Growing the International Reach and Accessibility of IJSPP

How might we grow the international nature of the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (IJSPP) and other sport-science-related collaborations and activities? The 16-year history of IJSPP since inception has seen tremendous growth, but the essential elements, including a US-based publisher (Human Kinetics), an English-language format, both the editorial team and editorial board predominantly from English-speaking countries, and correspondingly a large proportion of published articles from the same countries. In this era of diversity and inclusion, the issue of how to broaden the focus and reach to other countries with a different culture, language(s), and socioeconomic status has never been more prominent. Fortunately, the basic nature of exercise and sport is universal, and this provides the common “language” and interest for all readers and contributors.

The research of several of the world’s leading sporting nations including Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea (all top 8 nations at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games) does not feature very regularly in IJSPP. This is a historical legacy and probably consistent with other sport and exercise science journals that publish in English. The researchers from these countries may not have enjoyed the publication opportunities of their English-speaking counterparts, but in the same light, the English-speaking nations may have missed out on important research initiatives, innovations, and outcomes originating from these sporting giants.