International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences
About
The International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences (IJGCRAS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal dedicated to advancing knowledge, research, and professional practice in geriatric care, healthy ageing, rehabilitation, and the allied health sciences.
The journal provides a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, healthcare professionals, educators, policymakers, and practitioners to share evidence, innovations, experiences, and critical perspectives addressing the health and wellbeing of older adults and people living with disability, chronic illness, functional limitations, and other conditions requiring rehabilitation or long-term supportive care.
IJGCRAS recognises that ageing is a complex biological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental process. Healthy ageing therefore cannot be addressed through a single professional discipline. The journal promotes scholarship that considers the whole person and recognises the importance of physical functioning, mental and psychological wellbeing, nutrition, social relationships, independence, participation, dignity, and quality of life in later life.
The journal particularly welcomes research examining the prevention, assessment, management, rehabilitation, and long-term care of conditions affecting older adults. It also provides space for research on functional recovery and disability across the life course, recognising that rehabilitation needs are not limited to older populations.
A central strength of IJGCRAS is its multidisciplinary orientation. The journal welcomes contributions from geriatric medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics, psychology, public health, medical laboratory sciences, radiography and medical imaging, speech and language therapy, pharmacy, social work, audiology, optometry, podiatry, rehabilitation sciences, and other related health and social care disciplines.
The journal also recognises the importance of context in the provision of geriatric and rehabilitation services. Research addressing health and ageing in low- and middle-income countries, underserved communities, rural populations, culturally diverse settings, and resource-constrained health systems is particularly encouraged. However, IJGCRAS is international in scope and welcomes high-quality scholarship from all regions of the world.
The journal seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice by publishing work that can contribute to improved clinical care, rehabilitation outcomes, health policy, professional education, service delivery, community-based care, and the development of age-friendly and disability-inclusive societies.
IJGCRAS welcomes original empirical research, systematic and scoping reviews, meta-analyses, theoretical and conceptual papers, methodological papers, clinical and professional perspectives, case reports where appropriate, policy analyses, short communications, and other scholarly contributions that make a meaningful contribution to geriatric care, rehabilitation, allied health sciences, or related areas.
The journal is committed to scientific integrity, ethical research, rigorous peer review, interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological diversity, and equitable access to knowledge. It aims not only to document health challenges associated with ageing and disability but also to promote evidence-informed approaches that support independence, participation, dignity, functional ability, and quality of life.
Ultimately, IJGCRAS seeks to contribute to a healthcare environment in which ageing is approached with dignity, rehabilitation is recognised as an essential component of health and wellbeing, and allied health professionals are recognised as integral members of multidisciplinary care.
Research Areas
Open Access
The International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences (IJGCRAS) is committed to making scholarly knowledge freely accessible to researchers, healthcare professionals, students, educators, policymakers, service providers, patients, caregivers, and the wider public.
The journal operates under an open-access publishing model. Published articles are made freely available online without subscription or paywall barriers, allowing readers to access, read, download, cite, and share published scholarly work in accordance with the applicable copyright and licensing conditions.
IJGCRAS recognises that access to current research is particularly important in healthcare and rehabilitation. Clinicians, allied health professionals, community health workers, educators, policymakers, caregivers, and researchers need access to evidence that can inform decisions and improve the quality of care. Open access therefore forms an important part of the journal’s commitment to knowledge dissemination and improved health outcomes.
The journal also recognises the importance of equitable access to research produced in settings where institutions and individuals may have limited access to expensive academic databases and subscription-based journals.
Open access, however, does not mean that scholarly standards are reduced. All manuscripts remain subject to editorial assessment and, where applicable, rigorous peer review before publication.
Authors retain appropriate rights to their work subject to the journal’s copyright and licensing arrangements. Where a Creative Commons licence is applied, the specific licence attached to the published article will determine the conditions under which the work may be reused.
The journal encourages responsible sharing and dissemination of published research and supports the wider use of scholarly knowledge for education, clinical practice, research, policy development, and community benefit.
Peer Review Policy
The International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences is committed to a fair, rigorous, constructive, and independent peer-review process.
The purpose of peer review is to help ensure that published research is scientifically and academically sound, relevant to the journal’s scope, ethically conducted, clearly presented, and capable of making a meaningful contribution to knowledge and practice.
Initial Editorial Assessment
Every manuscript submitted to IJGCRAS undergoes an initial editorial assessment before being sent for external review.
The editorial team considers:
Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope
Originality and potential contribution
Scientific and scholarly quality
Methodological appropriateness
Ethical considerations
Clarity and organisation
Compliance with author guidelines
Appropriate use and presentation of references
Potential conflicts of interest
Evidence of plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct
A manuscript may be declined at this stage if it falls outside the journal’s scope, does not meet basic scholarly requirements, or has significant methodological, ethical, or presentation problems.
External Peer Review
Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are normally sent to qualified reviewers with appropriate expertise in the subject area.
IJGCRAS uses a double-anonymised peer-review process, where practicable. Authors’ identities are not disclosed to reviewers, and reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to authors during the review process.
Because the journal is multidisciplinary, reviewers may be selected from different professional and disciplinary backgrounds where this is necessary to properly evaluate the manuscript.
Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to:
Assess manuscripts objectively and independently.
Provide constructive and respectful comments.
Evaluate the appropriateness of the research methodology.
Assess whether conclusions are supported by the findings.
Identify important omissions or weaknesses.
Consider relevant ethical issues.
Identify significant problems with references or attribution.
Maintain confidentiality.
Declare any conflict of interest.
Avoid using unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.
Reviewers should not make recommendations based on an author’s nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, professional position, ethnicity, religion, or other personal characteristics.
Editorial Decisions
Following peer review, the editorial team may make one of several decisions:
Accept
Accept subject to minor revisions
Major revisions required
Revise and resubmit
Reject
A request for revision does not guarantee eventual acceptance. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by new reviewers where appropriate.
The final editorial decision remains the responsibility of the journal’s editorial team.
Publication Ethics
The International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences (IJGCRAS) is committed to maintaining high standards of research and publication integrity.
The journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher to act honestly, transparently, responsibly, and respectfully throughout the publication process.
Originality and Plagiarism
Manuscripts submitted to IJGCRAS must represent original scholarly work.
The journal does not accept plagiarism, substantial unattributed copying, fabricated citations, falsification of information, or deliberate misrepresentation of another person’s work.
Authors must appropriately acknowledge ideas, findings, words, data, images, instruments, and other material obtained from other sources.
Where concerns about plagiarism arise, the journal may investigate the matter and take appropriate editorial action.
Fabrication and Falsification
The journal does not tolerate:
Fabrication of research data
Falsification of findings
Manipulation of research results
Selective reporting intended to mislead readers
Manipulation or inappropriate alteration of images or research materials
Misrepresentation of research procedures
Authors are expected to maintain appropriate records of their research and be able to provide clarification or supporting information where legitimate questions arise.
Authorship
Authorship should reflect genuine scholarly contribution.
All listed authors should have made a meaningful contribution to the research or manuscript and should approve the final version submitted for publication.
Individuals who have not made a sufficient contribution should not be listed as authors merely because of their position, seniority, institutional affiliation, or supervisory role.
The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the journal and ensuring that all listed authors have approved the submission.
Duplicate and Simultaneous Publication
Authors should not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals.
Substantial duplication of previously published work should be disclosed to the editorial team.
Where previously published material is legitimately incorporated into a new manuscript, appropriate attribution and permissions should be provided where required.
Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants must comply with relevant ethical standards and applicable institutional, national, and international requirements.
Where ethical approval is required, authors should provide information concerning the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board.
Where informed consent is required, authors should confirm that appropriate consent was obtained.
Particular care should be taken when research involves older adults with cognitive impairment, individuals with disabilities, people receiving long-term care, or other potentially vulnerable populations.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors, reviewers, and editors should disclose relationships or circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their judgement.
Conflicts may be financial, professional, institutional, personal, or otherwise relevant to the manuscript.
Having a conflict of interest does not necessarily prevent publication or participation in peer review. However, appropriate disclosure and management are required.
Corrections and Retractions
The journal is committed to correcting the scholarly record when errors or misconduct are identified.
Depending on the nature and seriousness of an issue, the journal may publish:
A correction
A clarification
An editorial notice
An expression of concern
A retraction
The journal will seek to handle such matters fairly and transparently.
Artificial Intelligence
Authors may use artificial intelligence tools in appropriate ways during research and manuscript preparation. However, authors remain fully responsible for the content submitted to the journal.
AI systems cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity of research or respond to questions concerning the work.
Authors should carefully verify AI-assisted content, particularly:
References
Citations
Scientific claims
Statistical interpretations
Clinical information
Quotations
Data
Conclusions
Where substantial AI assistance has been used in manuscript preparation, appropriate disclosure should be made in accordance with the journal’s requirements.
Author Guidelines
Authors submitting manuscripts to the International Journal of Geriatric Care, Rehabilitation and Allied Sciences should ensure that their work is original, ethically conducted, clearly presented, and relevant to the journal’s scope.
Language
Manuscripts should normally be submitted in English.
Authors are encouraged to use clear and professional academic language. Excessively complex terminology should be avoided where a simpler expression can communicate the same meaning.
Article Types
IJGCRAS welcomes several categories of scholarly contributions, including:
Original Research Articles
Systematic Reviews
Scoping Reviews
Meta-Analyses
Review Articles
Short Communications
Case Reports
Methodological Papers
Theoretical/Conceptual Articles
Perspectives
Commentaries
Editorials
Letters to the Editor
Study Protocols
The editorial team may consider other scholarly formats where they make a clear contribution to the journal.
Original Research Articles
Original research articles should provide sufficient information for readers to understand how the study was designed, conducted, analysed, and interpreted.
Where appropriate, manuscripts should include:
Title
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Literature review or background
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Implications and/or recommendations
Limitations
References
The structure may be adapted according to the nature of the research.
Abstract
Research articles should normally include a concise abstract presenting the principal elements of the study.
Where appropriate, the abstract should address:
Background
Objective
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Authors should avoid unnecessary references and unexplained abbreviations in the abstract.
Keywords
Authors should provide approximately 4–8 keywords that accurately represent the major subjects addressed in the manuscript.
Tables and Figures
Tables and figures should be clearly numbered and appropriately titled.
They should contribute meaningfully to the presentation of the research rather than duplicate information already presented in the text.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that any copyrighted images, figures, instruments, or other materials are used with appropriate permission where required.
References
IJGCRAS generally follows APA 7th edition referencing conventions unless otherwise specified for a particular article type.
Authors should ensure that:
All cited sources appear in the reference list.
All references listed are cited appropriately.
References are accurate and complete.
DOI information is included where available.
Direct quotations are properly identified.
Sources are not fabricated.
References accurately represent the sources being cited.
Research Ethics Statement
Manuscripts involving human participants should include an appropriate ethics statement.
Where applicable, authors should identify:
The approving ethics committee or institutional review board
Approval or reference number, where available
Informed consent procedures
Relevant participant protection measures
Data Availability
Authors are encouraged to provide information concerning the availability of research data and materials where ethically, legally, and practically possible.
Researchers must not make publicly available information that could identify participants or violate confidentiality, privacy, or other ethical obligations.
Funding Statement
Authors should disclose financial or institutional support received for the research.
Where no external funding was received, authors may state this clearly.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Authors must disclose any relevant conflicts of interest.
Where no conflict exists, an appropriate declaration should be provided.
Authorship Declaration
All authors should have made a meaningful contribution to the work and should approve the final manuscript.
The corresponding author should ensure that all authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript before submission.
AI-Assisted Writing and Research
Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and integrity of manuscripts prepared with AI assistance.
AI tools should not replace appropriate scholarly judgement, critical analysis, research expertise, or verification of information.
Authors must carefully check AI-assisted references and factual claims because AI systems can produce inaccurate or nonexistent sources.
Manuscript Preparation
Authors should use a readable font, consistent headings, appropriate paragraphing, and clear presentation of tables and figures.
Manuscripts should be carefully proofread before submission.
Authors should remove unnecessary identifying information from manuscripts where required for double-anonymised peer review.
Submission
By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:
The work is original.
The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere.
All authors have approved the submission.
Appropriate ethical requirements have been addressed.
Relevant conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
Sources have been properly acknowledged.
The information presented is accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge.
Publication Fees
Any applicable publication or article processing charges will be communicated transparently to authors.
Payment of a fee does not guarantee acceptance or publication. Editorial and peer-review decisions are based on scholarly merit and compliance with the journal’s policies.
Contact the Journal
For enquiries concerning the journal, its publications, or editorial matters, please contact the journal editorial office.