Scope and Article Types

IJCO publishes research that advances evidence based complementary and integrative care. We welcome studies in acupuncture and traditional medicine, herbal and phytotherapy research, mind-body and lifestyle interventions, manual therapies, integrative nutrition, and integrative care models in clinical and community settings.

Submissions should highlight clinical relevance, methodological rigor, and relevance to patient outcomes. Interdisciplinary studies that connect complementary medicine with public health, behavioral science, or health systems are encouraged.

Authors should clearly state the research question, integrative relevance, and how the work advances current knowledge.

Manuscript Organization

Manuscripts should be structured to support reproducibility and integrative interpretation. Use a concise title that reflects the study design and intervention focus. Provide a structured abstract with background, methods, results, and conclusions.

The main text should include introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Clearly describe intervention conditions, controls or comparators, and statistical approaches. Provide a brief statement on clinical and integrative significance in the discussion.

All tables and figures must be cited in the text and accompanied by descriptive captions. Supplementary files should be labeled clearly and referenced in the manuscript.

Reporting Guidelines and Study Documentation

Use recognized reporting standards to improve transparency and reduce review delays. Include the appropriate checklist as supplementary material when available. This helps reviewers verify study quality and makes your methods easier to reproduce.

For clinical and observational studies, clearly describe sample selection, randomization, blinding, and adherence where applicable. For qualitative or mixed methods studies, describe sampling, instruments, and analysis approach.

When describing interventions, provide dosage, frequency, duration, practitioner qualifications, and quality control metrics. This level of detail strengthens the credibility of the findings.

Data Availability and Materials

IJCO supports transparent data sharing to strengthen reproducibility. Provide a data availability statement describing where datasets, code, and protocols can be accessed. If data access is restricted, explain the limitation and any request process.

Describe any biosafety constraints or proprietary materials that limit sharing.

For studies involving herbal products, intervention manuals, or clinical datasets, include repository identifiers, product specifications, or registry numbers when available. Clearly describe preparation steps and quality control procedures.

Supplementary files may include extended methods, additional figures, or raw data tables. Ensure all supplemental content is referenced in the main text.

Language Editing and Accessibility

Clear language improves peer review efficiency and helps readers interpret integrative findings accurately. Authors should use precise terminology, define abbreviations, and avoid ambiguous units or inconsistent naming conventions.

Manuscripts intended for interdisciplinary audiences should explain specialized terms and provide context for integrative care models, intervention protocols, or outcome measures. This supports broader readership and citation impact.

If needed, authors may use professional language editing before submission. Editing can improve readability but does not guarantee acceptance.

Submission Process

Submit manuscripts through ManuscriptZone or the Simple Manuscript Submission form. The corresponding author should ensure that all required files are included and that metadata is complete and accurate.

Include a cover letter summarizing the integrative contribution and explaining relevance to the journal scope. If your manuscript is part of a special issue, note the special issue title in the cover letter and submission comments.

During submission, provide keywords, suggested reviewers, and any required ethics documentation to avoid processing delays.

Upload figures as separate files in standard formats and provide any supplemental data tables or protocols as supporting files. Clearly label all files to match references in the manuscript.

Peer Review and Decisions

All submissions undergo editorial screening followed by peer review by complementary medicine experts. Reviews evaluate methodological rigor, integrative significance, data integrity, and clarity of reporting.

Authors may be asked to revise the manuscript and respond to reviewer comments in detail. Revisions should include a point by point response letter.

Editorial decisions are independent of payment and based solely on scientific merit. We aim to provide timely decisions while maintaining rigorous review standards.

Rapid review may be available for time sensitive findings when justified in the cover letter.