Getting published in IJOM
The International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (IJOM) welcomes contributions about osteopathic medicine, practice, education and research.
You do not need to work in academia or research to contribute. IJOM welcomes submissions from osteopaths, educators, researchers and clinical staff involved in the education and training of osteopaths.
Why contribute to IJOM?
Publishing in IJOM can help you:
- share your work with peers
- contribute to learning in your subject area
- develop your writing and research skills
- raise your profile as an author
- increase your presence in practice, education or research
What you can submit
IJOM considers different types of contribution, including:
- original research articles
- review papers
- case reports
- conference papers
- short communications
- letters
- perspectives
Papers from people involved in teaching students, or supporting osteopaths in practice, are particularly welcome.
Before you write
Before you submit, make sure your article has:
- a clear and useful message
- relevance to osteopathic medicine or practice
- a logical structure
- a clear meaning for reviewers, editors and readers
You should choose the format that best suits your research, evidence or message.
Preparing your article
You should use IJOM’s Guide for Authors before preparing your manuscript.
The guide explains:
- the types of papers IJOM will consider
- word counts
- ethics and ethical considerations
- how to format your article
- how to prepare references
- how to submit figures, tables and video material
- publisher policies, including author rights, Open Access, funding body agreements and language editing services
How to submit your article
You submit your article through the Elsevier website.
If this is your first time submitting an article, you will need to register as a new user.
The submission process will ask you to:
- select the paper type
- enter the title of your manuscript
- enter your details
- add your abstract
- add keywords that describe your article
- choose classifications to help editors find suitable reviewers
- suggest potential reviewers, if asked
- upload your supporting files
You will usually need to upload:
- a covering letter to the Editorial Office
- an author contribution statement
- a title page, including author details
- your manuscript
Your manuscript should not include author details. You should also remove anything that could identify the author or authors, as IJOM uses double-blind peer review.
What happens after you submit
After you submit your article, the Editorial Office will check that you have included the required information.
Your article will then be sent to the editor. The editor will decide whether it:
- meets IJOM’s aims and scope
- adds useful information to existing knowledge
- is ready to be sent for peer review
The editor may:
- reject the article if it does not meet the journal’s criteria
- ask you to make changes before peer review
- send the article for peer review
Peer review
IJOM uses double-blind peer review.
This means:
- reviewers do not know who wrote the article
- authors do not know who reviewed the article
- at least two reviewers usually review the article
The reviewers assess the article and send their comments to the editor.
The editor then decides whether to:
- accept the article
- reject the article
- ask you to revise and resubmit it
More guidance
For more information, including writing guidance, submission tips and author services, visit the Elsevier website.