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A forum for authoritative articles of current music therapy research and theory, including book reviews and guest editorials. An index appears in issue four of each volume. ISSN #0022-2917
Subscriptions to the Journal of Music Therapy are now available for the current and upcoming year! For subscription rate information and to subscribe, please call the AMTA National Office at (301) 589-3300 or email info@musictherapy.org.
Contributions to Journal of Music Therapy
Mission Statement
The Journal of Music Therapy (JMT) is a forum for authoritative articles of current music therapy research and theory, including book reviews and guest editorials. Its mission is as follows:
The Journal of Music Therapy seeks to advance research, theory, and practice in music therapy through the dissemination of scholarly work. Its mission is to promote scholarly activity in music therapy and to foster the development and understanding of music therapy and music-based interventions. To this end, the journal publishes all types of research, including quantitative, qualitative, historical, philosophical, theoretical, and musical, and may include discipline, profession, and foundational research topics. The journal strives to present a variety of research approaches and topics, to promote critical inquiry, and to serve as a resource and forum for researchers, educators, and clinicians in music therapy and related professions.
Journal Content
The Journal of Music Therapy publishes only the very best of what is submitted and includes articles concerning the psychology of music, applied music therapy techniques, perception of music, and effects of music on human behavior. All papers for publication are selected on the basis of their quality and contribution to existing knowledge. About 30% of submitted manuscripts are accepted for publication and include but are not limited to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies; historical, descriptive, philosophical, or experimental designs; and integrative reviews, meta-analysis or meta-synthesis. Individual case studies or studies with very small numbers of subjects are rarely published; however, an extremely innovative case study may be accepted due to its unique contribution to knowledge. Conversely, articles of any type which do not advance the science and practice of music therapy are not accepted.
Ethical and Legal Considerations
A submitted manuscript must be an original work not previously published (except as an abstract or preliminary report), must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and if accepted, must not be published elsewhere in similar form, in any language, without the consent of publisher. Each person listed as an author is expected to have made a significant contribution to the manuscript. Although the editor and reviewers make every effort to ensure the validity of published manuscripts, the final responsibility rests with the authors, not the Journal, its editor, or the publisher.
Copyright Transfer/Permissions
Once an article is accepted, an author transfers literary rights on the published article to the publishing organization (e.g., AMTA) so that the author and the association are protected from misuse of copyrighted material. An article will not be published until the author’s signed copyright transfer has been received by the national office of the publishing organization. Contributors are responsible for obtaining copyright clearance on illustrations, figures, or lengthy quotes used in their manuscripts that have been published elsewhere.
Anonymous Peer Review
Manuscripts are reviewed anonymously by members of the editorial board and invited external reviewers. Authors should not identify themselves or their institutions other than on the title page. The title page will not be seen by reviewers.
Manuscript Preparation
Manuscripts must adhere to the following instructions or they will be returned to the submitting author before undergoing peer review.
Abstract: All manuscripts must include an abstract that is no longer than 250 words. The following five subheadings are required and should appear in the abstract:
- Background: brief statement describing existing knowledge and study significance
- Objective: brief statement of the study purpose/aims
- Methods: summary of participants, design, measures, procedures
- Results: primary findings
- Conclusions: specific statement about how findings can be interpreted and implications for practice
Key words: Provide up to five key words or brief phrases that describe the contents of the manuscript. Key words should be listed after the abstract.
Title page: The manuscript title should be brief, accurate, reflect the content and population studied. If the manuscript is a randomized clinical trial, this should be indicated in the title. Include the following information on the title page: (a) complete manuscript title; (b) all authors’ names, highest academic degrees, and affiliations; (c) corresponding author’s name, affiliation(s), address, e-mail address, and phone number; and (d) any acknowledgements, credits, or disclaimers. Include acknowledgement of all funding sources.
Manuscript: Please note the following guidelines when preparing manuscripts for submission:
- Manuscripts should be double-spaced, one-inch margins on all sides, standard 11 point font (Arial or Times New Roman). Do not right justify.
- Manuscripts must conform with the most recent style requirements set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. For historical or philosophical papers, Chicago (Turabian) style is also accepted.
- Page limit for manuscripts is 25 – 30 pages (standard 8.5 x 11inch page size). The page limit is inclusive of all parts of the manuscript including cover page, abstract, text, references, tables and figures. Authors may request consideration for longer papers, in advance of submission, when there is clear justification for additional length (e.g., paper reports on more than one study; has a complex methodology).
- All research involving human participants must have received approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the United States or a parallel process in other countries. Study approval, along with informed consent and assent procedures should be briefly described in the Methods section.
- Terminology should be sensitive to the individual who has a disease or disability. Language must conform to the "person first" recommendations outlined in the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
- Review of literature should be limited to 3 – 4 pages.
- Research questions and/or hypotheses should be explicitly stated and clearly linked to the problem or phenomenon described in the Introduction (review of literature).
- Authors should describe the theoretical framework or rationale guiding the proposed study.
- Effect sizes must be reported for quantitative studies whenever possible.
- Tables and Figures should appear as separate pages after the References.
- Use the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for citations and references. References should not exceed 50 entries.
- No identifying information (author’s names) should be included on the manuscript.
- Authors submitting quantitative studies are encouraged to use the following reporting standards when preparing their manuscript:
- Authors submitting qualitative studies are encouraged to use the following publications when preparing their manuscript:
- For guidelines related to the reporting/appraisal of qualitative research, please refer to Sandelowski, M. & Barroso, B. (2002). Reading qualitative studies. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1(1), 1-47. http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/1_1Final/pdf/sandeleng.pdf
- For guidelines related to qualitative music therapy research, please refer to EPICURE (Stige, Malterud, & Midtgarden, 2009). Stige, B., Malterud, K., & Midtgarden, T. (2009). Toward an agenda for evaluation of qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 19(10), 1504-1516.
Manuscript Submission Letter
A manuscript submission letter must accompany each manuscript submission. Submission letters should be sent as an electronic document and include the submitting author’s signature. Submission letters (aka cover letters) are to be sent with the manuscript via electronic submission (see link below under submissions).
The submission letter should include the following information:
- A statement indicating that the submitted manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors.
- A statement describing how the submitted manuscript is consistent with the journal’s mission and advances the science and practice of music therapy. In that description, specific reference should be made to the journal’s mission.
- A statement confirming that the manuscript has not been published, is not currently submitted elsewhere, and does not contain data that is currently submitted or published elsewhere.
- For research involving human participants, a statement that the study received approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the United States or a parallel process in other countries.
- Full mailing address, telephone, fax, and e-mail address for the corresponding author, along with names and affiliations of all co-authors.
- When a manuscript does contain data that is part of a larger study, the submitting author should describe the larger study and provide references for publications resulting from the larger study. The submitting author must clarify the relationship between the submitted manuscript and other published manuscripts that resulted from the larger study, specifying how the current submission makes a unique and substantial scientific and clinical contribution.
Submissions
Please submit manuscripts and submission letters electronically using AMTA's online submission program at the URL/link below.
AMTA's online submission system is, Peer Track, located at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/jmusictherapy
Should you have any difficulties with your online submission, please contact via email:
Sheri L. Robb, Editor
Indiana University School of Nursing
1111 Middle Drive, NU492A
Indianapolis, IN 46202
shrobb@iupui.edu
Author’s should keep a copy of the manuscript to guard against loss. Do not submit manuscripts by ground mail.
Manuscripts will be acknowledged upon receipt by the Editor. Authors can usually expect a decision concerning acceptability of a manuscript for publication within 3 months after receipt. Accepted articles generally appear in print within 12-15 months after acceptance.
Book Review Guidelines & Submission Instructions
Book reviews focus on recently published books and monographs in music therapy. Book reviews of publications outside the field of music therapy will be considered where specific clinical, professional, educational, or scientific relevance can be demonstrated. Reviews should include a complete bibliographic citation for the work including full title, author, publisher, date of publication, pages, price, and ISBN. Reviews should include a summary of the book, providing sufficient information so the contents can be understood by the reader. Additional interpretation and analysis by the reviewer is welcomed. Submissions should be no more than 3 - 5 pages, typed, double-spaced with 1-inch margins on all four perimeters. Right margins are not to be justified. Manuscripts must use standard 11-point font (Arial or Times New Roman). Although book reviews do not go through a peer-review process, submitting a book review does not guarantee publication. It will be reviewed for its scholarly writing style. In addition, we are looking to limit published reviews to recent publications. If a book has been in print for several years, or if multiple reviews have already been published, we may be less inclined to publish. For those wishing to submit a book review, please contact the Editor by e-mail in advance of writing the review to make sure it is a publication that is well aligned with the Book Review Criteria in terms of relevance and timeliness. Book reviews are submitted through e-mail and not the on-line manuscript submission portal.
Code of Ethics
The Journal of Music Therapy adheres to publication and research ethics outlined in the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Code of Ethics and the Research Publications/Presentation Code of Ethics.
Submitting authors are expected to abide by standards specified in each document. Copies of each document can be obtained online. AMTA Code of Ethics (see Section 3.0 Relationships with Clients/Students/Research Subjects and Section 8.0 Research) and the Research Publication/Presentation Code of Ethics.
Editorial Review Process
The Journal of Music Therapy is a fully refereed journal; reviewers evaluate all articles without express knowledge of the author’s identity or professional affiliation. Editorial board members are selected by the editor and confirmed by the Executive Board of the American Music Therapy Association. Editorial board members are chosen to represent the broad range of research, clinical, and academic practices in music therapy. In some cases, persons from other professions are selected because of their particular expertise in areas related to music therapy. The review process usually takes about 3 months from the time the editor receives and acknowledges receipt of the manuscript. The manuscript is sent to at least three members of the editorial committee (or invited external reviewers) with expertise in the subject area of the article. Each reviewer reads the manuscript and recommends either publication, revision, or rejection with specific examples to support their recommendation. The editor compiles the responses of the editorial committee, makes a decision about publication, and relays this decision to the corresponding author. Accepted articles generally appear in the journal within a year after their acceptance. Almost all submittals to the Journal of Music Therapy require revisions prior to publication. Therefore, an author whose work is accepted with suggested revisions should certainly be encouraged, not discouraged.
Revision Process
If reviewers have requested revision of a manuscript prior to publication, a detailed list will be sent to the submitting author. The submitting authors must indicate how they have addressed each of the reviewers comments and highlight changes in the revised manuscript. Revised manuscripts must be returned to the editor within 90 days or it will be considered a new submission. Upon receipt, the revised manuscript may be sent to reviewers for additional comment/recommendations. Sending manuscripts out for additional review is determined based on reviewer recommendations and judgment of the editor.
Designed to appeal to a wide readership, both inside and outside the profession of music therapy. Articles focus on music therapy practice, as well as academics and administration. ISSN #0734-6875
Subscriptions to Music Therapy Perspectives are now available for the current and upcoming year! For subscription rate information and to subscribe, please call the AMTA National Office at (301) 589-3300 or email info@musictherapy.org.
Contributions to Music Therapy Perspectives - Instructions for Authors
Mission Statement
Music Therapy Perspectives seeks to promote the development of music therapy clinical practice through the dissemination of scholarly work. It publishes all forms of reports that have implications for music therapy practice including clinically-focused research reports, innovative developments, case studies, educational research, and theoretical articles. With a focus on clinical benefits of music therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives strives to serve as a resource and forum for music therapists, music therapy students and educators, and those in related professions.
Objectives
Music Therapy Perspectives seeks to:
- Speak to the direct clinical and professional experiences of practicing music therapists, and in so doing advance the profession.
- Include information useful to music therapists, music therapy students, and professionals interested in the therapeutic uses of music.
- Address issues related to the supervision of music therapy students and the supervision of music therapists in both professional and advanced practice.
- Include articles addressing the education and training of music therapists.
- Address ethical concepts and issues as they pertain to music therapy education, training, research and professional practice.
Journal Content
Music Therapy Perspectives focuses on scholarly articles in the following areas:
- Music therapy models, methods and practices that reflect broad theoretical perspectives reflective of the AMTA Standards of Clinical Practice (professional and advanced).
- Information useful to clinical training directors, educators and administrators
- Discussions, commentaries and analyses of professional issues related to music therapy practice, such as ethics and licensure.
- Qualitative research consistent with the mission and objectives of the journal.
- Quantitative research, consistent with the mission and objectives of the journal, with small sample sizes that may serve as a foundation for larger research studies suitable for the Journal of Music Therapy and other relevant music therapy journals.
- Pilot projects that reflect new areas of clinical practice.
- Case Studies.
- Analyses of literature that expand clinical practice knowledge.
- Book Reviews.
Ethical Considerations
Implicit in the preparation and submission process is that all ethical precautions have been carefully considered and followed. These standards are articulated in the Code of Ethics of the American Music Therapy Association. An Institutional Review Board (IRB or RERB) must approve all aspects of the research, and this must be explicitly stated in the submitted manuscript.
Authors submitting book reviews, information sharing, commentaries and analyses are not required to fulfill IRB requirements unless the submission meets the definition of research articulated by the relevant IRB and supporting institution.
In addition, manuscripts must be original work not previously published. Once published, manuscripts may not be submitted to additional journals, and may not be published in any format, or any other language, without the express written permission of the publisher.
Major professional contributions by two or more persons to a common project should be recognized by joint authorship, whereas minor professional contributions are recognized through an appropriate acknowledgement statement.
Copyright Transfer/Permissions
Once an article has been accepted for publication, the author(s) transfer the literary rights of their manuscript to the American Music Therapy Association, so that the author and publisher are protected from any misuse of the copyrighted material. It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that the manuscript contains original material, that all quotations and source material are accurately referenced and acknowledged, and that any tables, illustrations, or published assessment/evaluation tools are used with permission.
Review Process
All manuscripts submitted to Music Therapy Perspectives are subject to an anonymous peer review by three members of the Editorial Board. To ensure objectivity, authors will remain anonymous to the reviewers. No explicit or implied author or affiliation identification is to appear within the manuscript; only on the title page. If substantive changes are needed in the manuscript, specific editorial recommendations will be forwarded to the author. The author has 150 days to respond to these editorial recommendations, after which the manuscript will be considered ineligible for publication. The Editor has final authority over a paper's suitability for publication.
Manuscript Preparation
Authors should prepare manuscripts according to the most recent version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The following is required for submission:
- A title page that includes: a) the title, b) author(s), with pertinent information, c) affiliation, and d) running head.
- An abstract containing no more than 150 words (included on a separate page).
- A typed, double-spaced manuscript with a 1.5-inch margin on all four perimeters. Right margins are not to be justified. All manuscripts must use standard 11-point font (Times New Roman or Arial).
- A list of references, presented in accordance with the stylistic features of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
- Appendices, as they pertain to the submission
Manuscripts focused on quantitative research must be written according to the structural and formatting guidelines provided in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Manuscripts focused on qualitative research, analyses and discussions of music, professional issues, focused analyses of research and clinical practice literature, supervision, licensure, and ethical concerns may use an alternate structural format as long as this format is consistent with the purpose(s) of the article. Alternate formats may be discussed with the Editor prior to submission.
Book Reviews
Book reviews focus on recently published books and monographs in music therapy. Book reviews of publications outside the field of music therapy will be considered where specific clinical, professional or educational relevance can be demonstrated.
Reviews should begin by stating the author(s), year, title and publisher. Reviews should include a summary of the book, providing sufficient information so the contents can be understood by the reader. Additional interpretation and analysis by the reviewer is welcomed. Extended reviews, which serve as a framework for an extended discussion of practice, education and/or training, are also welcome.
Submissions should be no more than 3-5 pages, typed, double-spaced with 1.5-inch margins on all four perimeters. Right margins are not to be justified. Manuscripts must use standard 11-point font (Times New Roman or Arial). Extended reviews follow the general submission guidelines described in Manuscript Preparation.
Information Sharing
Information Sharing is a distinct component of Music Therapy Perspectives and affords clinicians, researchers and educators an opportunity to share expert knowledge pertinent to the music therapy profession. This can include, for example, knowledge of and developments in clinical practice, trends in service delivery, technological advances, and commentaries.
Submissions are generally less than 10 pages, typed, double-spaced with 1.5-inch margins on all four perimeters. Right margins are not to be justified. Manuscripts must use standard 11-point font (Times New Roman or Arial).
Mentor Program
Authors wishing additional help in preparing their manuscripts for Editorial Board review may request that their work be mentored prior to submission. In this case, a member of the Editorial Board will critique the manuscript and offer suggestions and/or revisions that might increase the likelihood that the manuscript receives a favorable review during the formal review process. Once the mentorship process is completed, and the mentor will not be involved in the formal review process. Authors wishing to use this service should submit their request, in writing, to the Editor, along with their manuscript.
Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted electronically using AMTA's online submission program at the URL/link below.
AMTA's online submission system is, Peer Track, located at:
http://www.editorialmanager.com/MTP
Should you have any difficulties with your online submission, please contact the Editor via email:
Anthony Meadows PhD MT-BC
Editor, Music Therapy Perspectives
Immaculata University
ameadows@immaculata.edu
(610) 647 4400 x3159
Documents will only be accepted in Microsoft Word format, with tables and figures included. The online submission software (Peer Track) instructs authors on uploading your abstract and manuscript.
Once submitted, manuscripts are reviewed and returned to the primary author in 60 days. Four levels of review are possible: 1) accept for publication, 2) accept with minor revisions (editorial), 3) undertake major revisions and resubmit, and 4) not accept. When revisions are requested, a clear indication of these will be provided by the Editor, in written form. This will include an overall evaluation by the Editor, along with specific comments from Editorial Board members, presented anonymously. The primary author may, at any time, contact the Editor to discuss the editorial review within the 150 revision time allowed.
An in-house newsletter focusing on AMTA business and activities, current happenings in the allied health field, employment trends and opportunities, and topical items of general interest about music therapy. Special features of the newsletter include public education and government relations columns on a regular basis.
This on-line newsletter is provided to all current AMTA members as a benefit of membership in AMTA. For information on membership or subscribing, please contact the AMTA National Office at (301) 589-3300 or info@musictherapy.org. Archives of past on-line issues can be found in the AMTA Member Area.
Music Therapy Matters Submission Guidelines
Music Therapy Matters is a quarterly publication that welcomes article submissions and brief announcements from and for AMTA members.
Article submissions will be reviewed by the Editor and AMTA Executive Director and considered for inclusion based on available space and relevance to the music therapy profession and circulation of Music Therapy Matters. Submissions may be edited for content, grammar, and length.
To submit an item for the Announcements Page, please write a brief paragraph of no more than 50 words describing your event or announcement. To be considered for publication, your announcement of 50 words or less must be written in paragraph form and submitted by the dates indicated below. Flyers, conference programs, registration forms, or larger pieces of text sent without preparation will not be considered.
Please submit your text via fax, email or postal mail to:
Music Therapy Matters Editor
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 1000
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Fax: 301-589-5175
Email: Matters@musictherapy.org
Please note that while every effort will be made to include all submissions received, announcements will be published on a space-available basis. To guarantee inclusion of an announcement, please see advertising rates and information. All submissions may be edited for content, grammar and length. Publication dates are subject to change.
Music Therapy ENews is an electronic newsletter published by the American Music Therapy Association which brings timely information on music therapy to its subscribers, relevant to the profession of music therapy. Enews subscription is free and available to all. Music Therapy ENews is hosted through Yahoo! Groups, a free email group service.
Text-only announcements and advertisements can be purchased. See the About Music Therapy & AMTA>Support Music Therapy>Advertise in AMTA Publications tab for details.
For more information and to subscribe, click here
Imagine (formerly the AMTA Early Childhood Newsletter) is the first annual online magazine dedicated to early childhood music therapy, sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Offered as a part of AMTA’s Early Childhood Network to bring reports, reviews, ideas, commentaries, news, and announcements on current developments and issues related to early childhood music therapy to music therapists working with young children and colleagues from related fields.
Click here to explore and read archived issues.
Browse the imagine archive using an innovative viewing mode. Learn about our AMTA early childhood network opportunities, international perspectives on early childhood music therapy, and the "imagine" editorial team. Be part of future issues by reading the guidelines for authors and submitting your paper.
Back issues of any of the Journal of Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives can be ordered at a single price per issue. Please call the AMTA National Office to order individual past issues of journal publications and specify volume number or issue date.
In addition to the above publications, AMTA periodically publishes monographs such asthe monograph series Effective Clinical Practice in Music Therapy, Music in Special Education, Music Therapy and Premature Infants or Music Therapy in Pediatric Healthcare. AMTA also produces videos such as Music Therapy & Medicine: Partnerships in Care. Back issues of music therapy journals are available as well as products and informational brochures about the music therapy profession. Please see our Online Store for more information.