QUALITATIVE INQUIRIES IN MUSIC THERAPY: AN OPEN-ACCESS JOURNAL

Guidelines for Authors

Barcelona Publishers is pleased to provide an online, open-access journal, “Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy.” The mission of Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy (QIMT) is to provide an accessible and international online forum for innovative works that advance qualitative inquiry in the field of music therapy.

QIMT wishes to support people in their attempts to communicate their passions about music therapy. To do this, the periodical supports the open access periodical publication of a wide variety of methodical approaches, languages, dissemination formats, lengths, and forms of media for clinicians, educators, researchers.

The editorial review board of QIMT consists of international music therapy practitioners and scholars, selected by Barcelona Publishers for their expertise in qualitative research.

An issue of the journal will be published whenever a sufficient number of studies have been accepted, rather than according to any fixed time schedule. Only unpublished research studies on music therapy that emphasize the qualitative paradigm will be considered for publication. The following definitions shall apply:

• Unpublished: any study that has not appeared previously in a book or journal, nor is it before another journal for consideration. Theses and dissertations will be considered, however, prior to submission they must be appropriately edited for publication (see below).
• Research study: any systematic, integrity-monitored inquiry that involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and ultimately leads to a discovery that enhances our understanding of music therapy.
• On music therapy: studies that deal with all areas of clinical practice, theory, research, education, supervision, and ethics in music therapy.
• Qualitative paradigm: a study that is interpretivist in epistemology, regardless of whether numeric or non-numeric data are used. Methodologically, the studies may be naturalistic, experimental, phenomenological, hermeneutical, heuristic, constructive, theoretical, ethnographic, historical, critical, discourse analytic, or creative in approach.

Studies submitted for review should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The study should include the following sections, unless the nature of the study dictates otherwise:
• Introduction: a summary of personal involvement in the research topic;
• Related Literature: a review of literature outlining the significance and need for 1) researching the topic, 2) in the qualitative paradigm.
• Problem Statement: statement of the purpose of the inquiry and, when appropriate, the specific research questions posed at the beginning of the inquiry.
• Method: a concise but comprehensive description of: how and why participants were selected; ethical precautions taken; materials and equipment used; procedures for collecting and analyzing the data; citations of other researchers who have developed or used similar methodology.
• Results and Discussion: A summary of findings and their implications.
• All studies must meet ethical standards for the treatment of human subjects, as demonstrated by approval by an institutional review board or similar authority. Please submit consent forms and evidence of approval with the study.
• All reports must be formatted as follows:
• Text: Single-spaced, 12 font, with equal margins of 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all sides. Tabs and indents are ½ inch or 1.5 cm.
• Titles and Headings: Title of study is capitalized, centered, and in 14 font; Author’s name is not capitalized, centered, and in 14 font; first level headings are capitalized, centered and in 12 font; second level headings are flush left, not capitalized and in 12 font; third level headings are italicized, not capitalized, and indented once.
• Any audio or visual media will be made available in the online publication and stored through Barcelona Publishers. Consider the impermanence of online media when deciding what to include. Authors should submit verbal descriptions of all media for purposes of accessibility.
• All figures, tables, illustrations, notation, photos, etc., must be placed where they belong within the text document, and already inserted into the text file. Separate files will not be accepted.
• Citations and References must adhere to APA guidelines.
• To submit the study, send via email to: qimt.editors@gmail.com