Current Themes

Ongoing collections focus on high priority topics such as autonomous surgical systems, AI imaging validation, and safety assurance.

How to Participate

Select the relevant theme and indicate the special issue name during submission. Ensure your manuscript aligns with scope and objectives.

• Review the active theme description
• Align methods and outcomes with the theme
• Submit via ManuscriptZone or Simple Submission

Visibility Benefits

Ongoing issues group related articles, improving discoverability and citation potential for focused research areas.

Research Visibility

Open access publication ensures that robotic surgery and AI research is available to engineers, clinicians, and health system leaders worldwide.

Quality Assurance

Every manuscript receives editorial screening and independent review to protect the integrity of technical and clinical claims.

Theme Updates

Themes evolve as new evidence emerges. Review the latest scope statements before final submission.

Editorial Support

If you are unsure about fit, contact the editorial office for guidance before submission.

Collection Benefits

Ongoing collections group related papers, improving topic visibility and reader engagement. This structure helps robotics and AI work reach focused audiences quickly.

Submission Timing

Some collections have target review windows. Early submission increases the chance of inclusion within the active issue timeline.

Scope Fit Checklist

Confirm that your objectives align with the theme, your methods include validation metrics, and your discussion addresses clinical or engineering impact.

Peer Review Standards

All manuscripts receive the same peer review and ethics checks as regular issues. Quality standards are consistent across the journal.

Discovery and Citations

Collections are promoted through journal channels and indexing feeds, supporting citation growth and cross paper visibility.

Theme Selection

Themes are selected based on emerging research priorities and clinical impact. Proposals are reviewed by the editorial board to ensure relevance.

Collection Updates

As new evidence appears, collection descriptions may be refined. Authors should check the latest scope summary before finalizing submissions.

Regular Issue Transfer

If a manuscript is strong but outside the theme, editors may recommend transfer to a regular issue to avoid delay.

Author Advantages

Collection participation increases visibility among focused research communities and helps connect related work across teams and institutions.

Submission Tips

Emphasize how your work advances the theme, include relevant benchmarks, and highlight practical implications. A strong fit statement supports quicker editorial decisions. Include keywords that mirror the collection theme and cite recent articles from the issue to show continuity and relevance for readers and reviewers across the topic area while highlighting distinct technical contributions and clinical value to the field overall today.

Editorial Feedback

Editors may recommend minor adjustments to align your manuscript with the theme. Incorporating these changes improves coherence across the collection.

Visibility Timeline

Accepted articles appear online as soon as production is complete. Early online publication ensures rapid visibility even before the full collection is finalized.

Community Engagement

Ongoing collections encourage community feedback and discussion across related articles. Authors may be invited to participate in webinars or panel sessions that highlight the collection and stimulate collaboration. These activities help authors position their work in broader debates on safety, ethics, and implementation.