Submissions

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Author Guidelines

Journal Content

DMTE publishes qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, arts based, philosophical, theoretical, and historical research related to the academic and clinical training of music therapists. The journal also welcomes letters to the editor, creative works, book reviews, and resource sharing materials. The journal seeks to center the voices of formal and informal educators, students, and those whose perspectives have historically been marginalized. In selecting an open access journal format, we affirm that dialogues can only occur when knowledge, experience, and expertise are freely and equitably shared among interested parties.

Authorship

The journal’s expectation is that each person listed as an author has made a significant contribution to the manuscript. Authors may choose to recognize other individuals in the acknowledgement section. Any change in authorship (including author order) after the initial manuscript submission must be approved in writing by all authors.

Manuscript Preparation

De-identify Your Manuscript

  1. Remove citations to your previously published work by replacing all in-text references with "X". For example, if your manuscript says “this study is based on a larger study by the authors (Daley, 1999)” you would change it to “this study is based on a larger study by the authors (X)”. Once the manuscript has been reviewed and if the decision has been made to accept it, the final version of the manuscript will use the actual names in the references and citations.
  2. Remove the identifying information in the file properties. All Microsoft documents automatically include identifying information about registered users. This information needs to be cleared from your manuscript as follows: click on File on the main menu of the Microsoft application: File > Check for Issues > Inspect Document > (make sure the box for Document Properties and Personal Information is checked)> Inspect > Remove All > Close > Save. [specific steps may vary depending upon which version of Word you are using].

A Complete Submission Includes:

  1. Title Page: Prepare a separate title page with title, authors (including full contact information), and acknowledgements (i.e., “this study was funded by the Lilly Foundation”).
    1. During the submission process the submitters will first upload the primary file and then be given the option to upload supplementary files. Upload the title page as a supplementary file.
  2. Formatting the Manuscript: The manuscript should be in Word for Windows format with 12-point font, double-spaced, using either Arial or Times New Roman Font. Most manuscripts should be no more than 25-30 double-spaced pages long (including references, tables, and figures), although longer manuscripts may be considered. Please contact the Editor if your manuscript exceeds the recommended length.
    1. Title, Abstract, and Keywords - Include your title on the first page. An abstract of 200 words or less is included at the beginning of the manuscript. The abstract should include the purpose of the manuscript, a brief description of the sample and methods if appropriate, key findings, and a recommendation. It is not sufficient to state "implications will be discussed." A list of three to five key words that reflect the content of the manuscript should be provided directly below the abstract.
    2. Tables and Figures - Tables and figures should be embedded in the manuscript, NOT placed at the end. For tables, please use Word's table tools -- do not just use regular tabs. Acknowledgments should appear on the last page.
    3. References - Citations, references, and the overall format of the manuscript should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) style guidelines. Double check your APA format and make there is a one-to-one correspondence between citations in the narrative and the reference page.

Submitting a Manuscript

  1. Log in and click the New Submission button.
  2. The next screen displays the submission requirements. Choose Articles from the section list, complete the checklist, and agree to the copyright statement and the privacy policy. Click Save and Continue.
  3. Next, upload the submission. Choose Article Text from the Article components list and upload the manuscript. Review the details and click Complete. Next, click Add another file, select Other from the Article components list and upload the cover page.
  4. Review the details and click Complete.
  5. The next screen (called “metadata”) is where you add the title & abstract, additional authors, keywords, and references. When you have entered the pertinent information, click Save and continue.
  6. The final step is to confirm the submission. Click Finish submission and you are done. You will receive a submission confirmation email. After you have submitted the manuscript, you can check on the status and where it is at in the review process by logging in and viewing the submission in your queue.

Creative Works Preparation

We welcome creative material in written, visual and audio formats. All creative submissions will be considered by members of our Editorial Team. We may also, at our discretion, commission material from authors and artists.

Potential contributors may submit a single piece (written, visual, or audio format) or small gallery of work (up to 10 images; multi-track audio submissions on a case by case basis). Submissions must be the original work of the author or artist and must not have been published elsewhere (including publicly available online) or be under consideration by another publisher.

Authors and artists should contact the Associate Editor for Creative/Arts-Based Submissions, Natasha Thomas, at nat1@iu.edu if you are unsure if your work should be submitted as an independent creative work or a manuscript with additional supportive artistic materials. You can explore a visual representation of these guidelines here.

Please view the full submission guidelines below and follow requirements carefully before submitting material. Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be returned for correction. 

De-identify Your Submission

  1. The editorial team and reviewers recognize that anonymity with creative works such as audio & video will be difficult to maintain. Dialogues in Music Therapy Education will make every reasonable attempt to preserve the anonymity of the author(s). In order to ensure the integrity of the double-anonymous review process, authors should remove any information that would identify them as the author or artist, both from their text and notes. The author or artist’s name should appear only on the separate cover sheet, along with contact information; only the title of the piece should be repeated on the first page of the submission.
  2. In cases where de-identification of the authors or artists are not possible, the author will be asked to acknowledge their willingness to undergo single anonymous review.

A Complete Submission Includes:

  1. Title Page: Prepare a separate title page with title, authors (including full contact information), and acknowledgements (i.e., “this study was funded by the Lilly Foundation”).
    1. During the submission process the submitters will first upload the primary file and then be given the option to upload supplementary files. Upload the title page as a supplementary file.
  2. Formatting the Contributor Statement: The Contributor Statement should be in Word for Windows format with 12-point font, double-spaced, using either Arial or Times New Roman Font.
    1. Title and Statement - Include your title on the first page. A statement of 500 words or less should include the purpose of the project, a description of the project, links to video and/or audio, any embedded images, and a short biography. A list of three to five key words that reflect the content of the project should be provided directly after the statement.
    2. Images - Authors may contribute up to ten images. These images should be embedded in the Contributor Statement as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF. Images are not included in the word count.
    3. Audio and Video Files - Links to audio and video files should be embedded in the Contributor Statement. The journal will create a Carrd page for displaying their works. You can see an example here: https://dialoguesmte.carrd.co
      1. Audio files should use SoundCloud.
      2. Video files should use Vimeo.
    4. References - Citations and references should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) style guidelines. Double check your APA format and make there is a one-to-one correspondence between citations in the statement and the reference page.

Submitting a Creative Work

  1. Log in and click the New Submission button.
  2. The next screen displays the submission requirements. Choose Articles from the section list, complete the checklist, and agree to the copyright statement and the privacy policy. Click Save and Continue.
  3. Next, upload the submission. Choose Article Text from the Article components list and upload the Contributor Statement. Review the details and click Complete. Next, click Add another file, select Other from the Article components list and upload the cover page.
  4. Review the details and click Complete.
  5. The next screen (called “metadata”) is where you add the title, additional authors, keywords, and references. When you have entered the pertinent information, click Save and continue.
  6. The final step is to confirm the submission. Click Finish submission and you are done. You will receive a submission confirmation email. After you have submitted the creative work, you can check on the status and where it is at in the review process by logging in and viewing the submission in your queue.

Non-Binary Language

DMTE supports the use of non-binary language in manuscripts. They is accepted as a singular third-person pronoun by APA. Wherever possible, substitute “they” for “he/she” phrases in order to create a more inclusive experience for readers and decrease bias towards a particular sex or gender identity. For more detailed information on this topic, please visit APA’s blog on the topic.

ORCID

Dialogues in Music Therapy Education encourages authors to enter their ORCID during the submission process. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even if they share the same name. Using their ORCID, authors support automated linkages to their professional activities and ensure that their work is attributable to them.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors submitting manuscripts with one of the designs listed below are required to use the corresponding reporting standards when preparing their manuscript:

  • For music-based intervention studies, please refer to Reporting Guidelines for Music-based Interventions. Checklist available.
  • For randomized controlled trial designs, please refer to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT). Checklist available.
  • For nonrandomized designs, please refer to Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND). Checklist available.
  • For systematic reviews, integrative reviews, and meta-analyses, please refer to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Checklist available.
  • For case study designs, please refer to the Case Report Guidelines (CARE). Checklist available.

Authors submitting manuscripts with qualitative research designs are strongly encouraged to consider the following publications when preparing their manuscript:

Participant Consent: All research involving human participants must have received approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the United States or a parallel ethics clearance process in other countries. In the Methods section of the manuscript, authors should report study approvals, along with a brief overview of their informed consent and assent procedures.

If using photographs or video, the authors must conceal the identity of the individual (voice and visible identity), or provide signed consent forms for the use of photographs or video at the time of manuscript submission.

Language Editing

If your first language is not English, please seek out a specialist language editing company prior to submission. Authors are responsible for all costs associated with such services.

Submissions

Should you have any difficulties with your online submission, please contact via email:

Meganne Masko, Editor, Department of Music and Arts Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, IT 385, 535 W Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, mkmasko@iu.edu.

The Editor will acknowledge receipt of manuscripts via e-mail. Authors can usually expect a decision concerning acceptability of a manuscript for peer review in 7-10 days. Once a manuscript is sent out for peer review, authors can expect a publication decision within 30 days.

Book Review Guidelines & Submission Instructions

Book reviews focus on recently published books and monographs related to music therapy education scholarship. The Associate Book Review Editor will review submissions for content and scholarly writing style. In addition, we are looking to limit published reviews to recent publications.

For those wishing to submit a book review, please contact the Associate Book Review Editor, Virginia Driscoll, at driscollv19@ecu.edu before 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. Once you receive approval, please submit your review using the online manuscript submission system.

For authors/publishers seeking a review, please contact our Associate Book Review Editor, Virginia Driscoll, at driscollv19@ecu.edu.

Code of Ethics

Dialogues in Music Therapy Education 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.

Disclaimer

Publication of an article does not imply endorsement of the author's opinion by the Editor, Editorial Board, Indiana University, or the Purdue School of Engineering. Papers that have been previously published with substantially similar content or submitted simultaneously to another journal will not be considered. Authors are personally responsible for ensuring adherence to relevant copyright laws.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.