The Foot and Ankle Online Journal (FAOJ) is the first open access, peer review journal written for and by podiatrists and foot/ankle orthopaedists. The FAOJ is a non-profit organization established in 2008 and is dedicated to providing a high quality publication of foot and ankle related articles, free of charge on the internet.

Many articles published on this site come from a variety of sources including private practice, residency programs and hospital institutions. We are actively looking for articles and primarily case presentations relevant to podiatry and foot orthopaedics for open-access publishing.

The journal was first introduced in January 2007 as the Podiatry Internet Journal or PIJ to enable rapid access information of case study articles relevant to the field of podiatry and orthopaedics. This project is a concerted effort to establish an internet journal that to allow rapid access to information when submitted. It is the first open-access internet journal in podiatry and foot and ankle orthopedics. Our primary goal is to educate, inform and bring together podiatry and orthopedics in the specialty of foot and ankle medicine and surgery.

The journal will accept articles and publish them online, usually within 1 month of submission (in the upcoming month’s journal). The concept of open access availability of information is not new. Presently, however there are no open access journals that highlight case reports in podiatry and foot & ankle orthopaedics. It is a unique switch from online, subscription based journals. The journal publishes both HTML and PDF version of submitted articles in a journal like format. The PDF version allows for printing of the article through a personal printer in a concise, journal format.

The Foot and Ankle Online Journal (FAOJ) is directing its article content to case study presentations, education, research and information relevant to podiatry and foot/ankle orthopaedics. This site is designed as an open-ended resource of online information for Podiatrists, Foot & Ankle Orthopaedists, Researchers, Educators, Residents, Externs, Students and the general public. This Foot and Ankle Online Journal is modeled after the unique Dermatology Online Journal (DOJ). There are already a number of published Podiatry and Orthopaedic journals, but electronic presentation of material has its advantages over the cost and time constraint of paper publishing. (See ‘Why Open Access publishing?’) If you’re looking up information on the internet, this site will provide the entire article, not just the abstract. At the time of this writing, online article subscription can range from $3 to $75 for a single article review! Also, to publish an article through a mainstream magazine or journal may take many months of review and editing before your manuscript will be considered or even get into print.

It is this sites attempt to bring you quality journal articles without a subscription fee, quick and easily over the internet without the long wait for printed material. The benefits include rapid, full and free access to journal quality articles.

It is the sites goal to provide free and useful information that can be shared within our profession. It is also our attempt to bridge information between Podiatry, Foot and Ankle orthopaedics and a variety of other medical disciplines relevant to foot and ankle medicine and surgery. This platform is a unique site to allow residents and private practitioners alike to submit interesting case studies or information relevant to our great profession. We plan to present this format information in article, case presentation format. The immediacy, convenience, and open-access availability of information is the primary reason this electronic journal was started.

Additional Reading:

The Peer Review Process