About the Journal

Aims and Scope

Hypothesis is an international peer-reviewed and open access journal that provides a venue for original research and research-related content, including research studies, highlighting mistakes to improve future research studies and processes, and reflections on the process in order to encourage a broader and reflective conversation among health information professionals.

First time authors and newer researchers and authors are encouraged to contact the Editor for mentorship or feedback from pre-submission through publication.  

Manuscripts are reviewed for possible publication and evaluated based on criteria suited to the type of content. Assuming that works submitted meet the criteria, they are published with the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere, including in online formats. As an exception, research or other content that has been presented at a conference will be accepted, with the requirement that authors add a note to that effect in the manuscript. For questions, please contact the Editorial Team at hypothesisj@protonmail.com.

Publisher

Hypothesis is published by the Research Caucus of the Medical Library Association. This journal is hosted and supported by IU Indianapolis University Library.

Peer Review Policy

A member of the Editorial Team will screen each submission to ensure it meets the basic submission requirements. Then, the Associate Editors will make a recommendation to decline or to send the submission out for review. If acceptable, Associate Editors will assign a minimum of 2 peer reviews to complete a double-blind peer review. Upon reviewing the comments, the Associate Editor will recommend the article be accepted with minimal revisions, request revisions, or decline the submission. After soliciting input, the Editor will make a final decision for each submission.

Editorial Team Submissions

For submissions by the Editorial Team (e.g., Editor, Associate Editors, Copy Editors, or Production Editor), the Editorial Team author will remain blinded throughout the process. Other members of the Editorial Team will assess quality of submissions, assign peer reviewers, review and make recommendations about proposed revisions for publication of the submission in Hypothesis.

Research Approval

For any studies dealing with human subjects or animals, authors should indicate Human Ethics, Institutional Review Board (IRB), or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval.

Publication Frequency

Hypothesis is published online in September and March of each year. Submissions are accepted and reviewed year round. Learn more about our Submission categories and contact the The Editorial Team, if you have any questions or concerns.

Indexing

Hypothesis is indexed in CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), LISSA (Library and Information Science Source), and LISTA (Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts).

Open Access Policy

Hypothesis provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal, or use them for any other lawful purpose.

Copyright

All works in Hypothesis are licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International. Authors own copyright of their articles appearing in Hypothesis. Readers may copy articles without permission of the copyright owner(s), as long as the author(s) are acknowledged in the copy, and the copy is used for educational, not-for-profit purposes. For any other use of articles, please contact the copyright owner(s). 

Archival Policy

Hypothesis is digitally preserved using the PKP Private LOCKSS Network (PLN). For more information about the PKP PLN, see https://pkp.sfu.ca/pkp-lockss/.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

Hypothesis is an open access journal and does not charge article processing charges for accepted publications.