Characteristics of the occupational therapy journal of research: the first twenty years

As evidence-based practitioners, occupational therapists are required to keep abreast of the relevant professional literature, be able to understand and critique research, and to incorporate improvements into daily practice for the benefit of clients (Barber, 1990). The current study proposes to assist readers in this responsibility through a retrospective analysis of the Occupational Therapy Journal of Research (OTJR) between 1981 and 2000. A total of 452 manuscripts were published on a broad range of topics in the OTJR during this period, 75.4% of which were feature articles with a strong research focus. Author characteristics and collaboration, subject and specialty themes, and reference list citations are examined and implications discussed. As a primary research journal together with publications that have a clinical or practice orientation, the OTJR is an important reference source for evidence-based practice. It will be interesting to monitor how OTJR evolves as the primary occupational therapy research journal since changing its focus in 2002.