About the Journal

Aims and Scope

The IJTMB is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on the research (methodological, physiological, and clinical) and professional development of therapeutic massage and bodywork and its providers, encompassing all allied health providers whose services include manually applied therapeutic massage and bodywork. The Journal 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 of manually applied therapeutic massage and bodywork. 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, well-developed investigative options such as case study, phenomenological, grounded theory, and ethnographic methods are preferred; any qualitative method should be grounded in clear and established theory and practice. And in the integrative research category, possible study options include the traditional narrative review, critical systematic review, meta-analytic systematic review, best-evidence synthesis, qualitative systematic review, and properly developed mixed 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 and education researchers share their experiences, research, and resulting insights on topics including curriculum and competencies 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 and clinical practice researchers 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; and clinical practice research covering: 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

Brief articles or essays covering topics relevant to the massage therapy profession including an unstructured abstract of less than 150 words, 2500 words or less, no more than 2 tables or figures (combined), and no more than 20 references.

Letters to the editor

Reader input is encouraged on any aspect of the journal; especially in regard to reactions to specific published articles, with the opportunity for author response provided. Maximum of 500 words.

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. Items for this section can only be submitted by the Journal Editors.

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 Internationaal Advisory Council will serve as arbiter.

Publication Frequency

During its inaugural year of 2008, issues of the IJTMB were published in August and December. As of 2009, the IJTMB is publishing articles collectively on a quarterly basis of March, June, September, and December.

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 (i.e., no submission or publication charges), and electronically accessible via a simple registration process. This gives website users the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles. Please note, from our copyright notice that: By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. (c) Derivative works are not allowed in that a user may not alter, transform, or add additional content to an article published in this journal.

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.