Journal of Implementation Science
Advancing evidence-based solutions in health systems, healthcare policy, quality improvement, and public health program delivery worldwide.
Implementation science represents a critical discipline within health services research, examining the mechanisms of translating evidence into practice. JIS prioritizes research advancing theoretical understanding and practical methodologies for implementing, evaluating, and sustaining health interventions within real-world health system settings.
We publish studies investigating implementation strategies across organizational levels—from provider behavior change to health system policy reform. Our scope encompasses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, mixed-methods designs, systematic reviews, implementation frameworks, and pragmatic trial designs testing implementation approaches in authentic practice environments.
JIS examines techniques supporting acceptance and assimilation of evidence-based operations, interventions, and strategies into healthcare and public health systems. We determine barriers to, and enablers of, effective comprehensive health programming and policymaking advancement.
JIS welcomes submissions across the implementation science spectrum, with emphasis on health services and systems research addressing:
Implementation of quality metrics, patient safety protocols, care pathway optimization, and continuous quality improvement methodologies within health systems.
System-level interventions addressing workforce capacity, service delivery models, financing mechanisms, governance structures, and supply chain optimization.
Translation of health policies into practice, policy evaluation frameworks, regulatory implementation, and analysis of policy adoption barriers and facilitators.
Implementation of electronic health records, clinical decision support systems, telehealth platforms, health information exchanges, and data analytics infrastructure.
Scale-up and sustainability of evidence-based public health interventions, community health programs, population health management, and prevention strategies.
Development and testing of implementation science frameworks, measurement instruments, process evaluation methods, and implementation fidelity assessment tools.
Healthcare organizational transformation, leadership for implementation, workforce training, interprofessional collaboration, and organizational readiness assessment.
Implementation of innovative care models, integrated care systems, patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, and value-based care approaches.
Analysis of contextual factors influencing implementation success, including organizational culture, resource availability, stakeholder engagement, and health system characteristics.
JIS focuses exclusively on health systems, healthcare delivery, quality improvement, health policy, and public health implementation research. We do not publish individual patient care studies, clinical treatment protocols, diagnosis-focused research, or therapy development. Our emphasis is system-level implementation, not clinical practice.
The Journal of Implementation Science offers distinct benefits for researchers committed to advancing the science-to-practice pipeline:
- Rigorous Peer Review: Expert reviewers with implementation science expertise evaluate methodological rigor, theoretical grounding, and practical significance of submitted research.
- Global Health Systems Perspective: We publish implementation research from diverse health system contexts, recognizing implementation challenges and solutions vary across settings and resource levels.
- Open Access Impact: Immediate, unrestricted access ensures implementation research reaches health system decision-makers, policy officials, and practitioners who can apply findings.
- Multidisciplinary Community: JIS connects researchers across health services research, public health, health policy, health informatics, quality improvement, and health administration disciplines.
- Practical Relevance: We prioritize research offering actionable insights for real-world implementation challenges facing health systems and public health programs.
- Methodological Innovation: JIS encourages novel approaches including pragmatic trials, hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs, and innovative evaluation methodologies.
JIS maintains editorial practices emphasizing transparency, reproducibility, and ethical research conduct. We adhere to COPE guidelines and require registration of implementation trials prior to participant enrollment. Authors should consult implementation science reporting guidelines appropriate to study design, such as StaRI, TIDieR, or SQUIRE.
We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, implementation case studies, methodological papers, and commentaries advancing implementation science knowledge. All submissions should clearly articulate the implementation focus and demonstrate relevance to health systems or public health practice.
Manuscripts should be submitted through the online submission portal. For detailed formatting requirements, ethical standards, and submission procedures, please review our Instructions for Authors.
JIS operates under an open access model, making all published research freely available worldwide. Articles are published under Creative Commons licenses permitting broad reuse while ensuring proper attribution. This approach maximizes dissemination and impact of implementation science research among diverse stakeholders who benefit from these insights.
Our open access policy aligns with funder mandates from major research agencies and ensures implementation research findings are accessible to health system practitioners, policy makers, and program managers in resource-limited settings who need this evidence most.
Join the Implementation Science Community
Contribute to the growing evidence base on translating research into health system practice. Submit your implementation research to JIS and connect with the global community dedicated to bridging the research-practice gap.
Editorial Inquiries: Contact our editorial office at [email protected] for questions about scope suitability, submission procedures, or editorial policies. Our team supports authors throughout the publication process.
