Using the principles of implementation science (IS) has become increasingly important, and popular, in research and practice for speech-language pathologists and audiologists (Douglas et al., 2022; Komesidou & Hogan, 2023; Olswang & Prelock, 2015). One of the biggest reasons to use IS principles is to help close the “research-to-practice” gap that exists between innovations shown to be effective in controlled research settings and their full implementation in a clinical or non-research setting. For practitioners in the schools, this gap may be even larger than in medical settings, especially for those working with adolescent students where there is a relative dearth of high-quality innovation research to help SLPs serve older students. One of the most powerful ways to explore the implementation of innovations in practice is through sharing practitioner experience and expertise through qualitative inquiry (e.g., Damico & Simmons-Mackie, 2003; Hersh et al., 2022). This forum will explore the intersection of IS with qualitative inquiry for deeper understanding of the current practices, adaptations, innovations, and implementation of services speech-language pathologists and audiologists, if appropriate, working with older students (e.g., grades 5-12) in the schools.  

Papers are sought that 1) describe how school-based SLPs can use implementation science principles clinically to best serve older school-age clients; and/or 2) explain potential ways school-based SLPs can inform a practice-based-research collaboration that benefits both science and other clinicians; and/or 3) describe qualitative methodology applications to clinical and research practice to better understand the phenomenon of serving older students in the schools and how this relates to implementation science. 

The following paper types will be considered: Research Article, Research Note, Clinical Focus, and Tutorial. Consistent with the mission of LSHSS, we seek to publish original, important, and innovative evidence-based studies based on quantitative, qualitative, clinical, or other methods. Papers should address at least one of the areas identified above to explore the intersection of implementation science with qualitative inquiry for speech-language pathologists and audiologists in schools.  

Submission deadline: Manuscripts should be submitted by April 15, 2026 to be considered as part of this collection (early submissions are strongly encouraged). All papers will be peer reviewed. A letter of intent to submit should be sent to the Editor at  apeterso@uwyo.edu as soon as possible or by January 15, 2026. Prospective authors may contact the Editor at apeterso@uwyo.edu if they have questions or would like to discuss potential submissions.  

Submission Instructions: To submit to LSHSS, go to http://www.editorialmanager.com/LSHSS. Under the “Section/Category” section, you will be asked to indicate that this manuscript is a candidate for a special issue or forum by selecting “Combining Qualitative Inquiry with Implementation Science” from the drop-down list provided.  

References

Damico, J. S., & Simmons-Mackie, N. N. (2003). Qualitative research and speech-language pathology: A tutorial for the clinical realm. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(2), 131-143.  

Douglas, N. F., Feuerstein, J. L., Oshita, J. Y., Schliep, M. E., & Danowski, M. L. (2022). Implementation science research in communication sciences and disorders: A scoping review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(3), 1054-1083. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00126 

Hersh, D., Azul, D., Carroll, C., Lyons, R., Mc Menamin, R., & Skeat, J. (2022). New perspectives, theory, method, and practice: Qualitative research and innovation in speech-language pathology. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24(5), 449-459.  

Komesidou, R., & Hogan, T. P. (2023). A generic implementation framework for school-based research and practice. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 54(4), 1165-1172. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_LSHSS-22-00171 

Olswang, L. B., & Prelock, P. A. (2015). Bridging the gap between research and practice: Implementation science. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58(6), S1818-S1826. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-14-0305