IOP Publishing Video Abstract Guide

IOP Publishing is the publishing arm of the Institute of Physics. It publishes more than 80 journals across physics and related disciplines, including Journal of Physics series, Environmental Research Letters, and Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express. Many IOP journals now encourage or require authors to submit a video abstract alongside their manuscript.

IOP Publishing recommends video abstracts be 3–5 minutes long and formatted as MP4 files (H.264 codec recommended). The resolution should be at least 720p (1280×720) and ideally 1080p (1920×1080). The video should summarise the key findings of your paper in accessible language — it is often one of the first things editors and reviewers see.

Subtitles (SRT format) are strongly encouraged to improve accessibility. IOP does not require a specific visual style, but slideshow-style presentations with narration are widely accepted and commonly used.

SciReel automatically generates a slideshow-style video abstract with AI narration, exported as an MP4 at 1080p. It also produces an SRT subtitle file and a written transcript — all three files that IOP recommends. The narration is structured around the key sections of your paper: introduction, methodology, results, and significance, matching the format IOP editors expect.

When submitting to an IOP journal, upload the video abstract as a supplementary file during manuscript submission. Use the title format 'Video Abstract — [Paper Title]' in the file description. Always review the specific journal's author guidelines, as requirements can vary between IOP titles. Check whether your journal requires the video to be uploaded directly or submitted as a URL to a hosting platform.

Always verify the current requirements with the specific IOP journal you are submitting to. IOP Publishing updates its author guidelines periodically, and individual journals may have requirements that differ from general IOP recommendations.