Journal of Motor Learning and Development

An affiliated publication of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and the International Motor Development Research Consortium

Indexed in: Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, APA PsycINFO, EBSCOhost, EBSCO A-to-Z, ERIC, Google Scholar

Print ISSN: 2325-3193            Online ISSN: 2325-3215

JMLD 2022 JIF: 1.3 Mission

It is the mission of the Journal of Motor Learning and Development (JMLD) to advance the understanding of movement skill acquisition and expression across the lifespan.

Aims & Scope

JMLD provides a platform for theoretical, translational, applied, and innovative research related to factors that influence the learning or re-learning of skills in individuals with various movement-relevant abilities and disabilities. It publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed studies that provide insight into training or therapeutic interventions that promote motor proficiency, or reduce deficits and decline, in any age group. Research that crosses traditional divides between physical, cognitive, and social domains in motor learning and development is especially encouraged.

JMLD publishes original articles, including research notes, systematic literature reviews, target articles, and letters to the editor. Studies using experimental and non-experimental designs, as well as psychological, neuroscientific, physiological, and biomechanical analyses that provide insights into the various dimensions of movement learning and development, are particularly welcome. Special consideration is also given to research using methods appropriate for applied research, including field studies, observational analysis, and qualitative data.

JMLD publishes three issues per year: April, August, December.

Partnerships

JMLD is an affiliated publication of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) and the International Motor Development Research Consortium (I-MDRC). NASPSPA and I-MDRC members receive access to all JMLD articles as well as a 50% discount on free access publication when their research is accepted for publication.

More about the Journal

Acceptance rate (2022): 42%

Journal Impact Factor: 1.3

CiteScore: 2.1

No article processing fees

No submission fees

Open and free access publishing is optional

NASPSPA and I-MDRC members receive a 50% discount on free access fees

Editor

Maarten A. Immink, PhD
Flinders University, Australia

Editors Emeriti

Gabriele Wulf, PhD (Founding Editor: 2012–2015)
University of Nevada­–Las Vegas, USA

Daniela Corbetta, PhD (2016–2021)
University of Tennessee, USA

Associate Editors

Jane E. Clark, PhD
University of Maryland, USA

Howard N. Zelaznik, PhD 
Purdue University, USA

Associate Editor for Data Management, Reporting, and Transparency

Keith Lohse, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine, USA

Editorial Board Members

Karen Adolph, PhD; New York University, USA

David I. Anderson, PhD; San Francisco State University, USA

Jose Barela, PhD; São Paulo State University, Brazil

Lisa Barnett, PhD, MPH; Deakin University, Australia

Ali Brian, PhD; University of South Carolina, USA

Suzete Chiviacowsky, PhD; Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil

Laura Claxton, PhD; Purdue University, USA

Michael Duncan, PhD; Coventry University, UK

Nicola Hodges, PhD; University of British Columbia, Canada

Ryan Hulteen, PhD; Louisiana State University, USA

Matthieu Lenoir, PhD; Ghent University, Belgium

Sam Logan, PhD; Oregon State University, USA

Caterina Pesce, PhD; University of Rome "Foro Italico," Italy

Jared Porter, PhD; University of Tennessee, USA

Rajiv Ranganathan, PhD; Michigan State University, USA

Leah Robinson, PhD; University of Michigan, USA

Luis Paulo Rodrigues, PhD; Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Portugal

Nadja Schott, PhD; University of Stuttgart, Germany

John Shea, PhD; Indiana University, USA

Harjiv Singh, PhD; Orlando Magic Basketball Club, USA

Beth Smith, PT, DPT, PhD; University of Southern California, USA

Breanna Studenka, PhD; Utah State University, USA

Gentaro Taga, PhD; University of Tokyo, Japan

Andy Tse, PhD; Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Fotini Venetsanou, PhD; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

Kip Webster, PhD; University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA

Social Media Manager
Harjiv Singh, PhD; Orlando Magic Basketball Club, USA

Social Media Interns
Hassan Ali, Flinders University, Australia
Madison (Maddi) Richter, Flinders University, Australia
Cady Seavey, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Human Kinetics Staff:
Doug Hoepker, Senior Journals Managing Editor
Christina Johnson, Editorial Assistant

Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Authors must submit their manuscripts through the journal’s ScholarOne online submission system. To submit, click the button below:

Submit a Manuscript

Page Content

Additional Resources

 

Authorship Guidelines

The Journals Division at Human Kinetics adheres to the criteria for authorship as outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors*:

Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to:

a. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
b. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
c. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
d. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Conditions a, b, c, and d must all be met. Individuals who do not meet the above criteria may be listed in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript. *http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html

Authors who use artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) in their work must indicate how they were used in the cover letter and the work itself. These technologies cannot be listed as authors as they are unable to meet all the conditions above, particularly agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Open Access

Human Kinetics is pleased to allow our authors the option of having their articles published Open Access. In order for an article to be published Open Access, authors must complete and return the Request for Open Access form and provide payment for this option. To learn more and request Open Access, click here.

Manuscript Guidelines

All Human Kinetics journals require that authors follow our manuscript guidelines in regards to use of copyrighted material, human and animal rights, and conflicts of interest as specified in the following link: https://journals.humankinetics.com/page/author/authors

The Journal of Motor Learning and Development (JMLD) is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research papers, reviews, and invited target articles.

Style

In preparing manuscripts for publication in JMLD, authors must closely follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., 2020). Writing should be concise and direct. Avoid unnecessary jargon and abbreviations. Acronyms should be used sparingly as they can make the manuscript difficult to read. Avoid abbreviations in the title and the abstract. Formats of numbers and measurement units, and all other style matters, including capitalization, punctuation, references, and citations, must follow the Publication Manual of the APA.

Cover Letters

Upon submission, authors must upload a separate cover letter that lists (1) the title of the manuscript, (2) the date of submission, and (3) the full names of all the authors, their institutional or corporate affiliations, and their e-mail addresses. In addition to this essential information, the cover letter should be composed as described on pp. 382–383 of the Publication Manual of the APA (7th ed., 2020), including clear statements pertaining to potential fragmented publication, authorship, and other ethical considerations. If submitting to a special issue, the cover letter should briefly state how the submission complies to the call and theme of the special issue.

Manuscript

The manuscript must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document. Other file formats, including PDF documents, are not accepted for the main (text) document. The manuscript should contain no clues as to author identity, such as acknowledgments, institutional information, and mention of a specific city. Thus, information that might identify the author(s) should be omitted or highlighted in black. The first page of the manuscript should include only the title of the manuscript and date of submission. All manuscripts must include an abstract of 150−200 words and three to six keywords chosen from terms not used in the manuscript title. Line numbers should be embedded in the left margin to facilitate the review process. For studies involving humans, the participants section must include a statement certifying that the study received institutional approval and that the participants’ informed consent was obtained. Manuscripts (including references, tables, figures, etc.) should not exceed the following page limits:

  • Original research articles: 30 pages
  • Research notes: 15 pages
  • Book reviews: 5 pages
  • Letter to the Editor: 5 pages
  • Systematic literature review: 30 pages
  • Editorial: 10 pages
  • Target articles: 30 pages

Figures and Photos

If figures are included, each figure must be numbered in consecutive numerical order. A figure should have a caption that is brief and self-explanatory, and that defines all nonstandard abbreviations used in the figure. Captions must be listed separately, on a page by themselves; however, each figure must be clearly identified (numbered), preferably as part of its filename. Artwork should be professional in appearance and have clean, crisp lines. Hand drawing and hand lettering are not acceptable. Figures may use color. Shades of gray do not reproduce well and should not be used in charts and figures. Instead, stripe patterns, stippling, or solids (black or white) are good choices for shading. Line art should be saved at a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi) in JPEG or TIFF format. Photographic images can be submitted if they are saved in JPEG or TIFF format at a resolution of 300 dpi. If photos are used, they should be black and white, clear, and show good contrast. Any figures or photos from a source not original to the author must be accompanied by a statement from the copyright holder giving the author permission to publish it; the source and copyright holder must be credited in the manuscript. If a photo or figure shows the face of the participant, authors must either obscure the face or obtain written permission from the participant or responsible caregiver/parents of the participant (if minor) in order to publish. See additional figure guidelines here.

Tables

When tabular material is necessary, it should not duplicate the text. Tables must be formatted using Microsoft Word’s table-building functions. (Using spaces or tabs in your table creates problems when the table is typeset and may result in errors.) Tables should be single-spaced on separate pages and include brief titles. Explanatory notes are to be presented in footnotes, below the table. The size and complexity of a table should be determined with consideration for its legibility and ability to fit the printed page.

Video Clips

Short video clips may be submitted to illustrate your manuscript. Files may be submitted through ScholarOne for review as part of the manuscript; each digital video file should be designated and uploaded as a “supplementary file,” and should be no larger than 15–20 MB (or 5–10 seconds, depending on compression). Video should be submitted in either .WMV or QuickTime (.mov) format with a standard frame size of 320 × 240 pixels and a frame rate of 30 frames per second. You also should indicate in the cover letter accompanying your submission that you have submitted a video file.

Digital material from a source not original to the author must be accompanied by a statement from the copyright holder giving the author permission to publish it; the source and copyright holder must be credited in the manuscript.

Human Kinetics will inspect all video submissions for quality and technical specifications, and we reserve the right to reject any video submission that does not meet quality standards and specifications.

Funding Support

Funded research should be stated in the manuscript under Acknowledgments following this format:  “This research was funded by grant [indicate grant number if any] from the [indicate funding agency]”.

Remember to Blind Your Submission

Authors will be asked to submit a “blinded” version of their article and a separate cover sheet with names, institutional affiliations, and contact information.

Before Submitting

Please review the APA checklist for manuscript submission before submitting your manuscript.

Final Revisions

Authors of accepted manuscripts must obtain and provide the managing editor all necessary permissions for reproduced figures, pictures, or other copyrighted work prior to publication. The authors also will need to complete and sign the copyright agreement, transferring copyright to Human Kinetics, Inc. Exceptions to this copyright transfer rule will be made for government employees. Additional exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Manuscript Review

All manuscripts are evaluated via masked review by two or more reviewers. Submissions will be judged on the basis of the manuscript’s interest to the readership, theoretical and empirical contribution, adherence to accepted scientific principles and methods, and clarity and conciseness of writing. There are no page charges to authors. Manuscripts may not be submitted to another journal at the same time. 

Desk Rejection Policy

Before full review, submissions are examined at the editorial level. If the editor and an editorial board member believe the submission has extensive flaws or is inconsistent with the mission and focus of the journal, the manuscript may receive a desk reject decision.

Individuals

Online Subscriptions

Individuals may purchase online-only subscriptions directly from this website. To order, click on an article and select the subscription option you desire for the journal of interest (individual or student, 1-year or 2-year), and then click Buy. Those purchasing student subscriptions must be prepared to provide proof of student status as a degree-seeking candidate at an accredited institution. Online-only subscriptions purchased via this website provide immediate access to all the journal's content, including all archives and Ahead of Print. Note that a subscription does not allow access to all the articles on this website, but only to those articles published in the journal you subscribe to. For step-by-step instructions to purchase online, click here.

Print + Online Subscriptions

Individuals wishing to purchase a subscription with a print component (print + online) must contact our customer service team directly to place the order. Click here to contact us!

Institutions

Institution subscriptions must be placed directly with our customer service team. To review format options and pricing, visit our Librarian Resource Center. To place your order, contact us

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