- Aims and Scope
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The International Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism publishes basic, translational, clinical and population research on bone biology, mineral metabolism and metabolic bone disease.
What the journal is for
- To publish rigorous research on how bone forms and remodels, how calcium and phosphate balance is regulated, and how metabolic bone disease arises.
- To bring together work from the laboratory, the clinic and the population, so that mechanistic findings inform diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and clinical observations inform mechanistic questions.
- To make that research freely available, with clear methods and transparent peer review practices.
From mechanism to patient
IJBM considers basic, translational, clinical and population research on the skeleton and mineral metabolism. The journal welcomes work at every point on this range, including the research areas below. The areas are illustrative, not exhaustive, and a topic not named here is considered on its merits. Manuscripts should show a clear mechanistic, clinical or population-level connection to bone or mineral metabolism.
- MOLECULE / CELL
Bone biology
Osteoblast and osteoclast function, bone remodeling, matrix biology, growth factors and signaling pathways.
- MINERAL
Mineral metabolism
Calcium and phosphate homeostasis, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, FGF23 and the hormonal regulation of mineral balance.
- DISEASE
Metabolic bone disease
Osteoporosis, osteomalacia and rickets, Paget disease of bone, osteogenesis imperfecta and CKD-mineral bone disorder.
- SYSTEMS
Bone and other systems
Muscle-bone crosstalk and sarcopenia, bone-kidney and cardiovascular interactions, immune interactions and the gut microbiome.
- CLINIC / POPULATION
Therapy, diagnosis and populations
Antiresorptive and anabolic therapies, densitometry, biomarkers and imaging, fracture-risk assessment, nutrition and prevention.
Examples of topics
- Osteoblast, osteocyte and osteoclast biology
- Calcium, phosphate and vitamin D metabolism
- Parathyroid hormone, FGF23 and related hormones
- Osteoporosis and fracture-risk assessment
- Bone density measurement, biomarkers and imaging
- Chronic kidney disease and mineral bone disorder
- Rare and inherited bone and mineral disorders
- Nutrition, physical activity and skeletal health
- Oral and craniofacial bone, including implant and periodontal bone biology
Contributions from the biomedical, clinical, laboratory, nutritional, behavioral, data and computational sciences are welcome when they address a question about bone or mineral metabolism.
What the journal publishes
Requirements for each type are set out in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original Research
- Empirical studies in the laboratory, the clinic or the population, using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods.
- Review
- Narrative or critical reviews that interpret and organize the evidence on a defined question in bone and mineral metabolism.
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Systematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question, with or without meta-analysis.
- Methods or Technical Note
- New, adapted or validated methods, assays, models, imaging approaches and study protocols.
- Short Communication
- Concise reports of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Case Report
- Individual cases or short case series with a clear lesson for the understanding or care of bone and mineral disorders.
- Commentary
- Reasoned, evidence-based arguments on a current question or on published research.
- Letter
- Brief, focused responses to published articles or short reports of timely findings.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter. A short case series is classified as a Case Report.
How manuscripts are assessed
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to bone and mineral metabolism, the soundness of their methods, the quality of reporting and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence. Basic, translational, clinical and population studies are assessed on the same criteria.
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
If you are unsure whether a topic fits, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Submit a manuscript to IJBM
Please read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting. The article processing charge of USD 1,200 is payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal's withdrawal policy.