Substantive Content in Context
Since the very beginning in 2001, articles submitted to Voices have been reviewed by the editors and members of the Editorial Board. In 2008 Voices journal established a formalized peer-review system. This change seems to have stimulated an increased interest in submitting articles to the journal. In order to be able to manage the stream of articles, we are now encouraging authors to submit online via the OpenJournalSystem.
Like in any other journal, the editors of Voices rejoice when the number of submitted articles rises. This suggests that more content and more substantive content could be made available for our readers. Unlike some other journals, Voices journal links the idea of substantive content to the idea of situatedness. Our vision is to encourage participation from every continent and to nurture the development of music therapy practice, theory, discussion, and debate. Because culture has an important role in music and music therapy, we encourage contributions that reflect upon the cultural, social, and political conditions that contribute to the development of the field.
This vision is reflected in the Guidelines for authors, where the following five principles are primary: Strive for clarity of voice, Strive for substantive content, Choose an appropriate style and genre, Encourage dialogue, and Situate the text.
The fact that a formalized peer-review system has been established means that more researchers find interest in our forum, but it does not mean that the journal takes less interest in genres such as Perspectives on Practice, Essays, Reports, Stories, or Interviews. These genres continue to be essential to what Voices is all about. They give rich possibilities for exploring and sharing new ideas and for reflecting upon the subtleties and complexities that characterize practice. Music therapy and other practices related to music and health are multifaceted and reflect many various types of knowledge. Therefore we need many different genres of writing also, including papers with extensive use of audio and video examples.
The five main principles of the Voices guidelines are central also when authors employ more conventional academic genres of writing. In the review process authors are frequently encouraged to do more to increase accessibility, to stimulate dialogue, and to clarify the contexts of action, description, and reflection. In the current issue you will find a range of stimulating contributions where the authors have worked hard to reach these standards. In this way we do think that the voices in Voices will continue to make a difference in the international discourse on music therapy.
