Thesis Submissions

An accepted thesis is a requirement for both the internal and external pathways to membership. The thesis submission deadline is March 1 of each year. Each thesis is reviewed by the members of the Thesis Workgroup to determine whether it meets the requirements for acceptance.

Internal Pathway
Candidates on the internal pathway must submit a membership application prior to thesis submission. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their thesis prior to finishing their fellowship. Theses must be submitted via the internal pathway online thesis submission form by March 1.

External Pathway
Prospective members applying on the external pathway will be invited to submit a thesis after successful review of their membership application. See the External Pathway information for more details. Theses must be submitted via the external pathway online thesis submission form by March 1.

Suitable Thesis Topics

A. Original research (clinical or basic science) involving new concepts or techniques in oculofacial plastic surgery (OPS), or studies which add to, modify, or challenge established concepts. Such research must be hypothesis-driven and appropriately powered to test the hypothesis using the scientific method.

B. Comprehensive review with an exhaustive reference list on a pertinent topic related to OPS. Review must also include description of at least three (3) previously unpublished cases illustrating the topic being reviewed.

C. Case series with a minimum of ten (10) patients, testing a specific hypothesis. A control group is typically required. A new surgical technique would be appropriate for this category. A technique-oriented case series must clearly state and explain the clinical need for the new technique, provide a minimum of three (3) months follow-up, review the relevant literature, and include statistical analysis of the results.

Study Requirements

  • The goal of the thesis submission is a peer-reviewed publication.
  • Preoperative and postoperative photographs are necessary to show the results of intervention. When required to document diagnosis and results, authors must submit substantiating materials such as radiographs, computed tomography, and histopathological illustrations. Photographs must be included according to the OPRS Guidelines for Manuscript Submission and Image File Preparation. Photograph submissions that do not conform to OPRS Image File Preparation will be returned without review.
  • Case series require a minimum of ten (10) patients. A formal request for an exception must be made in advance, addressed to the Thesis Workgroup Chair, and emailed to [email protected]. The request will be masked to the Chair.
  • The minimum postoperative follow-up period is three (3) months. A formal request for an exception must be made in advance, addressed to the Thesis Workgroup Chair, and emailed to [email protected]. The request will be masked to the Chair. 
  • All clinical studies that utilize identifiable patient information during any part of the data mining (e.g., chart review) should be undertaken with informed consent and Institutional Review Board (IRB) monitoring and clearly state compliance with the Helsinki declaration. All animal studies should be conducted in a humane and ethical manner, with monitoring by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

IRB Requirements

  • All studies must comply with the federal Common Rule, as published in the Federal Register in January 2019.
  • All studies involving identifiable patient information, including retrospective studies, case series, and case reports, must submit to monitoring by an IRB.
  • A copy of the IRB approval letter must be included in the identified version of the thesis submission.
  • Exemptions are granted by an IRB, not the Thesis Workgroup; a copy of the exemption letter must be included with the identified submission.
  • If an institution doesn’t provide a formal IRB waiver or exemption letter, the author must include an IRB flowchart, screenshot, etc. of the exemption/waiver language and a statement of why the thesis was exempt per the institution’s guidelines. This information must be included in the identified thesis submission.
  • If the author believes that IRB monitoring is unnecessary and places undue hardship on the study, a formal request for a waiver must be made in advance, addressed to the Thesis Workgroup Chair and emailed to [email protected]. Such requests will only be considered under extraordinary circumstances.

Thesis Submission Format

  • The thesis must be formatted according to OPRS Guidelines for Manuscript Submission and Image File Preparation. Submissions that do not conform to OPRS submission guidelines will be returned without review. 
  • The thesis must follow all submission guidelines, be formatted correctly, and be completely deidentified or they will be returned without review. Any data or statements that reveal the author(s) or institution must be deidentified or the thesis will be returned without review. Once corrections are made, the thesis may be resubmitted at the next deadline.
  • Any identifiable patient information must be redacted or the thesis will be returned without review.
  • Two pdf files must be submitted via the ASOPRS Thesis Submission Form:
    • Identified Version
      • File name must be: Last Name_Identified Thesis
      • Documents should appear in one pdf in the following order:
      1. IRB documentation (approval, waiver letter, or IRB flowchart with explanation)
      2. Thesis
      3. Figures
    • Deidentified Version
      The identified thesis must be COMPLETELY DEIDENTIFIED and submitted as a separate file.
      • File name must be: Last Name_Deidentified Thesis
      • Documents should appear in one pdf in the following order:
      1. Deidentified thesis
      2. Figures

Previously Published or Presented Thesis
Publication of a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance of the thesis. 

Internal Pathway
Internal pathway candidates may submit a thesis previously published in a peer-reviewed journal if:
a) The study was initiated during their ASOPRS-approved fellowship training program
b) The candidate is first author of the paper
c) The research article meets all guidelines and requirements as outlined on this page

Internal pathway candidates may submit a thesis previously presented at a national or international conference if:
a) The study was presented during their ASOPRS-approved fellowship training program
b) The study meets all guidelines and requirements as outlined on this page

External Pathway
External pathway applicants may submit a thesis that was published in a peer-reviewed journal within five (5) years of the date of the membership application.

Thesis Review

Following the March 1st deadline, the de-identified version of each thesis is reviewed by members of the Thesis Workgroup. Candidates will be notified via email by April 30 of the workgroup's decision:

  • Accept: The thesis is accepted as submitted.
  • Revise: The workgroup requests major or minor revisions to the thesis prior to acceptance. Required revisions and deadline for submitting revisions will be provided via email.
  • Reject: The thesis is not accepted for the membership application. A new thesis may be submitted at the next deadline if the applicant remains eligible.

For accepted theses that have not been previously published or presented, the abstract may be submitted for consideration for presentation at the ASOPRS Fall Scientific Symposium.

Publication
Authors are strongly encouraged to submit their thesis to OPRS after Thesis Workgroup acceptance. OPRS has the first right of refusal unless exceptions are made by the Editor. Thesis acceptance by the Thesis Workgroup does not guarantee OPRS publication.

Awards

Thesis submissions are considered for the following awards:

Marvin Quickert Thesis Award
One award is given annually for the most outstanding thesis submission. Only original studies, not previously presented, not pending publication, and not previously published, will be considered. Up to three (3) candidates are chosen who will present their thesis during the Thesis Session at the following ASOPRS Fall Scientific Symposium. The thesis may not be presented elsewhere, nor submitted for publication until after ASOPRS Fall Scientific Symposium.

IMPORTANT: Authors will be notified if chosen as a Quickert candidate. Authors may submit the thesis/abstract for consideration for the Fall Scientific Symposium prior to acceptance and/or Quickert candidacy notification.

Merrill Reeh Pathophysiology Award
If a thesis is deemed suitably outstanding by the Thesis Workgroup, the Thesis Workgroup Chair may recommend the submission to the Awards Committee for consideration for the Merrill Reeh Pathophysiology Award. The Pathophysiology Award is presented during the ASOPRS Fall Scientific Symposium.