Paramedicine: A new research-focused international journal committed to advancing and transforming the profession

Abstract

The Australasian College of Paramedicine is pleased to introduce Paramedicine, its relaunched, official peer-reviewed scientific journal. Paramedicine is the culmination of two decades of research publishing in paramedicine, and represents a game-changing evolution in partnership with Sage Publishing. Paramedicine’s vision is to advance and transform the discipline of paramedicine through high-quality research dissemination and discourse. Paramedicine’s mission is to deliver excellence in paramedicine through an international research forum that inspires robust discussion, enables research translation, encourages innovative thinking and informs leadership. Paramedicine will be distinctively different in what it will offer authors and how it will impact the profession internationally. It is a paramedic-led journal that has a clear focus on high-quality research underpinned by excellent science, embraces diverse quantitative and qualitative methodologies and seeks to create an uplift in the paramedicine research publishing experience for authors and readers. Through its professional publishing partnership with Sage Publishing, Paramedicine will pursue an international agenda that brings together the diverse systems, models of care, practice settings and professional philosophies that characterise paramedicine internationally, creating a connected dialogue aimed at advancing the profession.

It is with great pride that I welcome you to Paramedicine: the official journal of the Australasian College of Paramedicine. Paramedicine is an international peer-reviewed academic research journal that aspires to lead paramedicine research publishing into a new decade of excellence and innovation.

Paramedicine’s evolution arises from two decades of paramedicine research publishing led by the Australasian College of Paramedicine, building on the proud legacy established by its two precursor journals, the Journal of Primary and Emergency Healthcare (JPEHC) (2002–2009) and the Australasian Journal of Paramedicine (AJP) (2011–2021) ¹ . Paramedicine is therefore not a new journal, but a reinvention; a reimagining of what and where paramedicine research publishing should be in the current progressive era of the paramedicine profession.

In an increasingly occupied paramedicine journal space, Paramedicine will be distinctively different from other paramedicine journals and will look to do more than provide just another option for authors to consider. Our vision is to advance and transform the discipline of paramedicine through high-quality research dissemination and discourse. That is, to publish high-quality research capable of achieving substantial impact that advances the profession, and generates an interactive conversation around it. Our mission is to deliver excellence in paramedicine through an international research forum that inspires robust discussion, enables research translation, encourages innovative thinking and informs leadership.

Paramedicine is leaving behind the regionalised roots of its precursor publications and will pursue an international agenda that recognises, and strives to connect, the diversity of paramedic systems, models of care and practice settings around the world. Our journal is truly international – not by name – but by its editorial membership, which spans 10 countries including Australia, Scotland, Canada, Wales, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and New Zealand, and the diverse origins and content of its publications.

Paramedicine will be distinctive in its drive to pursue, publish and promote high-quality research; this is the cornerstone of our vision and mission. We have witnessed a substantial expansion in the volume, breadth and diversity of paramedicine research in the past two decades ² . While it is pleasing to see the profession generating its own knowledge and evidence base, there is a risk that quality and methodological rigour may be diluted as a consequence of this exponential growth. There are many stakeholders with responsibility for contributing to the quest for high-quality, methodologically rigorous research including funding bodies, research supervisors and mentors, and universities, to name a few. Scientific peer-reviewed journals are, or should be, at the forefront of the quest as they are a key disseminator of new knowledge and a virtual gateway for access to it. Publishing poor or fundamentally flawed research constitutes a disservice to authors themselves and the profession more broadly in the short, medium and longer term, and impedes progression and advancement. By focusing on high-quality research, Paramedicine seeks to lift the standard and create a bar to which authors can aspire. Paramedicine will demonstrate an unfaltering commitment to good science; it will model excellence in paramedicine research and editorial quality and will disseminate evidence that has the strength and potential to truly advance the profession.

Paramedicine will encourage and embrace diverse research approaches emerging throughout the profession that extends beyond the more traditional quantitative realm, acknowledging that paramedicine is complex and requires exploration via diverse paradigms to improve our understanding. Qualitative and mixed-methods research with strong theoretical and conceptual foundation will be welcomed in Paramedicine, as will be thought-provoking perspectives and commentaries that seek to challenge existing positions, provoke new conversations and offer stewardship within the profession. Evidence synthesis by way of structured reviews conducted in adherence to accepted methodological guidelines, primarily systematic and scoping reviews, is encouraged.

Paramedicine will be distinctive in its commitment to the professionalisation of the paramedicine research publishing experience, a commitment that lies at the epicenter of Paramedicine’s vision and mission. Our partnership with Sage Publishing represents a game-changing shift in the paramedicine publishing experience of authors and consumers, bringing with it an impressive and sustainable enhancement in policy development, infrastructure and resourcing. Sage’s experience in biomedical and health journal publishing, and their international reach and connectedness, will provide a robust platform that will facilitate Paramedicine’s success throughout this next decade and beyond. Our membership and engagement with the Committee on Publishing Ethics (COPE) ³ , facilitated by our partnership with Sage, provides further distinction by ensuring professional best practices in editorial transparency and ethical conduct.

Paramedicine will be distinctive through its people and their expertise. The Paramedicine International Editorial Board draws together an unrivalled group of experts in paramedicine industry and academia, all of whom have demonstrable research expertise, and 95% of whom possess PhD research qualifications. Our board is progressive and diverse, with a strong gender balance in the overall Editorial Board and the Editorial Leadership Team. Importantly, Paramedicine is paramedic-led; ninety-five per cent of our Editorial Board and 100% of our Editorial Leadership Team are qualified paramedics.

Paramedicine will be distinctive amongst the paramedicine journal sector by its visibility and metrics – comprehensive indexing will be transferred from the AJP and effective immediately. Paramedicine is indexed in Scopus, Embase and CINAHL, listed in Google Scholar, and ranked in the Scimago Journal Citation Rankings as a Quartile 1 (Q1) publication in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) category. Visibility via indexing is critical for authors, making research visible and discoverable, and ultimately increasing the potential for knowledge translation and impact.

Finally, Paramedicine will continue to be freely accessible to authors and readers as part of a long-held commitment to open access (OA) publishing. The journal is a not-for-profit venture, a service to the profession rather than a source of income generation. There will be no article processing charges (APC) associated with the submission of a manuscript, and no paywall preventing wide access to content.

As our journal enters its third decade, the emergence of a new identity, vision and mission represents an evolution arising from a sustained, demonstrable commitment to renewal, quality improvement and innovation. It serves as a parallel to the greater paramedicine profession, which itself continues to expand, grow and evolve.

On behalf of the Editorial Board, I again welcome you to Paramedicine, the official international peer-reviewed journal of the Australasian College of paramedicine.