Focus and Scope
Overview
The IJTMB provides a professional forum for editorial input; scientifically-based articles of a research, educational, and practice-oriented nature; readers’ commentaries on journal content and related professional matters; and pertinent news and announcements.
Section Policies
Editorial
Editorials contributed by one or more members of the Editorial Board and/or invited colleagues serve to provide a context for a given issue’s content and inform readers of anticipated professional themes that might guide future journal content.
Research
The Research Section of the journal is open to manuscripts representing any of the several possibilities included in the complete range of quantitative, qualitative, and integrative studies. This latitude is intended to accommodate the continually expanding research methodology options available to scholars in the various health science areas. For example, in the quantitative research category, several representative research methodologies among many are the following: randomized controlled trial, quasi-experimental, single-case experimental, nonexperimental comparative groups, correlational, predictive, single-case quantitative analysis, survey, naturalistic/structured observational, and case report. In the qualitative research category, prevalent investigative options include the case study method, phenomenological method, grounded theory method, and ethnographic method. And in the integrative research category, possible study options include the traditional narrative review, critical systematic review, meta-analytic systematic review, best-evidence synthesis, and qualitative systematic review methods. In the context of each and every one of these methodological options, the rigorous application of standard criteria governing the ethical and professional conduct of scientific research is obviously the sine qua non for the consideration and eventual acceptance of any manuscript for publication.
Education
The Education Section of the IJTMB provides a forum in which therapeutic massage and bodywork educators share their experiences, research, and resulting insights on topics including curriculum development, instructional design and delivery, instructional technology, distance learning, and testing/evaluative procedures. The focus here is on both pre-service and in-service educational and training programs. The over-arching theme of evidence-informed and competency-based education is encompassing enough to give direction to prospective authors interested in addressing the myriad topics of concern to instructors in classroom, clinical, and continuing education settings.
Practice
The Practice Section of the journal provides a venue for practitioners/clinicians to remain current regarding the diverse issues that present themselves as the science and practice of massage continues to advance and clients become more informed and demanding regarding the services they receive. Topics appropriate for this section include the planning, organization, marketing, and management of a successful practice; the incorporation of new scientific findings and methods into clinical practice; new clinical approaches to prevention and treatment of specific health conditions; and ethical issues.
Commentaries
Reader input is encouraged via commentaries in the form of (a) letters to the editors regarding any aspect of the journal; (b) book reviews; and (c) reactions to specific published articles, with the opportunity for author response provided.
News/Announcements
Professional matters deemed newsworthy and justifying acknowledgment are encouraged as additional features of the journal. Announcements of forthcoming professional conferences as well as the accomplishments of colleagues are also examples of the intent of this sector of the journal. This is not a venue, however, for the commercial advertising of services or products.
Section Policies
Editorial
 Open Submissions |
 Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Research
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Education
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Practice
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Commentaries
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
News/Announcements
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Peer Review Process
Specified guidelines consonant with the ICMJE’s Uniform Requirements provide the criteria on which the journal’s referees base their objective, double-blind, peer-reviewed evaluation of each submitted manuscript. Their efforts at reviewing and providing evaluative input are coordinated with the appropriate Section Editor. Two or more referees for a submitted manuscript, in consultation with the appropriate Section Editor, make a recommendation to the Executive Editor and the Editor-in-Chief regarding publication. The final decision regarding publication is collaborative and rests with the appropriate Section Editor, Editor-in-Chief, and Executive Editor. In matters of dispute, an appropriate member of the International Advisory Council will serve as arbiter.
Publication Frequency
During its inaugural year of 2008, issues of the IJTMB are published in August and December. Beginning in 2009, the IJTMB will publish articles (a) collectively on a quarterly basis and (b) individually as they become available for immediate release. In the former case, the quarterly issues will appear in March, June, September, and December. In the latter instance, the immediately-released-upon-availability articles will appear in a designated “Immediate Release/In Press” issue to be published in the interim period between the most recent and the next scheduled quarterly issues. This “hybrid” model of sorts for publishing the journal’s entries accommodates the obvious need for individual scholarly contributions to be released as soon as they become available. It still maintains, however, the integrity of collective quarterly issues that provide an anticipated publication schedule with the periodic option of theme-specific issues of the journal.
Open Access Policy
The IJTMB represents an open access approach to scholarly publishing in the interest of disseminating the scientific findings of researchers, educators, and practitioners in as far-reaching and cost-effective a manner as possible. Accordingly, the journal is subscription-free, devoid of per page processing costs for contributing authors, and electronically accessible via a simple registration process. For further information on the open access publishing movement, please see the following sources: the Budapest Open Access Initiative, the Public Knowledge Project, and the Directory of Open Access Journals.
