Aims and Scope

Back Health is a new, peer-reviewed specialty journal that is dedicated to advancing knowledge in spinal health and care. Our mission is to provide frontline practitioners with a comprehensible, practical, and evidence-based picture of back care. We look at spinal issues from many different aspects, aiming to improve understanding of:

• The natural history of spinal conditions
• The true value of various treatment modalities
• The appropriate place for surgery in back care
• Emerging innovations in spine-related healthcare
• Any spine-related topic relevant to clinical practice

Back Health prioritizes research, reviews, and case studies with the potential to improve medical practice, influence clinical care, public health policy, medical education, and the direction of future research.

Back Health welcomes submissions from researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals worldwide, fostering a global exchange of ideas and promoting evidence-based practice in back health. The journal is committed to addressing any spine-related topics, supporting correct practice, and exposing worthless or fraudulent techniques.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Hamilton Hall, MD, FRCSC, is a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is the founder, CBI Health and Executive Director of the Canadian Spine Society.

Editorial Board

Jessica Wong, DC, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Physical Therapy
Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University
Assistant Professor
Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
Adjunct Scientist, ICES Western

Ted Findley, DO, CCFP, FCFP
Clinical Associate Professor
Program Director, Family Medicine Chronic Pain Enhanced Skills R3
Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary

Eugene K. Wai, MD, MSc, CIP, FRCSC
Associate Professor, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery
Cross Appointment to School of Epidemiology and Public Health
University of Ottawa

Greg McIntosh, MSc Epidemiology
Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network
Director of Research Operations

Chris S. Bailey, MSc, MD, FRSCS
Professor, Department of Surgery, Western University

Adrienne M. Kelly, MD, FRCSC
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sault Area Hospital
Assistant Professor, Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Canadian Spine Society Executive Member at Large

Ravi Rastogi, BscPT, MScPT
Practice Lead MSK RAC, Low Back Pain
London Health Sciences Centre

Editorial Policies

Publication Integrity Standards

The Back Health journal maintains exemplary publication integrity standards by implementing guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Our primary focus is maintaining scientific accuracy and openness throughout the publication process.

Author Qualifications

To qualify for authorship, individuals must meaningfully contribute in several key areas: significantly participating in research conceptualization, methodology, data gathering, or results interpretation; making substantive revisions to manuscript content; and providing final endorsement of the published version. Each author must satisfy these requirements and demonstrate readiness to publicly stand behind the work's content.

Content Originality and Redundancy Prevention

Our editorial team employs automated originality verification tools to examine all submitted works. Any submissions containing unoriginal material or previously published content will not be accepted, and the submitting authors may face restrictions on future submissions.

Research Impropriety

Various interpretations exist regarding research impropriety. Our journal evaluates each situation individually, incorporating recommendations from established publication ethics organizations.

Subject Privacy, Confidentiality, and Patient Images

Our guidelines align with the Canadian privacy legislation and confidentiality requirements. Authors should note that we follow protocols consistent with the Canadian Medical Association guidelines regarding subject consent and privacy protection.

Content Availability

Our journal operates on a subscription model. While complete articles are accessible to subscribers and authorized users, article summaries are freely viewable on our digital platform.

Artificial Intelligence Guidelines

Our AI usage policy encompasses all individuals submitting work to Back Health. These guidelines apply across all submission categories, including scientific studies, discussions, viewpoints, medical cases, and news articles. The policy covers all content forms, including written material, sound recordings, video content, audiovisual presentations, summaries, data collections, charts, statistics, illustrations, photographs, and visual aids.

Editorial Confidentiality Commitment

Back Health editorial staff maintains strict confidentiality regarding submitted works. Information about manuscripts remains private unless authors provide explicit permission for sharing. During evaluation, manuscript access is limited to:

• Back Health editorial team members, including medical trainees and visiting healthcare professionals or editors
• Selected external experts, including statistical analysts and methodology specialists
• Editorial board members involved in final research manuscript review

Information sharing with external parties without author consent occurs only when editors suspect significant research violations.

Peer Review Process

The Back Health journal implements a comprehensive anonymous evaluation system where neither authors nor reviewers know each other's identities, ensuring unbiased assessment of scholarly works.

1. Preliminary Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial evaluation of all incoming manuscripts to verify alignment with journal objectives and submission requirements. Editorial staff examine each submission thoroughly. To optimize everyone's time, only manuscripts meeting our publication standards advance to formal evaluation. Submissions deemed unsuitable or outside our scope receive prompt notification of declination without external assessment.

2. Expert Evaluator Assignment

Manuscripts advancing beyond initial screening receive assessment from a minimum of two independent subject matter experts. The selection of evaluators is fundamental to our assessment process. We identify reviewers based on their expertise, standing in the field, direct recommendations, and past performance quality.

We verify evaluator availability before sharing manuscripts. Evaluators must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all materials received.

The Back Health journal actively promotes inclusivity in its evaluation process. We actively seek reviewer diversity across geographic locations, ethnicities, gender identities, and other demographic factors. Author suggestions for diverse reviewer selection are strongly welcomed.

Promising submissions undergo formal assessment, typically by two to three experts, with additional specialists consulted when necessary. Based on expert feedback, editors select from these outcomes:

• Acceptance with optional editorial modifications
• Request for specific revisions prior to final determination
• Declination with option to resubmit after substantial improvements
• Outright declination, typically due to specialized scope limitations, lack of innovation, insufficient advancement, or significant methodological issues

3. Double-Blind Review

To ensure objective evaluation, author and reviewer identities remain confidential throughout assessment. Authors must prepare manuscripts accordingly:

• Remove identifying information from all document sections
• Use objective language when referencing previous work
• Ensure figures contain no author details
• Include author information exclusively in cover letters
• Clear metadata of author details
• Present competing interest statements in cover correspondence only

4. Assessment Standards

Evaluators examine submissions based on originality, methodological soundness, presentation clarity, and contribution to back health research. While reviewer recommendations are valued, editors may need to reconcile conflicting assessments.

Editorial decisions reflect qualitative analysis rather than simple vote counting. We carefully weigh reviewer arguments and author responses, considering each submission's merit relative to other candidates under review.

Additional expert input may be sought when necessary, particularly in cases of significant disagreement, though we strive to minimize repeated consultations to ensure fair author treatment.

5. Modification and Reassessment

Revised submissions may undergo additional review cycles as needed. Accepting review responsibility includes commitment to assess subsequent revisions. However, manuscripts showing insufficient response to previous feedback will not return to reviewers.

Technical critiques receive particular attention. When evaluator opinions conflict, additional expert consultation may be sought for resolution.

6. Ultimate Determination

The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority on manuscript acceptance or rejection. Each submission selected for review receives assessment from one to three independent experts. While author suggestions for reviewers are welcome, editor selection decisions are final.

All participants must maintain strict confidentiality throughout the evaluation process. Reviewer identities remain protected unless legally mandated otherwise.

Standard processing time from submission to initial decision averages 12 weeks.

Policies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed Consent

Disclosure of Competing Interests

Professional judgment regarding research validity or patient care may be compromised when secondary considerations, such as financial benefits, come into play. Every participant in the publication process - from authors to reviewers and editors - must declare any potential competing interests related to the work. This encompasses financial, personal, or professional relationships that could affect or appear to affect their contributions. These declarations will be included in published articles or considered during editorial review.

Financial Interest Declarations

Financial interests requiring disclosure include:

• Research Support: Any funding (covering wages, tools, materials, and other costs) from entities that could experience financial impact from the publication. Authors must specify the funder's role in study design, execution, analysis, publication decisions, and manuscript development.
• Professional Engagement: Current, recent, or upcoming employment with organizations potentially affected financially by the publication.
• Individual Financial Stakes: Investment holdings in affected companies; consulting payments or other compensation from impacted organizations; relevant patents or applications owned by authors or their institutions.

Note: Broad-based investment vehicles like mutual funds or diversified trusts do not require disclosure.

Non-Monetary Interest Declarations

Various non-financial relationships may warrant disclosure, including volunteer positions and professional associations. We ask contributors and evaluators to report any unpaid roles relevant to the publication process, such as:

• Voluntary government or NGO positions
• Participation in advocacy groups
• Advisory roles in commercial entities
• Educational content development
• Legal testimony expertise

Research Ethics Standards

Human research must follow the Helsinki Declaration principles and receive institutional ethics approval. Animal research must demonstrate compliance with institutional and national care guidelines. Publications may be declined if research ethics concerns arise.

All articles involving animal or human studies must include appropriate ethics committee approval statements.

Research design should minimize unnecessary animal impact.

Clinical trial registration is mandatory.

Informed Consent

The Back Health journal requires documented subject authorization for human research, with confirmation included in manuscripts. Participant privacy protection is essential. Personal identifiers (names, identification numbers, hospital records) should remain confidential unless scientifically necessary and explicitly authorized by participants.

Informed consent requires showing participants the intended publication material. Authors must inform subjects about potential online and print availability of identifying information. Subject authorization documentation should be maintained according to applicable regulations, either by the journal, authors, or both parties. Non-critical identifying details should be excluded. When complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed, explicit authorization is necessary. Published articles should indicate when subject authorization was obtained.

Back Health Data Sharing Policies

All research submissions must include a Data Access Statement. Our journal employs two distinct approaches to data accessibility:

Framework A:

Research data supporting published findings must become publicly accessible upon article publication. When open access isn't feasible due to privacy or sensitivity concerns, data should be maintained in restricted-access repositories.

Framework B:

We actively promote prompt data sharing whenever legally and ethically permissible. Clinical trial data must be available for reasonable access requests. Trial registrations initiated after January 1, 2019, must incorporate data distribution plans. Plan modifications require documentation in both the Data Access Statement and registry records, aligning with ICMJE standards.

Data Access Documentation

Research submissions require standardized data accessibility declarations. Authors select relevant statements below, supplementing with additional context as needed. Multiple declarations may apply if data falls under different categories:

• Repository Access: Specify repository name, permanent URL, and usage terms. All referenced public data requires proper citation within the manuscript and references.
• Request-Based Access: Detail data type, custodian contact information, and usage conditions. Include supplementary access details if applicable.
• Third-Party Data: Describe dataset characteristics, source organization, contact methods, and usage restrictions. Note any supplementary access information.
• Manuscript-Contained Data: Ensure patient confidentiality. Mark "Not Applicable" where appropriate.
• No Dataset Generation: Mark "Not Applicable" where appropriate.
• Data Unavailability: Mark "Not Applicable" where appropriate.

Data Citation Protocol

Public datasets referenced in manuscripts require citation in both text and references, regardless of origin. Citations should include:

• Creator information
• Dataset title
• Repository information
• Version details
• Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Prefix citations with [dataset] for identification purposes (removed in publication).

Data Repository Options

Clinical Research: Utilize controlled-access platforms like clinicalstudydatarequest.com, YODA, or Vivli. Consult current clinical data sharing guidelines.

Pre-Clinical Research: Submit to field-specific databases like GenBank when available.

General repositories include DRYAD, OSF, FigShare, Zenodo, and Science Data Bank. Consult FAIRsharing and re3data.org for comprehensive repository listings.

Scope of Data Sharing

Share maximum possible research data without compromising confidentiality. Minimum requirement includes data necessary for result reproduction.

Acceptable data forms include:

• De-identified patient records
• Survey responses
• Interview records
• Statistical analysis code
• Visual media
• Data spreadsheets
• Audio recordings
• Documentation
• Medical imaging

File Format Requirements:

• Images: .png, .jpg, .eps
• Documents: .txt, .doc, .rtf
• Spreadsheets: .csv, .xls, .tsv
• Videos: .mp4, .avi, .wav
• Medical Images: .img, .dcm, .hdr

Restrictions apply for confidential information, legal constraints, or third-party licenses. Field-specific data sharing standards must be followed.

Clinical Trial Requirements

Trial reports must commit to sharing anonymized participant data upon reasonable request. This applies to all intervention studies.

Data Request Protocol

Requestors should:

• Contact corresponding authors via email
• Provide detailed research protocols and resource information
• Consider inviting original researchers to participate
• Contact editorial office if no response within one month

The journal facilitates but cannot mandate data sharing or mediate agreements.