Occupational Therapy Now      

You are invited to write a submission for OT Now. Any ‘Calls’ for papers will be posted here.

• March 2019 special issue on “Doing the ‘right’ thing” – Call for articles Apply by: October 1, 2018
• Topic Editor positions open! Apply by: June 30, 2018
• Editorial Board position (faculty member) open! Please email otnow@caot.ca if you have any questions or if you are interested!

Inquiries:  otnow@caot.ca

Resources for Authors and Presenters 

Where do I start?  

Occupational Therapy Now welcomes submissions that contain practical information and/or encourage discussion of professional issues. For every type of article, we look for clear, easily understood and interesting writing. There are currently eighteen regular topics (see “Regular OT Now topics” section).  Your article may fit under one of these topics or may be featured separately. Some styles of writing include: treatment approaches (or “how to’s”), interviews, personality profiles, as well as informational, inspirational, biographical, opinion, and humour articles.

Before writing your article, it is a good idea to send an outline to the  managing editor  for some initial feedback and ideas regarding style. 

What do I submit?

When submitting your article, include a completed  submission form and a copyright release forms . You should include the following: the proposed title of your article, a brief biography for each author, your credentials, and one e-mail address. Please send your article (in Word format) and any forms electronically to the Managing Editor through email .

Please take special note of the section on the submission form which asks if you have had your article reviewed by a colleague. A colleague, knowledgeable about your subject matter and/or has strong writing experience, can offer you invaluable feedback and may prevent unnecessary revisions once your article is in process.

Our readers tell us that they are short on time so make every word count – be precise and be concise. Articles should typically be no longer than 1500 words, including references. Brief notices can be as short as 50 words but still of interest to readers.

What happens after I submit my article?

Occupational Therapy Now   is published bimonthly and every effort is made to publish your article as soon as possible. Articles which are time sensitive take precedent. Obviously articles which do not require too many revisions are processed faster.

Once the managing editor receives your article, it will be reviewed by the applicable topic editor and/or occupational therapist(s) with expertise in the subject area. Articles which do not fall under a particular topic’s mandate will be reviewed by at least one occupational therapist with expertise in the subject area. Multiple reviews and revisions are typically expected. The topic editor may make recommendations regarding acceptance for publication, but the final decision is made by the managing editor. Copy edits will be prepared and sent to you, for review, prior to publishing.

An important note about copyright

Articles are submitted to Occupational Therapy Now on the understanding that they are not simultaneously under consideration by any other publication and have not been previously published. Articles published in Occupational Therapy Now   are copyrighted by CAOT and may not be published elsewhere, in whole or part, without written permission from CAOT. By submitting an article to Occupational Therapy Now  you are giving us permission to publish all or part of it. Before publication, all authors must sign a copyright release form. Be familiar with the  CAOT Copyright Policies.

If you use or refer to someone else’s ideas, you must acknowledge this by citing the original source in the reference list. Please refer to the  American Psychological Association Style Guide  for information on correct referencing.

Authors are responsible for obtaining releases for all copyrighted materials they wish to use in their article and any associated fees.

Sharing and distributing OT Now articles electronically

Authors are allowed to post and share their originally submitted version of their article on any open-access repository (this is the version that was submitted prior to being reviewed, edited, published, and accepted), under the following conditions:

• Repositories must be non-commercial
• The work must include the full citation, linking it to the published version on the publisher's website at www.caot.ca with the phrase: "The official published article is available online at..." (insert exact citation with the link)
• Authors can only post their work after the article is published

Does publishing in Occupational Therapy Now  prevent me from later publishing in the  Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy  (CJOT) ?

No, not necessarily. Writing for Occupational Therapy Now i s more informal, often anecdotal, and the articles are shorter. You may consider publishing preliminary ideas, program descriptions, or perhaps an opinion in Occupational Therapy Now   that you later develop for consideration in CJOT.

It is important to note, however, that if your intent is to publish research results in CJOT or any blinded peer-reviewed scientific journal, this needs to be prior to publication in Occupational Therapy Now  (which is non-blind peer-reviewed).

For information regarding  CJOT submissions , please contact the editor through CAOT’s National Office or  email .

Are photographs or illustrations considered?

Yes! Photographs help tell the story and attract the reader’s attention. When submitting photographs, remember the following:

1. Colour photos are preferred. If taking the photos yourself try to shoot subjects with a contrasting background.
2. Try to get people doing the things that are described in the article.
3. A release is necessary, use the  form provided .
4. Send digital photos as separate electronic files to the managing editor. Name the electronic file with the primary author’s last name and the name of the photo as it is referred to in the article.
5. Write captions and photo credits in the article, indicating placement of photo within article.
6. Digital photos must be taken at no less than 300 DPI and sized no smaller than 4 by 6 inches.

Other Resources

Reviewing for  Occupational Therapy Now : Your practice magazine 

Figuring out the “who” and the “where” of authorship  

Key steps for new authors in sharing occupation-based practice innovations

APA Formatting Style Guide for References and In-Text Citations  

Resources for authors and presenters   

Clarifying differences and exploring opportunities for collaboration between CJOT and OT Now  

Flora To-Miles, Managing Editor, Occupational Therapy Now  
  Tel: 613-523-2268 ext. 243 / 1 800 434-2268  
  Fax: 613-523-2552  
  Email:   otnow@caot.ca

For more information, please contact the managing editor, Flora To-Miles.

Indigenous Peoples & Occupational Therapy in Canada

Topic Editors:  Chelsey Weleschuk and Laura Purves

Indigenous peoples’ health and health care strengths and priorities are diverse, complex and influenced significantly by the ongoing and multifaceted impacts of colonization. The intent of this topic is to promote a much-needed national critical discourse on occupational therapy in the context of Indigenous populations in Canada and other settler-colonial societies.  The topic provides a forum for occupational therapists, Indigenous clients, and stakeholders to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives in a manner that is aligned with the central principles of cultural safety and the calls to actions documented in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We encourage submissions that have a co/author with Indigenous ancestry or extensive experience of working with and learning from Indigenous clients and colleagues. 

Our profession has much to learn about the role of occupational therapy with Indigenous clients, communities and key stakeholders. We welcome all comments and proposals for submissions.

Enhancing Practice

Topic Editors

Older Adults: Ben Mortenson

Adults: Bice Amoroso

Children and Youth: Gail Teachman

Mental Health: Hiba Zafran

Rural Practice: Niki Kiepek

As occupational therapists working in today's dynamic, fast-paced, challenging environment how can we make our practice more effective, more efficient and more reflective?  The Enhancing Practice series of topics present occupational therapists with ideas and information to foster thoughtful, reflective and evidence-based practice.  Enhancing Practice topics target specific client populations or areas of practice and are meant to share knowledge that will deepen our understanding of research, systems and clinical issues and ways to use this knowledge to the best advantage of our clients and our profession.

International Connections

Topic Editor: Andrew Freeman
CAOT recognizes that we live in an increasingly globalised world in which international perspectives are essential and professional mobility increasingly common. Many Canadian occupational therapists have worked abroad setting up client services, developing educational programmes, or experiencing other countries’ practices and customs in previously established settings. In this topic, we invite Canadian occupational therapists to share their international experiences.  In addition to submitted articles, information regarding CAOT and WFOT international activities and relevant resources will be featured to help you to continue to develop your international perspectives and connections.

In Touch with Assistive Technology

Topic Editor: Pam McCaskill
This topic welcomes articles on an incredibly broad spectrum of the application of technology for occupational therapists and their clients. It would be the rare practitioner who hasn’t felt the impact of technology on professional practice. The movement to electronic charting, the ability to offer e-health services to clients in rural communities, remote client monitoring, ever-changing security practices around digital collection and use of personal health information are a few examples. The appropriate recommendation of assistive technology to clients can make certain tasks easier, or in some cases, possible for the first time. As advances in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality become more mainstream, impacts are beginning to be felt in the field of rehabilitation. It’s an exciting time to embrace technology!  

For every success story however, we also hear stories of challenges with access to, and funding for, assistive technology. Research in this area can also struggle to keep pace with the speed of technological change. We invite practitioners and students to submit articles (successes and challenges) on their experiences with e-health and/or assistive technology. A client or end-user’s perspective is always welcomed.

OT Then

Topic Editor: Hadassah Rais
The OT Then topic is intended to provide opportunities for occupational therapists to cameo profiles of members of the profession who have lived professional lives that warrant recognition by their peers. Content for the topic can also include matters such as regional past histories that reflect key milestones for the profession or the town/city/area. In addition, unusual roles and programs that were either led by or involved occupational therapists in some way. This can be a great vehicle for groups of colleagues to provide tributes to other colleagues either from the past or others who have developed initiatives that are illustrative of new roles and so on. We need to capture our roots, what has stemmed from them and where our current efforts are aimed at taking us.  Remember, history informs our present and our future.

Sense of Doing

Topic Editor: Shanon Phelan
As occupational therapists, our primary role is to enable occupation. To do this well, we need to understand occupation to its fullest. Sense of Doing affords the readers of OT Now an exciting opportunity to exchange perspectives on occupation and its role in informing theory and practice. This topic will invite critically reflective dialogue about occupation as a core construct in occupational therapy and occupational science. The topic editor invites articles that explore how social, cultural, ecological, historical, and political factors shape what people do, and the potential implications for practice, policy and education.

Student Perspectives

Topic Editors: Sarah Hobbs and Sarah Villiger
Occupational therapy students are as valuable a part of the occupational therapy community as the experienced and wise practitioners. It is the students of today that will take on the mantle and be the ones to continue developing and defining this profession in the future.

The purpose of this topic is to add some volume to the student voice. Articles can be submitted on a diverse range of topics such as, but certainly not limited to: what excites or concerns you about entering into the working world of occupational therapy; who or what inspires you – maybe a fieldwork preceptor, a client, a member of your faculty;  what you see as challenges for occupational therapy in the future and, maybe more importantly, what you see as possible solutions for these challenges;  do you feel adequately prepared by your academic program to start your occupational therapy practice;  what do you view as being exciting new area of practice for occupational therapists to work in? Published articles written will be read by students across the country and will hopefully spark debate and communication. This is the opportunity to inspire, to question and to inform other students and our occupational therapy mentors.

KT and OT: Knowledge Translation and Occupational Therapy

Topic Editors: Keiko Shikako-Thomas and Mercerina Lychek
Despite recent emphases on evidence-based and evidence-informed practice, very little health-related research makes its way into the delivery of typical health services. Users and creators of research remain fairly distinct bodies. Knowledge translation, commonly referred to as “KT”, is a concept that frames how the relationships between knowledge users and knowledge creators can become more collaborative, effective, and more useful to all parties. When knowledge is translated effectively, the people who need health services benefit as the knowledge created is relevant, meaningful, and sensitive to the contexts of its users. Occupational therapists use knowledge every day in their clinical practice—knowledge of theories, models, systems, client populations, literature, and research. This column looks to showcase examples of knowledge translation in action. The following are examples of the types of articles for the KT and OT column:

• Case studies that describe knowledge translation activities in practice, at the individual and systems levels.
• Discussion of how knowledge could be best integrated into practice.
• Discrepancies between current knowledge and practice patterns, and how knowledge translation activities might be framed to redress those discrepancies.
• Clarify terms associated with knowledge translation that are used in a variety of ways across the literature.

Private Practice Insights

Topic Editor: Sarah Good

There are many new private practice occupational therapists as well as many new opportunities in this area. This Occupational Therapy Now topic focuses on sharing the successes and challenges of occupational therapy private practice. Authors are invited to submit articles regarding:

• Profiles of successful occupational therapy practitioners describing how and why they entered private practice, their motivations and what sustains them.
• Specific market(s) and how occupational therapy services are delivered.
• Challenging business situation(s) and how they were resolved. Examples could include mergers, tax audits, partnerships, providing student placements, etc.
• Successful management practices such as record keeping, budgeting, requests for proposals, hours of operations, fee schedules, marketing communications, etc.
• Examples of collaborative projects that enhance business success for occupational therapy practices.

CJOT: Evidence for Your Practice

Topic Editor: Briana Zur

The vision of this topic is to create a regular space for knowledge translation specifically of articles from the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (CJOT) to enhance evidence-based practice for occupational therapists. Topics can be presented as a full OT Now article with a focus on practice implications of a recent CJOT article or as a compilation from several CJOT articles with clinical relevance. The OT Now piece would appear after the print version in CJOT. Articles could be written by CJOT authors or profiled by the topic editor. All occupational therapists are welcome to contribute an article to this topic. Goals for this topic space include knowledge translation of CJOT articles by highlighting practice implications of recent CJOT articles, creating a stronger link between the two publications, and allowing for research to be profiled in both places.

Fieldwork and Education 

Topic Editor: Catherine White

Occupational therapy programs are challenged to ensure students gain competencies that are relevant to the diversity reflected in both current and evolving practice areas. Classroom experiences lay the foundation, and fieldwork experiences provide the opportunity for further learning in practice settings. In turn, fieldwork settings can benefit from the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm that students have to offer. Collaboration with a wide range of practice partners is required to ensure that sufficient high-quality experiences are available to match the growing needs.

This topic provides a space for educators, occupational therapists, students, clients, or other related stakeholders to share ideas and experiences, advance their skill sets, and learn from each other.

Authors are invited to write on (but not limited to):

• Teaching/learning innovation
• Preparing students for fieldwork and practice through classroom experiences
• Preceptor strategies to enhance learning
• Interesting fieldwork experiences
• Effective fieldwork collaborations
• Overcoming challenges encountered in fieldwork
• Evolving practice areas
• Unique placement models
• Profiles of inspiring students and preceptors 
• Student and preceptor reflections

Practice Management and Professional Skills  

Topic Editor: Tiziana Bontempo

Occupational therapists are working in various areas, including emerging areas of practice. This topic is intended to be a platform to exchange ideas about current issues related to practice in all settings. Articles that inspire professional change through personal accounts, clinical stories or vignettes are all suitable. Authors are invited to submit articles regarding, but not limited to:

• challenges and successes in managing client care
• how research or quality improvements impact practice
• creative ways of improving practice
• juggling best practice guidelines within constraints (workplace, political climates)
• funding and ethical dilemmas
• personnel issues
• clinical education
• advocacy

Occupational Therapist Assistants and Support Personnel 

Topic Editor: Erin Moerman

The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) & Support Personnel topic is a space for OTAs to celebrate the profession, collaborate for the advancement of the OTA role in the health-care team and to foster a sense of belonging as an OTA. Articles are welcome to be submitted by student or practicing OTAs, OTs and even clients!
Ideas for articles include, but are not limited to:

• Career profiles and reviews (e.g., roles in mental health, community based programs)
• Spotlight on inspiring current or retired OTAs
• Reviews of helpful resources
• Tips/suggestions for fostering a collaborative working relationship with your supervising OT/health-care team
• Strategies for advocating for job opportunities and growth of profession in our own communities and across Canada

Everyday Stories 

Topic Editor: Naomi Hazlett

This topic space aims to profile inspiring occupational therapists and their stories, to celebrate the unique contribution occupational therapy brings to people’s lives. Submissions may be written by the profiled member him/herself, or by someone else (e.g., a colleague). Profiled individuals must hold current CAOT membership.

Chair : Flora To-Miles
Jeff Boniface
Tarra Carter 
Heidi Cramm
Patricia Dickson 
Heather Gillespie 
Sandra Hobson
Michele Moon
Patrick Whalen 
Ellie Wray 

ex-officio : Helene J. Polatajko
ex-officio : Julie Lapointe

Subscription to    Occupational Therapy Now    is included in the CAOT annual membership fee. Non-member subscription rates (institutions only) are listed below. Cheques and money orders are payable in Canadian funds.

2018 Rates
Institutional (Canada): $65.00  
Individual/Institutional (USA): $92.00  
Individual/International Institutional: $110.00  
Online version only $123.00  
Single issue (if available): $18.00  
Single issue International: $21.00

To subscribe:

Tel: 800 434-2268, ext. 221

Email:   subscriptions@caot.ca

Subscription Agencies should review  OT Now  subscription policies  .

Subscription refund policy. Refunds are only available for subscription that have not begun and are subject to a $10 service charge. Once a subscription has begun there are no refunds.