Manual Therapy 20 (2015) 1

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Manual Therapy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/math

Editorial

An anniversary year

A warm welcome to 2015 and to this issue of the Manual Therapy Journal. This year is notable as it marks the 20th anniversary of
the journal. It is an interesting exercise to glance through the many
issues of Manual Therapy over this time. The manuscripts certainly
provide an historical path of the modern era of manual therapy.
They document the ever evolving science and practice of manual
therapy and possibly suggest that the more, all-encompassing
term musculoskeletal physiotherapy is probably a better reection
of this modern era. A feature of note is the increase in numbers of
manuscripts passing the international review process and being
published. This current very large issue of Manual Therapy is witness to the increased research productivity worldwide in the eld
and speaks of a vibrant and advancing eld of practice.
Quantity is not a meaningful benchmark if it is not associated
with quality research. As an indication of our commitment to publishing quality research Manual Therapy in 2014, joined a consort of
leading rehabilitation journals and adopted the use of mandatory
reporting guidelines (see editorial, Chan and Heinemann, 2014).
The purpose of these guidelines is to assist researchers in both
the design and reporting of their research and is a major step to
further enhance research quality internationally across many disciplines. This step follows the 2013 initiative by the international
consortium of physiotherapy journal editors, of which Manual
Therapy is a member, for the mandatory registration of clinical trials for publication (see editorials by Costa et al., 2013; Cook et al.,
2014). The requirement for mandatory registration of any study
which prospectively tests the effect of an intervention on a human
subject has had a progressive implementation in Manual Therapy
over the last 18 months, with 2015 marking full implemented.
Mandatory registration of clinical trials has been adopted by all
leading medical and allied health journals as it is imperative to
ensure quality and transparency in reporting the results of clinical
trials. The editors are often contacted about whether Manual Therapy would welcome qualitative studies. Manual Therapy welcomes
all types of studies whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed
methods in their approaches. Qualitative studies add valuable perspectives from patients or the practitioners themselves and the
journal welcomes the submission of good quality qualitative
studies which, as with quantitative studies, fulll the reporting
guidelines. Reporting guidelines for all research categories not
only aim to enhance research quality, but also produce quality
reporting for the readership. We trust the quality of manuscripts

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2014.12.004
1356-689X/ 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

will continue to increase in 2015 and beyond with the full implementation of these initiatives.
The next two years are exciting times for physiotherapists and
musculoskeletal physiotherapists with the World Congress of Physical Therapy taking place in Singapore from May 1st to May 4th
2015 and with the IFOMPT conference taking place from 4th July
to 8th July 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. These events offer great
opportunities for continuing professional development and for international exchange. Manual Therapy Journal will be present at
both these international events and we will look forward to
meeting with as many of our readers as possible.
Finally, as editors, we would like to thank all involved in the
Journal activities over the last year, particularly our Associate Editors, our International Advisory Board members and all of the reviewers who have done such sterling work throughout 2014. We
would like to give special thanks to Dr Chad Cook who is leaving
us as an Associate Editor to focus more on his academic and
research activities. Dr Cook has made a very valuable contribution
to the Editorial Board during his time as an associate editor and
he will be greatly missed. We wish him every success in his future
academic roles.
We would like to wish all readers and contributors a very successful, inspiring and fullling 2015.
References
Chan L, Heinemann AW. Reprint of: elevating the quality of disability and rehabilitation research: mandatory use of the reporting guidelines. Man Ther
2014;19(2):87e9.
Cook C, Jull G, Moore A. Registration of clinical trials for publication. Man Ther
2014;19(4):279e80.
Costa L, Lin C, Bevilaqua Grossi D, Mancini M, Swisher A, Cook C, et al. Editorial:
clinical trial registration in physiotherapy journals: recommendations from
the International Society of Physiotherapy Journal Editors. Man Ther
2013;18(1):1e3.

Ann Moore*, Gwendolen Jull

University of Brighton, School of Health Sciences, 49 Darley Road,
Eastbourne BN20 7UR, United Kingdom
*

Corresponding author. Tel.: 44 (0)1273 643772; fax: 44(0)

1273 643652.
E-mail address: A.P.Moore@brighton.ac.uk (A. Moore).