Helpful List of OT Journals

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

2025-09-04 16:11:00

~3 Minutes

Occupational therapy is a holistic health profession. Which means the research that supports our care comes from many different disciplines.

In this post, you’ll find a helpful list of occupational therapy journals. These will give you a taste of the breadth of OT research out there. We’ll begin with a list of journals that are specifically focused on OT. Then share our growing list of journals that publish research related to OTs.

The journals with related research were pulled from our lists of the most influential OT research—and then featured in the OT Potential Courses. (You’ll see below that this list includes some of the most prestigious peer-reviewed journals in healthcare!)

If you know of any OT journals we missed or would like to see them organized differently, please let us know in the comments!

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A quick note on access:

It feels like more and more journal articles are getting moved out from behind paywalls, making them free to the general public.

But, very few journals themselves are completely open access. I’ll highlight the open access journals at the top of each category to make them easy to find for you.

OT-specific journals

Open access OT journals:

Additional OT journals:

Journals that publish OT-related research

Open access journals:

Additional journals publishing OT-related research:

How OT Potential helps you dig into the research

At OT Potential, our mission is to help you make a habit of regularly diving into research to grow your OT practice. One of the best ways to begin your evidence-based practice journey with us is to listen to our evidence reviews and discussions on our OT Potential Podcast Courses. And, ultimately, the best way to stay up to date on new evidence is to join OT Potential.

Contributors

Sarah Lyon

OTR/L

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L, is the CEO of OT Potential. Sarah earned her BA from St. Olaf College and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University. Her diverse clinical background spans multiple settings, including critical access, acute trauma, and state inpatient psychiatric hospitals. In 2011, she founded OT Potential to fulfill the industry's need for reliable, high-quality occupational therapy resources and continuing education.

As a recognized content creator, Sarah has collaborated with top healthcare brands like VeryWell Health, WebPT, and MedBridge. She blends her clinical expertise with a talent for creating clear, action-oriented content that empowers practitioners to excel. Passionate about elevating the OT profession, she has been featured on numerous industry podcasts. Sarah ultimately returned to her roots, running OT Potential and raising her family in her hometown of Aurora, Nebraska.