- Journal of Skeletal Muscle
- ISSN 2832-4048
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The Journal of Skeletal Muscle publishes research on skeletal muscle in health and disease, with pathophysiology as a core area, from the molecular machinery of the sarcomere to the performance of whole muscles.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous research on the development, structure, function and adaptation of skeletal muscle, and on the mechanisms of its diseases.
- To advance understanding of muscle regeneration, aging, exercise and disuse, and of the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of muscle disorders.
- To strengthen the methods, models and measurements on which skeletal muscle research depends.
- To make this research openly available, so that researchers, clinicians, therapists and educators can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
JSM considers research on any aspect of skeletal muscle in health and disease. Pathophysiology is a core area of the journal, and the journal welcomes work from the full range of disciplines that study muscle. The areas below are illustrative and form part of a wider field, including:
- Muscle structure, the sarcomere and contractile mechanics
- Cell and molecular biology of muscle fibers
- Excitation-contraction coupling and calcium handling
- Muscle development, myogenesis and satellite cells
- Muscle regeneration and repair
- Energy metabolism and mitochondrial function
- Exercise physiology, training and physical activity
- Biomechanics and motor function
- Aging and sarcopenia
- Disuse, immobilization, unloading and spaceflight
- Muscular dystrophies and inherited myopathies
- Neuromuscular junction and neuromuscular disease
- Muscle injury, tendon and musculoskeletal pain
- Atrophy, cachexia and muscle wasting in systemic disease
- Nutrition and skeletal muscle
- Skeletal muscle in metabolic disease
- Rehabilitation and therapeutic interventions
- Imaging, biomarkers and diagnosis of muscle disorders
- Toxins, venoms and the pharmacology of muscle
- Genetics, transcriptomics and other omics of skeletal muscle
Contributions from the molecular, cellular, physiological, biomechanical, clinical, nutritional and computational sciences are welcome when skeletal muscle is a principal subject of the work. A topic that is not named above is within scope when it meets that test.
Designs and approaches welcomed
JSM considers quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research. Study designs are reported within the article types listed below; a cell-culture, animal or human physiology study, for example, is submitted as Original Research.
- Cell and molecular studies
- Experiments in muscle cells, tissues and cell-free systems, including signaling, gene expression, protein turnover and calcium handling.
- Animal models
- Studies in animal models of muscle growth, injury, regeneration, disease and therapy, reported in line with the ARRIVE guidelines.
- Human physiology and exercise
- Studies of muscle structure, function, metabolism, training and adaptation in human participants, including biopsy and imaging studies.
- Clinical studies
- Observational studies, trials and rehabilitation studies in people with muscle conditions or at risk of them.
- Biomechanics and imaging
- Measurements and models of force, stiffness, motion and tissue architecture, from the fiber to the whole muscle.
- Omics and computational work
- Transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and computational analyses that advance understanding of skeletal muscle.
- Evidence synthesis
- Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and scoping reviews.
- Methodological research
- New, adapted or validated methods, assays, models and instruments for studying skeletal muscle.
What makes a manuscript a fit
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to skeletal muscle research, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence. Studies at any scale, from molecules to whole organisms, are considered when skeletal muscle is a principal subject.
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Case reports
Case Reports, including short case series, are accepted when the case carries a lesson for understanding or managing a muscle condition, such as an unusual presentation, a new genetic variant or a response to treatment.
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Commentaries and letters
Commentaries and Letters are accepted when they make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a question in skeletal muscle research or on work published in JSM.
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Preliminary findings
Short Communications report a focused or preliminary finding when the methods are described well enough for the result to be judged and the limitations are stated.
Unsupported opinion, meaning assertion without evidence or reasoned argument, is outside the journal's scope.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on the structure, abstract and reporting standard for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original ResearchEmpirical studies of skeletal muscle in cells, tissues, animal models or human participants, using experimental, observational or computational methods.
- ReviewNarrative or critical reviews that synthesize current knowledge on a defined question about skeletal muscle.
- Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSystematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question, with or without meta-analysis. Scoping reviews that use systematic methods are included.
- Methods and ProtocolsNew, adapted or validated methods, assays, models or instruments for studying skeletal muscle, and protocols for planned studies.
- Short CommunicationConcise reports of a focused or preliminary finding of importance to skeletal muscle research.
- Case ReportIndividual cases or short case series that carry a lesson for the understanding or management of a muscle condition.
- Data NoteDescriptions of datasets relevant to skeletal muscle, such as omics, imaging or physiological data, to support their reuse.
- CommentaryEvidence-based argument on a current question in skeletal muscle research or on published work. Perspectives and opinion pieces are submitted as Commentaries.
- EditorialShort statements by the editors, or by authors the editors invite, on the journal or on a topic of importance to the field.
- LetterBrief responses to articles published in JSM, or short observations relevant to skeletal muscle research.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report, a scoping review as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, a study protocol as Methods and Protocols, and a perspective or opinion piece as a Commentary.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when skeletal muscle is a principal subject of the work, whatever its discipline or scale. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Does JSM consider cell-culture and animal studies?
Yes. Studies in cells, tissues and animal models are considered when they advance understanding of skeletal muscle. Animal studies follow the ethics and ARRIVE requirements set out in the Editorial Policies.
Are clinical and rehabilitation studies within scope?
Yes. They are considered when they address the function, diseases or treatment of skeletal muscle, including exercise, training and rehabilitation interventions.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to JSM. Cite the preprint and its DOI in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.