RESNA broadens format of Assistive Technology journal

WASHINGTON – The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) will begin accepting submissions in two new formats – assistive technology guidelines and assistive technology notes – for its Assistive Technology journal.

The organization says the formats have been created to strengthen the connection between assistive technology research and clinical practice, ensuring that practitioners, educators and rehabilitation engineers have time access to actionable, evidence-based guidance.

“For too long, a gap has existed between the research informing assistive technology and the practitioners who need that knowledge most,” said Dr. Emma Smith, editor-in-chief of the Assistive Technology journal. “These two new article types are a direct response to our community’s call for practical, evidence-based tools that can be applied in the field.”

According to RESNA:

• Assistive technology guidelines are rigorous, evidence-based documents that provide formal recommendations for assistive technology practice. These guidelines will be developed with careful attention to levels of evidence and methodological rigor, offering practitioners a trusted foundation for clinical decision-making. Each guideline will reflect the current state of evidence on a given topic and include explicit consideration of evidence quality to ensure transparency and reliability. RESNA’s Board of Directors will approve the topics and the author teams, but will not be involved in scientific review.
• Assistive Technology Notes are concise, practitioner-focused syntheses of current research evidence written in accessible, lay language. Rather than exhaustive literature reviews, AT Notes offer targeted summaries of evidence on a specific, well-defined practice area, paired with clear recommendations for applying that evidence in real-world AT settings. Citations should be selective and purposeful, guiding readers to the most relevant and impactful sources. To ensure that AT Notes reflect both the evidence base and the practical realities of the field, each submission must include at minimum one active assistive technology practitioner (such as a clinician, educator, or rehabilitation engineer) and one researcher among its authors. Submissions summarizing a single research study or representing the work of only one authorship team or institution will not be considered for publication.