STEPS FOR SUBMISSIONS TO IJOT

Step 1

Fully complete submission page. This page is for the Journal Committee’s information only and will be removed prior to being sent out for peer review.

Step 2

Refer to relevant category section for heading, procedures and guidelines

Step 3

Read the IJOT general submission guidelines

Step 4

Check reference as per APA guidance sheet

Step 5

Write the article

Step 6

Check that you meet all the above guidelines and submit to

Step 7

Amendments to original document may be necessary after peer review

Authors’ Guide for the Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy-Revised May 07

The Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy welcomes submissions from Ireland and abroad on issues relating to Occupational Therapy. The journal aims to contribute to the theory, practice, education, research and professional developments of Occupational Therapy. The purpose of this authors’ guide is to provide procedures to authors’ on the format for writing.

Submissions may be in the form of articles (research or other), opinion pieces, books/media/assessment/equipment reviews, letters to the editor and announcements. Submissions are accepted on the understanding that the content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Articles and opinion pieces are blind peer reviewed by two independent reviewers appointed by the journal committee. Copies of the manuscript should be submitted to the journal committee via email at .

Please note that the journal committee may decline to publish submissions if the content is not appropriate for the journal or if the submission does not meet the standard expected of the journal.

General Guidelines for all Submissions

Please refer to category of article section for more specific guidelines

  • Submission template must be fully completed
  • Typed using 12 point Times New Roman font
  • Headings should be used to give clarity to the text

-Main headings in capital letters and bold font (e.g. INTRODUCTION)

-Sub headings should be in bold font (e.g. Research Design)

-Do not underline or follow a heading with a colon or full stop

  • Single space within a paragraph
  • Double space between paragraphs and after headings
  • Each page should be numbered in the bottom right hand corner
  • Each page should have the article title at the bottom left hand corner
  • Titles/headings should be located above the graph or figure
  • Abbreviations should be used sparingly; Occupational Therapy or occupational therapist should not be abbreviated OT
  • Occupational Therapy should be written with a capital ‘O’ and a capital ‘T’
  • Occupational therapist should be written with a lower case ‘o’ and a lower case ‘t’, except when used as a title or at the beginning of a sentence
  • Measurements must be in the metric system
  • Statistics, measurements and ages/dates should be given as figures (e.g. 45 centimetres)
  • Numbers under 10 or where they begin a sentence should be spelled out (e.g. eight, nine, 10, 11, 12)
  • All references must be done in accordance with APA guidelines. Complete details can be located on their website at or various other websites can be found using a search engine
  • Authors name, degree awarded, job title and address must be clearly listed
  • Co-Author(s) must check the final copy

The submitting author assumesall responsibility and liability for fraudulently putting forward the article without the consent of the co-author(s).

CATEGORY OF SUBMISSIONS

Research Articles

  • Word count should be between 2000 and 5000 words (on occasion longer or shorter articles may be considered)
  • These may contain the following headings: ABSTRACT, KEY WORDS, INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW, METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATIONS, CONCLUSION and REFERENCES

Articles

  • May include literature reviews, theoretical papers, case studies, pilot study, practice pieces and descriptive pieces (clinical, educational or technological innovations)
  • Word count should be between 1200 and 4000 words (on occasion longer or shorter articles may be considered)
  • These may contain the following headings: ABSTRACT, KEY WORDS, INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION and REFERENCES (literature review and recommendations may be included as appropriate)

Opinion Pieces

  • Word count should not exceed 2500 words
  • Usually take the form of debate or discussion around topical issues related to Occupational Therapy
  • Discussion usually reflects the authors’ opinion but should also reflect the literature
  • These may contain the following headings: ABSTRACT, KEY WORDS, INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION and REFERENCES

Book Review

  • Word count should not exceed 1000 words
  • Should address the following questions:

1)What are the credentials of the author(s), contributor(s) and/or editor(s)?

2)At what audience is the book directed?

3)What is the main content of the book?

4)How comprehensive is the content of the book?

5)What, if any, are the limitations of the book?

Equipment Review

  • Word count should not exceed 1000 words
  • Should address the following: Compare against similar products
  • Client group the product is aimed at
  • Include any literature on the use of the product
  • Any limitations of the product

Letters to the Editor

  • The Journal Committee welcomes letters from readers who wish to comment on previous articles or raise issues of relevance to Occupational Therapy
  • Word count should not exceed 500 words

Occupational Therapy News

  • May include reports from recent events, workshops, conferences, news items and other announcements relevant to Occupational Therapy (e.g. Doctoral candidates, award winners etc)
  • If submitting photos you must have consent of all persons in the photo and this must be indicated by ticking the box on the submission template

The submitting author assumes all responsibility and liability for fraudulently putting forward photographs without the consent of all individuals pictured.

Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy Author’s Guide - 1 -