Journal of Occupational Science

Aim

Scope

The Journal of Occupational Science publishes articles that build understanding of occupation, which is understood to be a complex biological, cultural, spiritual, temporal, relational, political, and historically situated phenomenon. Humans are viewed as occupational beings, whose occupations shape the local and global environment, culture, society, themselves and others.

Occupation is viewed from multiple perspectives, and inquiries may examine a range of topics including occupation in context, its functions and outcomes, the human capacity for occupation, societal forms of occupation, its performance and meanings, issues of inclusion/exclusion from participation, and occupation’s reciprocal relationship with well-being, health, and ill-health. Studies of occupation at population, community, group, and individual levels are welcome, as are explorations of occupation in relation to lifespan development, adaptation, temporal and spatial patterns, societal structures and barriers, governance mechanisms, resistance, sustainability, and environmental impacts. Humanist, Indigenous, population, transactional, evolutionary, biological, ecological, historical, socio-political, philosophical, critical, and biographical perspectives of occupation will be considered.

Editorial policy

In line with the Journal of Occupational Science’s Pledge to Mobilize against Racism (Stanley et al., 2020, 2021) and efforts to decolonize its publishing practices, diverse approaches to generating and presenting knowledge are valued, including, for example, Indigenous, Decolonizing, Afrocentric, and global South methodologies. 

All authors are asked to ensure that their work evidences the following practices:

• Situate the manuscript geographically and/or ideologically to appropriately frame the knowledge(s) drawn from and people(s) to whom knowledge claims apply. This includes removing universalizing claims about knowledge, situations, people, and their participation in occupation.
• Describe author positionality in relation to the topic, community, occupation(s), and people described in the inquiry.
• Adhere to the JOS Policy on Territorial or Land Acknowledgement (available in English and Portuguese) with respect to working on, or representing knowledge generated on, colonized or occupied lands.
• Respond to the JOS Pledge to Mobilize against Racism (Stanley et al., 2020 [English], 2021 [multiple languages]), as appropriate to the topic.
• Comply with the JOS Language Policy embedded in the Instructions for Authors, which provides guidance about:
• Citing appropriate literature (e.g., authors from the geographical context where the study is conducted, literature in the language(s) spoken in the geographical context). References in languages beyond English are welcome.
• Including and defining terms where no English equivalent exists.
• Including participant quotes (if any) in the original language in addition to an English translation and outlining the translation process.

Manuscripts addressing historically marginalized communities must evidence respectful engagement with the communities and people described in the inquiry. Engagement may involve:

• Citing sources that encompass the range of knowledge producers (e.g., academics, community leaders, activists, artists) and forms of knowledge production (e.g., publications, art installations, literary products, oral histories) that reflect community ways of knowing and doing.
• Including community members as co-authors, co-designers, co-researchers, and/or research advisors.
• Recruiting and selecting sufficient numbers of participants from those communities to illuminate their perspectives.
• Consulting community members and leaders about the focus of the inquiry, data gathering and analysis, which findings are disseminated, and how the community and findings are portrayed.
• Acting to ensure research adherence to individual and community cultural norms and practices.

Submission is online via ScholarOne Manuscripts - https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rocc

All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent referees. Manuscripts addressing historically marginalized communities that do not engage with the people(s) and knowledge(s) of those communities will be rejected without review. All peer reviews are double anonymized, ensuring author anonymity to the extent possible within a small field of inquiry.

Manuscript acceptance is based on the quality of methodologies and methods used to generate knowledge, clarity, conciseness, coherence of the presentation of knowledge, and ethical principles of integrity, minimization of harm, and mana* enhancing relationships and practices.

Keynote presentations to occupational science conferences and meetings are published by arrangement. Proposals for Special Issues are actively encouraged and can be made by contacting the Executive Editor at [email protected]

References

Stanley, M., Rogers, S., Forwell, S., Hocking, C., Nayar, S., Laliberte Rudman, D., Prodinger, B., Farias Vera, L., Townsend, E., Magalhaes, L., Simaan, J., Reid, H., & Pols, V. (2020). A pledge to mobilize against racism. Journal of Occupational Science, 27(3), 294-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2020.1793446

For a translation into French, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, German, and Japanese, see:

Stanley, M., Rogers, S., Forwell, S., Hocking, C., Nayar, S., Laliberte Rudman, D., Prodinger, B., Farias Vera, L., Townsend, E., Magalhaes, L., Simaan, J., Reid, H., & Pols, V. (2021). A pledge to mobilize against racism - Translated. Journal of Occupational Science, 28(3), 388-397. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2021.1921562

Note

* A Māori concept signifying status, prestige, power, influence, authority. Mana enhancing relationships and practices are respectful, beneficial, and mindful of the force that binds all people and the natural and spiritual world.

Authors can choose to publish gold open access in this journal.

Read the Instructions for Authors for information on how to submit your article.