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JMIR Formative Research

Process evaluations, early results, and feasibility/pilot studies of digital and non-digital interventions

Editor-in-Chief:

Amaryllis Mavragani, PhD, Scientific Editor at JMIR Publications, Canada


Impact Factor 2.4 More information about Impact Factor CiteScore 4.2 More information about CiteScore

JMIR Formative Research publishes peer-reviewed, openly accessible papers containing results from process evaluations, feasibility/pilot studies and other kinds of formative research and preliminary results. While the original focus was on the design of medical- and health-related research and technology innovations, JMIR Formative Research publishes studies from all areas of medical and health research.

Formative research is research that occurs before a program is designed and implemented, or while a program is being conducted. Formative research can help

  • define and understand populations in need of an intervention or public health program
  • create programs that are specific to the needs of those populations
  • ensure programs are acceptable and feasible to users before launching
  • improve the relationship between users and agencies/research groups
  • demonstrate the feasibility, use, satisfaction with, or problems with a program before large-scale summative evaluation (looking at health outcomes)

Many funding agencies will expect some sort of pilot/feasibility/process evaluation before funding a larger study such as a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

Formative research should be an integral part of developing or adapting programs and should be used while the program is ongoing to help refine and improve program activities. Thus, formative evaluation can and should also occur in the form of a process evaluation alongside a summative evaluation such as an RCT.

JMIR Formative Research fills an important gap in the academic journals landscape, as it publishes sound and peer-reviewed formative research that is critical for investigators to apply for further funding, but that is usually not published in outcomes-focused medical journals aiming for impact and generalizability.

Summative evaluations of programs and apps/software that have undergone a thorough formative evaluation before launch have a better chance to be published in high-impact flagship journals; thus, we encourage authors to submit - as a first step - their formative evaluations in JMIR Formative Research (and their evaluation protocols to JMIR Research Protocols). 

JMIR Formative Research is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, PubMed Central, DOAJ, Scopus, Sherpa/Romeo, EBSCO/EBSCO Essentials, and the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).

JMIR Formative Research received a 2025 Impact Factor of 2.4, ranking Q2 in Health Care Sciences & Services (97/194).

JMIR Formative Research received a Scopus CiteScore of 4.2 (2025), placing it in the 68th percentile (149/466) as a second quartile (Q2) journal in the field of Medicine, and in the 52nd percentile (81/168) as a second quartile (Q2) journal in the field of Health Informatics. 


Recent Articles

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Development and Evaluation of Research Methods, Instruments and Tools

Accelerometers produce high-resolution physical activity data, but commonly used summary measures often reduce these data to total volume, intensity, or variability and may not retain interpretable temporal structure across the day. Cluster-based summaries may provide a way to characterize daily physical activity profiles while preserving information about when activity occurs.

Physiotherapist examining a patient's knee for pain and injury.
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Early detection and monitoring of wound-related complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are critical to optimize outcomes and preserve implants. Conventional postoperative monitoring relies on in-person assessment and patient-reported symptoms, which may delay recognition. Noncontact imaging acquired in the clinic or at home offers a potential route to earlier and more consistent assessment.

Elderly man with white beard assembling a jigsaw puzzle, with a woman's hands on his shoulders.
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE-ε4), the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD), is associated with early neuromotor vulnerability that may precede measurable cognitive decline. Because speech integrates fine neuromotor processes, acoustic analysis could offer a sensitive, noninvasive marker of preclinical effects.

Two women in workout gear holding yoga mats and water bottles outdoors
Formative Evaluation of Non-Ehealth Innovations

Mothers, especially those with low socioeconomic status and minoritized identities, encounter barriers to participating in physical activity (PA), a behavior that improves health outcomes. Moms on the Move (MOMs) is a community-based and theory-informed intervention developed to address the PA barriers endorsed by low-income Black and Hispanic mothers. This intervention offered in-person group PA sessions led by a female fitness instructor and held during children’s sports practices. The MOMs intervention was piloted in 2022 and 2023; the intervention in 2023 was longer (8-weeks, vs 6-weeks) and included goal-setting calls and written materials.

Teenage girl in mint green sweatshirt using pink smartphone on sofa
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

With the rise of digital health, mental health apps (MHapps) have become an increasingly popular tool in the self-management of depression, anxiety, and stress. Star ratings are often used as indicators of app quality to guide selection. However, ratings do not fully capture if the MHapp’s features, usability, or design elements exhibit the heterogeneous real-life user experiences. Instead, examining the patterns of engagement and app usage can highlight whether high ratings reflect diverse user needs.

Acupuncturist inserting needles into a person's back for pain relief
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has received increasing attention in evidence-based medicine. However, its largely experience-based and practice-oriented nature has slowed modernization and standardization. Advances in AI provide new opportunities for integrating AI with TCM.

Doctor showing patient medical questionnaire on tablet
Development and Evaluation of Research Methods, Instruments and Tools

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the rapid integration of telemedicine into health care delivery. As a result, the ability to effectively collaborate in interprofessional virtual teams became a necessity, as did the development of educational opportunities designed to equip health care students with these skills. Currently, there is a lack of dedicated tools to assess learners’ ability and readiness to function as a well-coordinated virtual medical team.

Four women in pink shirts with breast cancer awareness ribbons stand together at sunset.
Research Letter

This pilot study provides evidence that multimodal online recruitment and engagement are feasible for mixed methods social determinants of health research with sociodemographically diverse Black breast cancer survivors.

Woman with EEG cap plays a matching game on a screen
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Exergames are increasingly used in rehabilitation to simultaneously target physical and cognitive functions. Game scores are commonly used as indicators of performance, yet it remains unclear to what extent they reflect underlying movement and cognitive-control demands. Understanding this relationship is essential for interpreting what exergame performance scores reflect during gameplay.

Man wearing VR headset and holding controller, waving with other hand
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common among nursing home residents, notably those with Alzheimer disease and related diseases, impacting both themselves and health care professionals. Nonpharmacological interventions, including virtual reality (VR), have shown promise, but evidence from multicenter ecological studies remains limited.

Mother and child on a virtual doctor's appointment for pediatric telehealth.
Development and Evaluation of Research Methods, Instruments and Tools

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for telepsychiatry in neurodevelopmental assessment; however, few studies have examined the interrater reliability of clinician-rated autism scales, such as the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS2), when used remotely. Although the feasibility and validity of telehealth assessments have been explored previously, the consistency between remote and in person CARS2 ratings by different clinicians remains underinvestigated.

Woman working on laptop displaying "MENTAL HEALTH" text
Formative Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions

Mental Health Online, MindSpot, and THIS WAY UP are 3 Australian Government–funded digital mental health services (DMHSs). These services are free for consumers and deliver a range of (depression and anxiety disorder) psychological assessments and interventions using the internet, with or without clinician support.

Preprints Open for Peer Review

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