Making international connections

Abstract

Having returned from the 13th World Congress of Occupational Therapists in Sweden, we reflect on the development of our international connections and collaborations in our profession. In the past, Australia was isolated by distance. This was highlighted during the celebrations of 50 years of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists at the Congress, when it was pointed out that in its beginning sea mail was the main form of communication! Since then, technological advances have greatly expanded our opportunities to travel, meet and share our ideas with international colleagues. Growth in electronic communication is enabling us to develop and maintain international professional contacts on a daily basis. It is also facilitating the accessibility of our Journal to international colleagues and their publications to us. Consequently, the readership of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, like other occupational therapy journals, now includes occupational therapists around the globe, as well as to Australian occupational therapists. To build international collaboration between occupational therapy journals, 11 occupational therapy journal editors met at the Congress. One outcome from this meeting was to establish a discussion database for international editors to enable exchange of ideas and to maintain contact. Our Journal is currently one of the few occupational therapy journals internationally with electronic publication, and the only journal to have established processes for publication of critically appraised papers. In addition, a report from Blackwell Publishing (UK) indicated that the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal was one of the most popular on the Wisepress stand at the Congress. To foster a more international outlook, the Editorial Board has made the decision to expand the Editorial Advisory Board to include recognised international occupational therapists, as well as Australian experts. Their roles will include promotion of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal internationally, as well as advice to the Board, preparation of guest editorials and refereeing of manuscripts. Our first two international Advisory Board members are Dr Doris Pierce and Dr Michael Iwama. Doris is the Endowed Chair in Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University, USA, where her role includes facilitating faculty scholarship and research in infant and toddler development and disability. Michael has recently been appointed as an associate professor at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, after seven years at Kibi International University, Okayama, Japan. Michael's research focuses on occupational therapy in Asia, particularly issues of culture and constructions of occupational therapy theory and knowledge. We believe both will offer us a wide range of expertise, and we welcome them to our Editorial Advisory Board. We also welcome our first international Editorial Board member, Dr M. Clare Taylor, who has been appointed the inaugural editor for Critically Appraised Papers. Clare is an international expert in the area of evidence-based practice. She is currently a lecturer in occupational therapy at Coventry University in the United Kingdom and author of Evidence-based practice for occupational therapists[ Taylor, M. C. (2000). Evidence-based practice for occupational therapists. London: Blackwell Science]. We thank Annie McCluskey (University of Western Sydney), Sally Bennett (University of Queensland), and Margaret Wallen (current Journal Editorial Advisory Board member) for their valuable contribution in preparing the guidelines for this new department. We believe these are exciting developments and enhance the Journal's capacity to bring you, the readers, clinically important research and practice knowledge of a high quality, and to enable you to share your work within the global occupational therapy community.