Content and bibliometric analyses of the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy

Abstract

Background: Article characteristics and trends have been elucidated for other physical therapy-focused journals using content and bibliometric analysis. These findings are important for assessing the current state of a journal and for guiding future publication of research. To date, these analyses have not been performed for the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy (JMMT). Objective: To describe content and trends for articles published in JMMT over a 20-year period (1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012). Methods: Journal articles were coded using previously-established domains (article type, participant type, research design, study purpose, and clinical condition). Total publications and proportion of publications based on domain were described. Articles specific to manual therapy intervention were examined and compared to data from other physical therapy-focused journals. Impact by citation and author was examined using bibliometric software. Results: Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy was found to have a recent acceleration in the number of articles published annually. Over time, topical reviews have decreased in favor of research reports. However, rigorous study designs have represented only a small portion of total journal content, and case reports have maintained a consistent publication presence. Manual therapy intervention articles in JMMT are predominantly case designs, however are similar in characteristics to manual therapy intervention articles published in other physical therapy-focused journals. For JMMT articles overall and manual therapy intervention articles across journals, young to middle-aged symptomatic adults with low back and/or neck pain were the most common study participants. Discussion: Increases in the number of papers and a move toward research reports were observed in JMMT over the 20-year period. Considerations for the future were outlined, including the publication of articles with more rigorous research designs. Manual therapy research for adolescents and older adults and for upper and lower extremity conditions should also be considered as priorities for the future.Keywords: Content, Bibliometric, Analysis, Trends, Manual therapy, Intervention IntroductionThe Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy (JMMT), currently the official journal of five international manual therapy associations, 1 is an important journal for disseminating manual therapy-related research in physical therapy. The mission of JMMT is to publish 'original research, case reports, and reviews of the literature that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of manual therapy, clinical research, therapeutic practice, and academic training'. information about publication strengths and weaknesses which, in turn, may help drive future research and journal content. To our knowledge, however, a comprehensive bibliometric study has not been performed in a journal devoted to manual therapy. While both JOSPT and PTJ...

An Overview of Thematic Evolution of Physical Therapy Research Area From 1951 to 2013

“…Last, it is interesting to highlight the theme Low Back Pain,which seems to be a growing thematic area with a growing pattern in the future. The presence of these themes is also related to those topics suggested by Simon et al (2014).…”

“…This thematic area achieves the highest performance values. Its appearance is related to Simon et al (2014) conclusions: "the main participants in Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy studies were young to middle-aged symptomatic adults with low back and/or neck pain. " The importance of muscle function, diseases, and anatomical aspects is high; their performance values are good, especially the thematic area focused on muscle contraction aspects.…”

“…They concluded that 81 representative terms constituted the 90% of all concurrences (a total of 532 terms). Simon et al (2014) analyzed the content and scientific trend of the articles published in the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy from 1993 to 2012. As conclusion, the research for adolescents, older adults, and for upper and lower extremity were considered as important for the future.…”

Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going: A Content Analysis of Articles Published in the Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy From 2005 to 2015

“…9 Svien et al, 7 for example, reviewed articles published in Pediatric Physical Therapy, the official journal of the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the APTA, and categorized each based on type, level of evidence, and topic area. From these data, the authors provided recommendations to enhance evidence-based practice in this specialization.…”

“…Since specialty journals of APTA sections are managed under similar but unrelated systems, it is unclear whether content focus or trends in JWHPT reflect patterns that have been observed in other specialty physical therapy journals. 7–9 …”