Aims and Scope
The International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in the movement sciences. IJES publishes original research and scholarly works spanning the broad disciplines of exercise science, kinesiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport and exercise psychology, motor behavior, physical activity and health, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, clinical exercise physiology, athletic training, and related fields.
A distinguishing feature of IJES is its commitment to developing the next generation of scholars. The journal provides a rigorous, supportive venue for students and early-career investigators to disseminate high-quality research while fostering the development of scientific writing, peer review, and scholarly communication.
Consistent with this mission, all submissions must include at least one author who is either (1) a student or (2) an early-career investigator (see definitions below). This individual must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research and meet all authorship criteria. Through this model, IJES promotes meaningful mentorship while maintaining the highest standards of scientific rigor and editorial integrity.
IJES is published by K-STAR (Kinesiology, Scholarly Trends, Abstracts, and Research), a family of scholarly dissemination platforms dedicated to advancing kinesiology through the publication of rigorous, high-quality research. K-STAR supports the dissemination of innovative scholarship from both established investigators and emerging researchers, fostering scientific excellence across all areas of kinesiology and pedagogy. K-STAR operates independently and is not affiliated with or governed by any professional society, academic institution, or other external organization.
The journal’s editorial operations are led by the Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editors, in collaboration with the Section Editors and Editorial Board, who oversee the peer review process and all editorial decisions. Information regarding the journal’s editorial leadership and board members is available on the journal website. All editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific merit, originality, methodological rigor, and relevance of submitted manuscripts. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board maintain complete independence in the peer review and publication process. Neither the publisher, sponsors, advertisers, nor any external organization influences editorial decisions or publication outcomes. IJES is owned by Open Access Text. Open Access Text provides publishing infrastructure and administrative support but does not participate in manuscript evaluation, peer review, editorial decision-making, or the development of editorial policies.
Review Process
All submissions will undergo the same double-blind review process. First, a member of our pre-review team will evaluate the submission for critical pieces necessary for every paper (e.g., human subjects approval or exemption, formatting expectations) and originality before moving to an editor. Next, members of the Executive Team will ensure that the research aligns with the journal’s scope, has potential impact in the field, and is methodologically sound upon first appraisal. If approved, the submission will move to a Section Editor who will conduct a similar evaluation, but with particular focus on content and relevance. Peer evaluators may be secured after this step.
The review process timeline may vary depending on how promptly authors respond to revision requests and the availability of our dedicated volunteer reviewers to provide valuable, in-depth feedback. Our team is committed to treating each submission with the same care and attention as their own work, ensuring it receives the thorough consideration it deserves. Given the high volume of submissions, there may be some time between submission and an initial decision. We typically see initial decisions reached within 3 weeks of submission, though this time could be shorter or longer depending on the factors mentioned before. To facilitate timely dissemination, we publish accepted articles promptly upon approval.
Open Access & Licensing
IJES is a fully open access journal and is committed to the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI). All articles are made freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication, without subscription or paywall barriers. Consistent with the BOAI definition of open access, readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, and use published articles for any lawful purpose, subject to the terms of the journal’s licensing agreement. IJES believes that unrestricted access to scholarly research promotes the advancement of science, education, and evidence-based practice by ensuring that research is accessible to investigators, educators, clinicians, students, and the public worldwide.
Authors retain copyright to their work. All articles published in the International Journal of Exercise Science are made freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. This license permits anyone to read, download, copy, print, and redistribute articles in any medium, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and IJES. Articles must be shared in their original form and may not be modified or adapted without permission. Upon publication, authors grant the International Journal of Exercise Science the non-exclusive right to publish, archive, and distribute the article.
Authorship Requirements
IJES utilizes a double-blind review process, so all identifying author information must be contained within the cover letter provided to the editors. In your submission’s cover letter, you will identify each author’s academic status using the notations below:
- * Denotes student investigator (undergraduate and graduate degree seekers).
- † Denotes an early-career investigator. Individuals within five years of completing their terminal degree or postgraduate training or those with a terminal degree who are still under professional guidance (e.g., in residency).
- ‡ Denotes established investigator. Individuals more than five years beyond their terminal degree or training.
ALL submissions must include at least one author identified as a student or early-career investigator. Authors are welcome to dual affiliate when appropriate.
Example
Whitley Stone‡1, Grant Malone*1,2, Dustin Davis†1,2, James Navalta‡3
- 1. School of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA
- 2. Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
- 3. University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Copyright
All published work by IJES is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright for all works published by IJES is retained by the authors. IJES holds no copyright to any of its published works.
The International Journal of Exercise Science conforms to the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) funding model in that it all content is freely available to individuals and institutions without an embargo period. Users may “read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of the articles” (1)
IJES is recognized by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors as a journal that follows the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals.
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
Authors must guarantee that submitted manuscripts have not been published elsewhere, are not currently under review elsewhere, and have been submitted with the full knowledge of their institutional home. Please note that ALL manuscripts are reviewed for originality using the latest, most up-to-date iThenticate software, prior to being assigned for peer-review. Any manuscript not meeting originality requirements will be rejected without peer-review.
All manuscripts will be reviewed based on intellectual content without regard for age, sex, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of origin, or political philosophy of the authors.
All manuscripts submitted for peer-review are kept strictly confidential by editors and reviewers. At no time will editors or reviewers utilize submitted materials without the written consent of the authors.
Indexing
Indexed in PubMed Central, EBSCO, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar and Scopus.
Article Processing Charges (APC) and Discount Policy
The International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) applies an Article Processing Charge (APC) to support the operational costs associated with high-quality academic publishing under an open-access model.
Why an APC Is Charged
As an open-access journal, we do not charge readers or institutions for access to published content. Instead, the APC ensures that accepted articles are made freely and permanently available to the global research community. The APC covers essential publishing services, including peer review management, editorial processes, professional typesetting, DOI assignment, indexing, digital archiving, and website maintenance.
Please note: There are no fees for manuscript submission. APC is only applicable upon acceptance of the article.
Standard APC
The standard APC for accepted manuscripts is USD 499.
APC Reduction for Authors from Low- and Middle-Income Countries
To support global participation in scholarly publishing, manuscripts in which the first author is affiliated with an institution located in a World Bank-classified low-income or middle-income country are eligible for an automatic 50% reduction of the APC.
Eligibility is determined based on the first author’s primary institutional affiliation at the time of manuscript submission. No separate application is required.
The journal reserves the right to verify institutional affiliations and determine eligibility in accordance with the most recent World Bank country classifications.
Editorial Board Member Discount
Members of the Editorial Board are entitled to a 50% reduction of the APC when they are listed as an author on the submitted manuscript.
Editor-in-Chief Recommended Articles
Articles directly recommended for publication by the Editor-in-Chief are fully exempt from APC charges.
Multiple Discounts and Exemptions
Only one APC reduction or exemption may be applied to a manuscript. Where multiple discounts or exemptions are applicable, the author will receive the most favourable benefit available.
Contact
For further questions regarding APCs or eligibility, please contact the editorial office at support@intjexersci.com