret, describe, and narrate what has taken place. Qualitative papers can provide an additional, even necessary, dimension when survey data require supplementary, descriptive information or when a topic lends itself more to discussion than to conclusions. Single- and multiple-case histories and ethnographies are especially welcome. It is generally more important for a qualitative study to explain how the analysis was done; in quantitative studies that is usually fairly self-evident.
Copyright Transfer Agreement
Every author whose work is accepted for publication in JVIB is required to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement, which gives AFB Press the exclusive right to publish and disseminate the author's work to the fullest extent, including online. For detailed information on authors' rights and responsibilities related to work submitted to JVIB, please visit the Permissions and Reprints page.
Conflict of Interest, Human Subjects, and Informed Consent
Conflict of Interest:
A conflict of interest exists when professional judgment concerning a primary interest (such as a research subject's welfare or the validity of research) may be influenced by another secondary interest (such as financial gain or personal rivalry). Conflicts of interest relating to materials submitted to JVIB should be acknowledged and openly stated. Although conflicts of interest do not necessarily preclude publication, readers are entitled to know that such interests exist, and the journal's editors must be aware of their existence. Therefore, authors are required to provide disclosure of financial interests or other potential conflicts. It is the responsibility of the first author of a submitted manuscript to communicate to the journal any author's possible conflict of interest at the time of submission.
Human Subjects and Informed Consent:
If human subjects were involved in a study, the authors must confirm that the research followed the tenets of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects (available at http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/). A statement in the Methods section of the submitted article should explicitly state the name and location of the approving ethics committee (institutional review board) and that informed consent was obtained from the subjects.
Submission Information
Manuscripts may be submitted at any time throughout the year by e-mail or through postal mail. Online submissions should be in the form of e-mail attachments. Submissions sent through traditional mail should include one paper copy and one CD copy of the manuscript. Text and table files should be in ASCII text or Microsoft Word format. Figures and photographs must be submitted in black and white only. Images need to have a resolution of 300 dpi or higher, and should be submitted as EPS, TIF, or JPEG files.
All submissions should include a separate cover letter. The cover letter needs to include the following information for the lead author and the corresponding author (if different):
- Name of author
- Mailing address
- Telephone number
- Fax number
- E-mail address
Authors will be required to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement. JVIB does not consider manuscripts that are simultaneously submitted elsewhere or previously published elsewhere, including online postings.
Contact Information
Submissions of manuscripts for peer review should be submitted on our ScholarOne site: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jvib
News From the Field and Calendar items, as well as general-interest books for review, should be sent to:
JVIB
American Foundation for the Blind
1401 S. Clark Street
Suite 730
Arlington, VA 22202
E-mail: jvib@afb.net
Display advertisements or classified advertisements should be sent to:
JVIB Advertising
Atth: Cody Michel
Advertising Coordinator
Sage Publishing
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
Phone: (805) 410-7231
E-mail: Cody.Michel@sagepub.com
There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this journal.
If the Sage Track manuscript submissions site presents any accessibility blockers or is otherwise not accessible to you for any reason, please email jvib@sagepub.com for navigation and other accessibility support.