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Journal of Technical Analysis Submission Guidelines

Published by the CMT Association, the Journal of Technical Analysis publishes long-form research that reflects professional interests of the global membership. Please read the below submission guidelines carefully before submitting your research for review.

1Eligibility

Submissions to the Journal of Technical Analysis are open to anyone with an interest in technical analysis. By submitting a paper, the author consents to the following terms of the Journal’s double-blind peer review process.

2Deadline

Submissions to the Journal of Technical Analysis are accepted on a rolling basis for publication in the next issue of the Journal that is not currently under review. When the Volunteer Committee tasked with reviewing Journal content closes submissions for an upcoming issue, all research submitted past that closing date will be automatically considered for the next issue.

3Standards of Review

A.) A paper will be reviewed according to the following standards:

  1. The paper is based upon the concepts of technical analysis and provides a complete and practical application of the topic being presented
  2. The subject of the paper should be directly related to a topic included in the Body of Knowledge of the Chartered Market Technician program.
  3. If feasible, testing should be done to demonstrate the value of the idea. The test period should include data from at least one complete market cycle to allow for the evaluation of the idea in bull and bear markets. The amount of data needed will vary with the timeframe being tested. Tests of monthly data will usually require a longer test period than tests of intraday data to include a complete market cycle. All tests should include a sufficient number of signals to demonstrate the concept is statistically significant, generally at least 30 signals.
  1. All tests should include recent data with the end of the data being no later than one year before the paper submission deadline.
  2. The writing meets generally accepted standards of style for professional publications and academic level writing. 
  3. The analysis and conclusions are useful, and enhance the understanding of market action.
  4. A paper should be written so that an audience of knowledgeable technical analysts can apply the principle defined in the paper based solely on the content of the paper.

B.) Materials that have been prepared for specific research purposes, in addition to longer form research previously included in the CMT Association’s monthly newsletter Technically Speaking, are eligible for submission.

Examples of materials prepared for research purposes include: materials prepared for academic websites or academic research journals, materials published on non-commercial sites, and papers prepared as research for clients (i.e. whitepapers).

Work that has been published for commercial exposure (i.e. work that has already been published in non-academic magazines, newspapers, or commercial websites) is not eligible and as such, will not be considered.

4Authors’ Copyright and Permission to Produce and Distribute Copies

The author(s) of any submissions to the Journal of Technical Analysis shall retain the copyrights to the submission, but shall permit the CMT Association to produce and distribute copies in any medium of all or part of a paper.

5Waivers for Previously Published Materials

Authors must sign a waiver acknowledging that there are no restrictions of the CMT Association’s publicizing efforts should the paper be included in an issue of the Journal. This shall be signed upon initial submission to the Journal, and finalized when the author(s) is notified of selection.

6Style & Format

The text must be a persuasive and conclusive presentation of the subject. Charts, tables, and figures should be used to exemplify or supplement the text and should not be the primary means of conveying the author’s points.

Charts, tables, and figures should be placed in appropriate sections of the text and shall be individually labeled in numerical sequence. When it is not possible to do so, they shall be presented in appendices.

Statistical supplements are encouraged. Papers should generally be between 4 and 20 pages in length with additional supporting material placed in statistical supplements as needed.

All references to the author’s name shall be removed from the text, footnotes and all supplementary material. All references to other materials and indicators created by the author shall be removed or disguised in such a manner that the editorial board of reviewers cannot identify the author.

The submission committee will not consider any paper that does not comply with these guidelines.

7Submission Process

To submit a paper for review, send an email to journal@cmtassociation.org.

8Double-Blind Peer Review Process

The Editor of the Journal will receive research submissions, void of the author’s identifying information, at the start of the peer review process. The Editor will then distribute the submissions to members of the Editorial Board, who will review the papers and decide whether to recommend them for publication or rejection. Members of the Editorial Board will generally be presented with papers within their realm of technical specialization, to provide readers with the most advanced degree of review possible within the broader discipline of technical analysis.

No author shall ask for or receive assistance of any kind from a member of the Editorial Board after submitting their final work.

9Decisions of the Editorial Board

After a work has undergone the peer review process, the Editorial Board will recommend to the Editor whether the work should be published or whether publication should be declined. The Editor will then make the final decision on which submissions are included in the Journal. The decisions of the Editor are final and without recourse for reconsideration by any member of the CMT Association or the author’s sponsoring organizations. Prior to announcing a decision on publication, the Editor may in their discretion ask an author to revise a submission.

10Decisions of the CMT Association

The CMT Association may publicize the Journal of Technical Analysis, its authors’ names (but not necessarily their places of employment) and all or part of the content of the Journal Issues. Published Journal authors may publicize their research in an appropriate manner without undue enhancement.