Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA)
ISSN: 1536-5050 (Print)1 and 1558-9439 (Online)2
Website: http://jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla
Purpose, objective, or mission: According to the journal’s website: “The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) is an international, peer-reviewed specialty journal that aims to advance the practice and research knowledgebase of health sciences librarianship.”3
Target audience: Instructors, practitioners, and students interested in the practice and research aspects of health sciences librarianship.4
Publisher: University Library System / University of Pittsburgh.5
Peer reviewed? Yes.6
Type: LIS scholarly.7
Medium: Print and online.8
Content: This journal covers a variety of topics pertaining to health sciences librarianship, including information literacy, the information behaviors of cancer survivors, library instruction in medical education, evidence-based practice, etc.9
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.10
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines:
http://jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/about/submissions#authorGuidelines
Types of contributions accepted: The journal accepts original submissions in a variety of categories, including original investigations, case studies, systematic reviews, obituaries, commentaries, and letters to the editor.11
Submission and review process: Each category has different requirements or guidelines for authors to follow concerning length and format, among other criteria. For example, an original investigation should be a maximum of 5,000 words and contain the following sections: an abstract (which is a maximum of 250 words), introduction, methods, results, and discussion.12
JMLA uses a double-blind peer review process, which takes up to eight weeks from the time of submission.13
Editorial tone: Scholarly.14
Style guide used: The journal uses several style guides, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals; the Medical Library Association (MLA) Style Manual;Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 2nd edition; the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style; and the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.15
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
The JMLA is arguably the premier medical librarianship journal. Additionally, the organization for which it is named dates back to 1898 and “is the second oldest special library association in the United States.”16 Authors looking to establish themselves in the field of health sciences librarianship should seriously consider submitting to the JMLA.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Although exact circulation numbers are unavailable, the Medical Library Association “currently has more than 4,000 health sciences information professional members and partners worldwide.”17
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: International,18 although the journal is based in the U.S. and is published in English.19
Reader characteristics: Most readers are likely to be members of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and thus, are professionals or students within the medical librarianship field. At the very least, readers are interested in medical librarianship and will expect articles that are up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field.20
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers of the journal will likely have a background in LIS with specific knowledge within the medical LIS field.21
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
The audience for this publication is interested in original, cutting-edge research pertinent to the specialized field of medical librarianship. Additionally, readers will expects articles which are technical in nature and scholarly in tone. Thus, authors should possess specialized technical knowledge of medical librarianship and ideally, have professional experience within this field.
Last updated: February 16, 2018
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