If I Have Seen Further, It Is Because I Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

Abstract

A milestone celebration is cause to look back on the events that have shaped what we have become and look forward to vision the future. We recognize American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) 100th celebration through the lens of previous JOPTE editors. As the current editors, we appreciate those editors who have each contributed to the evolution of the Journal. The roster of the illustrious professionals who have served as editors includes: Dr. Winifred Mauser, 1987 Dr. Otto Payton, 1988–1996 Dr. Susie Deusinger, 1997–2000 Dr. Elizabeth Mostrom, 2001–2003 Dr. Judith Stoekler and Dr. Wendy Renault 2004–2010 Dr. Jan Gwyer and Dr. Laurie Hack, 2011–2017 Dr. Kevin Brueilly and Dr. Susan Wainwright, 2017–2020 We asked previous editors to share with us their thoughts about the evolution and contributions of the Journal and what they thought was important for the Journal to achieve moving forward. Dr. Elizabeth Mostrom related this anecdote about the origins of the Journal: As a newly minted academic faculty member, I vividly recall a meeting in 1986 when then Section for Education President, Sam Feitelberg, addressed a room of academic and clinical educators and announced the plan to start the journal. As he did so, he held up a “pot” for donations to jump start the effort and many in the audience, myself, and several future editors of the journal included, rushed forward to support this exciting initiative, and, in 1987, volume 1, issue 1, arrived in our mailboxes. In addition to being editors of JOPTE for several years, Dr. Gwyer and Dr. Hack have been steadfast readers since publication of that first issue in 1987. They share this recollection: In that issue the editor, Winifred Mauser, reminded us that contributors “…ensure our future. Without them we would cease to grow.”1,p1 The then president of the Section for Education, Sam Feitelberg, told us, “To be a scholar one must actively engage in the process of scholarship. This means continuously seeking and sharing new and more accurate knowledge to manage the changes that are in the future. The challenge before us, then, is to develop a climate of scholarship that will allow the journal not merely to endure, but to flourish.”2,p2 Reflecting on these initial writing in JOPTE, Dr. Gwyer and Dr. Hack offer this: These words emphasize the importance of the community of scholars that the journal serves. Without contributors, there would be no journal, without research there would no contributions. It is as simple as that. It is also true that without readers, there would be no journal, and there would be limited means for teaching and learning to improve. This then is the heart of the contribution JOPTE makes through attracting readers with sound contributions to the literature. Dr. Mostrom recalled her initial foray into authorship on publication of the first issue: One year later, I submitted my first study to the journal and was thrilled to learn of its acceptance for publication through an encouraging letter and supportive phone call from editor Otto Payton. His thoughtful comments, and those of the reviewers, fueled my desire to continue researching teaching and learning in physical therapy education, engaging in scholarly writing and contributing to the journal. If you can imagine, editors described the trepidation of assuming the role of editorship. Dr. Deusinger related that she was at a conference and Dr. Beth Domholdt (who was Section President at the time) wanted to sit down and talk. Dr. Deusinger recalls Dr. Domholdt saying, “You should be editor of the Journal.” She also remembers that she replied “No, you should find someone else.” Dr. Deusinger went on to say “You don't do that with Beth Domholdt. You say yes. She convinced me to become the Editor.” Dr. Deusinger acknowledged that she received great support from her predecessor, Dr. Payton, that allowed her to evolve administrative processes and successfully secured indexing the Journal in CINAHL. Indexing in CINAHL provided visibility to the Journal and increased accessibility to studies. Dr. Mostrom described her evolution as editor with the following tale: I was invited to serve as guest editor for a special issue of the journal on ethics followed by an invitation to serve on the editorial board. It was a steep learning curve to be sure; those experiences reinforced my belief in the need for the journal and further strengthened my commitment to the purposes of the journal. It came as a surprise, however, to be invited to assume the editorship from 2001 to 2004. To follow in the footsteps of such highly regarded education leaders and editors such as Dr. Payton and Dr. Susie Deusinger was intimidating to say the least! Thus, it was with considerable trepidation and a “gentle” push from Dr. Kay Shepard and other colleagues, and with the mentorship and support of Dr. Deusinger and the editorial board members, that I became editor, and what a wonderful journey it was. I recalled the thought-provoking editorials penned by Dr. Deusinger and strove to continue that tradition. We sought to increase the quality, quantity, and types of studies published in the journal. We increased the number of article reviewers, and we continued an annual series of special issues. We did not, however, realize all of our goals during those years. Fortunately, those goals were carried forward by future editors and today the journal serves as an invaluable resource for physical therapy academic and clinical educators. Previous editors have been engaged in the Journal since its inception in various roles that include author, reviewer, editorial board member, and guest editor. In fact, several editors continue to serve as reviewers for the Journal. Thank you. When asked what contributions the Journal has made to the profession, the editors shared perspectives that reflected the state of the Journal during their tenure. Dr. Gwyer and Dr. Hack provided this perspective: Over the course of the years since that first issue, the journal has improved in the ways it presents material to its readers and in ways it supports the community of scholars who become its contributors. Today's online distribution, allowing rapid dissemination, is a far cry from that first 44-page one color issue with its stuck-on address label, and the ability of skilled reviewers to provide useful electronic feedback is also a far cry from hand written notes on studies submitted in paper form. Not only has the electronic age made the journal more efficient, its editors have also expanded the ways that the journal supports readers and contributors. Some examples include careful consideration to types of articles to be solicited, finding reviewers with the skills to provide useful feedback, presentations to help potential contributors understand what is expected of them, and supporting development of a conversation about the needs in educational research. Dr. Deusinger discussed the effect that the editorial process can have on authors. As Dr. Deusinger reflected on her time as an editor, she stated: It struck me how important the feedback, the speed of response, the quality of suggestions, and the treatment of authors was to those authors who have put their lifeblood into these articles they submit. I worked to develop processes to do due diligence to those authors and enable the Journal to grow. Then Dr. Mostrom picked this up and continued this. Now we have online processes. Dr. Mostrom framed her comments within the APTA Academy of Education motto, “Every physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) is an educator.” She went on to say, every PT and PTA is the result of education. Without education, and the dedicated investment of teachers and learners in the future of physical therapy, there would be no physical therapists or physical therapist assistants. Over the past 3 decades, the journal has been instrumental in bringing the importance of physical therapy education into the foreground in the profession and has provided a venue for the sharing and critical examination of educational innovations, insights, and inquiry. In doing so, it has fostered fertile conversations about educational practice, raised intriguing and sometimes controversial questions about professional and postprofessional preparation, encouraged scholars to engage in educational research to address those questions, and contributed to a growing body of knowledge about physical therapy education. Finally, the editors were asked to provide their vision on what the future of the Journal could and should be. We are gratified that their comments resonate with the discussion that the current JOPTE Board is having. Like us, the editors envision continued evolution for the Journal and we echo Dr. Mostrom's suggestion that JOPTE could and should become the “go-to” resource for physical therapy educators and education researchers. Furthermore, we appreciate the importance of collaboration and dissemination across the health professions to fully embrace interprofessional practice and expand our outreach to the international education and research community. Several of the editors encouraged the Journal to grow through increasing the number of publications annually and re-visit publishing special topics issues. Editors also encouraged the Journal to solicit timely, pertinent articles that engage our education community in meaningful dialog “that address urgent issues and trends in health professions and physical therapy education across the continuum from entry-level preparation to post-professional education and beyond” (per Dr. Mostrom) within the structure of the Journal. Dr. Gwyer and Dr. Hack wrote: We foresee that JOPTE will continue to represent the world of educational research, using new technologies that will allow the journal to develop an even stronger community of scholars. Perhaps JOPTE will lead with developing podcasts, electronic journal clubs, and other ways to help scholars to wisely consume the literature and to strengthen their own skills in creating the literature. Whatever the specific activities may be, we are confident that the Journal of Physical Therapy Education will continue to be a leader in improving physical therapy education, and thereby improving practice and strengthening physical therapy's positive impact on society. Dr. Mostrom offered the following thoughts on how JOPTE might achieve this aim. Thibault3 has recently identified 6 “high level” emerging trends in health professions education in the United States all of which are pertinent to physical therapy. Likewise, the Educational Leadership Partnership has launched several initiatives that are worthy of critical examination, discussion, and dissemination in the literature. Possible topics for special issues of JOPTE could be: competency-based, time-variable education in physical therapy; identification and role of entrustable professional activities for physical therapists; the role and impact of educational and information technologies in physical therapy education and practice; diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and outcomes; teaching and learning about interprofessional collaborative practice; and education for professional formation across the life-span of practitioners—to name just a few. Finally, on a very practical level and in the interest of developing more scholars of teaching and learning in physical therapy, the journal could offer a resource similar to the “Last Page” in Academic Medicine that provides brief overviews, infographics, and a summary of key literature related to education research design, methodology, and scholarly writing. I believe that we as editors would echo these words of the Dr. Mostrom: “The journal has come a very long way since its rather humble beginnings and has most certainly done more than endure; it has fulfilled the promise that Sam (Dr. Feitelberg) and others envisioned almost 4 decades ago. Nonetheless, there is more scholarship and ‘flourishing’ to be done. Similar to clinical expertise, flourishing and achieving excellence is never an end point; rather it is a dynamic and ongoing process—one that is not satisfied with the status quo and that is animated by the desire to learn from and surpass what has gone before.” Similar to the previous editors, we look forward with eager anticipation and commitment to a bright and generative future for the journal.