11.6 Publishing and presenting research
7 min read•august 21, 2024
in art therapy is crucial for advancing the field and sharing new findings. By publishing their work, art therapists contribute to the growing body of knowledge, enhance their professional credibility, and foster collaboration with peers worldwide.
The publication process involves selecting appropriate journals, following formatting guidelines, and navigating peer review. Presenting research at conferences, adhering to ethical standards, and exploring open access options are also key aspects of disseminating art therapy research effectively.
Overview of research publication
- Research publication in art therapy disseminates new findings, techniques, and theoretical frameworks to advance the field
- Publishing contributes to the body of knowledge, enhances professional credibility, and fosters collaboration among art therapists
- Effective publication ensures that innovative approaches in art therapy reach practitioners and researchers globally
Importance in academic field
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- Establishes credibility and expertise in art therapy
- Facilitates knowledge sharing and advancement of therapeutic techniques
- Supports evidence-based practice by providing empirical research results
- Contributes to career advancement and tenure considerations for academic art therapists
Types of research publications
- Peer-reviewed journal articles present original research findings or theoretical analyses
- Literature reviews synthesize existing knowledge on specific art therapy topics
- Case studies detail individual client experiences and treatment outcomes
- Book chapters offer in-depth explorations of art therapy concepts or techniques
- share preliminary research or innovative ideas with peers
Preparing research for publication
Selecting appropriate journals
- Consider the journal's scope, readership, and impact factor
- Evaluate acceptance rates and publication timelines
- Review recent issues to understand the journal's preferred topics and styles
- Assess whether the journal reaches the intended audience of art therapy professionals
Manuscript formatting guidelines
- Follow specific journal requirements for structure, word count, and citation style
- Adhere to APA (American Psychological Association) formatting for most art therapy publications
- Include appropriate sections (abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion)
- Prepare high-quality images or artwork documentation as per journal specifications
Writing effective abstracts
- Concisely summarize the research purpose, methods, results, and conclusions
- Include keywords relevant to art therapy and the specific research topic
- Limit length to typically 150-300 words, depending on journal requirements
- Highlight the significance and implications of the research for art therapy practice
Peer review process
Types of peer review
- conceals author identities from reviewers
- hides both author and reviewer identities
- reveals identities of both authors and reviewers
- allows public commenting after initial publication
Responding to reviewer feedback
- Address all comments systematically and professionally
- Provide clear explanations for changes made or reasons for disagreement
- Use a response letter to outline how each comment was addressed
- Seek guidance from mentors or colleagues if unsure about specific feedback
Revising and resubmitting
- Carefully revise the manuscript based on reviewer suggestions
- Highlight changes made in the revised manuscript for easy review
- Include a detailed cover letter explaining the revisions and responses to feedback
- Be prepared for multiple rounds of revision before final acceptance
Presenting research at conferences
Oral vs poster presentations
- Oral presentations involve speaking to an audience with
- Typically 15-20 minutes long with time for questions
- Require strong public speaking skills and clear organization
- Poster presentations display research visually on a large poster
- Allow for one-on-one interactions with conference attendees
- Emphasize visual communication of key findings and methods
Developing effective visual aids
- Use clear, legible fonts and appropriate color schemes
- Incorporate relevant images, charts, or artwork samples
- Limit text on slides or posters to key points
- Ensure visual elements support and enhance the verbal presentation
Handling Q&A sessions
- Anticipate potential questions and prepare concise answers
- Listen carefully to questions and ask for clarification if needed
- Respond honestly, admitting when you don't know an answer
- Use questions as opportunities to further discuss your research implications
Ethics in research publication
Authorship guidelines
- Determine authorship based on substantial contributions to the research
- Include all individuals who meet authorship criteria
- Discuss authorship order early in the research process
- Acknowledge non-author contributors in the acknowledgments section
Avoiding plagiarism
- Properly cite all sources of information and ideas
- Use quotation marks for direct quotes and paraphrase effectively
- Obtain permission for use of copyrighted material (artwork, assessment tools)
- Utilize plagiarism detection software before submission
Conflict of interest disclosure
- Disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts
- Include funding sources and sponsor roles in the research
- Reveal any relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research
- Be transparent about dual relationships in art therapy case studies
Open access publishing
Benefits and challenges
- Increases visibility and accessibility of art therapy research
- Allows for wider dissemination of findings to practitioners and clients
- May involve publication fees (Article Processing Charges)
- Requires careful evaluation of journal quality and legitimacy
Choosing open access journals
- Verify the journal's peer review process and editorial board
- Check if the journal is indexed in reputable databases
- Look for journals affiliated with recognized art therapy associations
- Consider hybrid journals offering both traditional and open access options
Copyright and licensing options
- allow specified reuse of published material
- Retain certain rights while granting public access to research
- Understand different license types (CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-ND)
- Ensure compliance with funder requirements for open access publication
Disseminating research findings
Social media for researchers
- Use platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or ResearchGate to share publications
- Create infographics or short videos summarizing key findings
- Engage with other art therapy researchers and practitioners online
- Participate in relevant hashtags or online discussions about art therapy research
Press releases and media interviews
- Craft clear, jargon-free summaries of research for general audiences
- Highlight the practical implications of findings for art therapy clients
- Prepare key talking points before media interviews
- Provide visuals or examples that illustrate the research in accessible ways
Creating research impact
- Develop partnerships with art therapy clinics or organizations
- Offer workshops or webinars based on research findings
- Create practitioner-friendly resources or guidelines
- Collaborate with policymakers to influence art therapy practice or funding
Metrics and impact
Citation indices
- Track how often your art therapy publications are cited by others
- Understand h-index as a measure of productivity and impact
- Use tools like Google Scholar or Web of Science to monitor citations
- Consider field-specific citation patterns in art therapy
Altmetrics vs traditional metrics
- measure online attention (social media, news mentions, downloads)
- Traditional metrics focus on academic citations and journal impact factors
- Combine both to get a comprehensive view of research impact
- Recognize the value of practitioner engagement in art therapy research
Strategies for increasing impact
- Collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds or disciplines
- Present at both art therapy and broader mental health conferences
- Engage in public outreach activities to promote art therapy research
- Develop a consistent online presence as an art therapy researcher
Publishing in art therapy
Specialized journals in field
- Journal of the American Art Therapy Association
- Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal
Integrating visual elements
- Include high-quality images of artwork produced in therapy sessions
- Use diagrams to illustrate therapeutic processes or interventions
- Incorporate before-and-after images to demonstrate client progress
- Ensure proper consent and anonymization of client artwork
Case study presentations
- Provide detailed descriptions of art therapy interventions and techniques
- Include client background information relevant to the therapeutic process
- Analyze artwork produced during sessions in relation to therapeutic goals
- Discuss ethical considerations and limitations of the approach
Collaborative research publication
Multi-author coordination
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities for each author
- Use collaborative writing tools (Google Docs, Overleaf) for real-time editing
- Set deadlines for different stages of the writing and revision process
- Develop a system for managing and integrating diverse perspectives
International collaborations
- Navigate time zone differences for effective communication
- Address language barriers and ensure consistent terminology usage
- Consider cultural differences in research approaches and writing styles
- Leverage international partnerships to study cross-cultural aspects of art therapy
Interdisciplinary publications
- Combine art therapy insights with other fields (psychology, neuroscience, education)
- Explain art therapy concepts for non-specialist audiences
- Integrate diverse research methodologies and theoretical frameworks
- Highlight the unique contributions of art therapy to interdisciplinary research
Digital publishing trends
Online-only journals
- Faster publication timelines compared to print journals
- Ability to include interactive elements or supplementary materials
- Reduced production costs and increased accessibility
- Potential for continuous publication models rather than issues
Multimedia publications
- Incorporate video demonstrations of art therapy techniques
- Use audio clips to capture client testimonials or session excerpts
- Create interactive visualizations of research data
- Develop virtual galleries to showcase client artwork
Preprint servers and repositories
- Share early versions of research before formal peer review
- Increase visibility and gather feedback from the art therapy community
- Establish priority for new ideas or findings in the field
- Understand policies of target journals regarding preprint submissions
Key Terms to Review (32)
Altmetrics: Altmetrics are alternative metrics used to assess the impact and reach of research outputs beyond traditional citation counts. They provide insights into how research is shared, discussed, and used in social media, news articles, blogs, and other online platforms, reflecting a broader view of research influence. This approach emphasizes the importance of immediate engagement and public interest in research findings, making it a valuable tool for authors and institutions to gauge their visibility in today's digital age.
Art therapy: journal of the american art therapy association: The 'Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association' is a scholarly publication dedicated to the field of art therapy, providing a platform for research, clinical practices, and theoretical discussions. This journal plays a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and advancements in art therapy, promoting best practices and evidence-based approaches. It serves as an essential resource for professionals, students, and researchers looking to enhance their understanding of how art can be used therapeutically.
Authorship guidelines: Authorship guidelines are a set of criteria and principles that dictate how authorship is determined and attributed in research and academic publications. These guidelines aim to ensure that all individuals who contribute significantly to a study are appropriately credited, thereby maintaining ethical standards in research dissemination.
Case study: A case study is a qualitative research method that involves an in-depth examination of a specific individual, group, or situation to gain a comprehensive understanding of complex issues in real-life contexts. This approach is particularly useful in fields like psychology and therapy, as it allows for a detailed exploration of personal experiences, therapeutic processes, and outcomes, helping practitioners learn from particular instances to inform broader practices.
Cathy Malchiodi: Cathy Malchiodi is a prominent figure in the field of art therapy, known for her extensive contributions to the understanding and practice of therapeutic art interventions. She has played a key role in advancing the discipline through her research, publications, and innovative approaches to using art in healing processes across various populations.
Citation indices: Citation indices are tools that track and analyze the citations of scholarly articles and other academic publications. These indices help researchers measure the impact and reach of their work, providing valuable metrics like citation counts and h-index, which indicate an author's productivity and influence in their field.
Collage-making: Collage-making is an artistic process that involves assembling different materials, such as paper, fabric, photographs, and found objects, to create a unified artwork. This technique allows artists to explore various textures, colors, and forms, promoting creativity and expression. In addition, collage-making can be utilized in research presentations to visually represent complex ideas and data through a combination of images and text, making information more accessible and engaging.
Conference proceedings: Conference proceedings are a collection of academic papers and presentations that were presented at a conference, typically compiled and published in a formal format. They serve as a valuable resource for researchers to share findings, discuss advancements, and provide a record of the scholarly discussions that took place during the event. These documents often include peer-reviewed papers, abstracts, and summaries, highlighting the most significant contributions made at the conference.
Confidentiality: Confidentiality refers to the ethical and legal duty to protect private information shared by clients during therapy sessions. It is a crucial aspect of building trust in the therapeutic relationship, ensuring that clients feel safe to express their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment or disclosure.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Conflict of interest disclosure refers to the process of revealing any personal or financial interests that could influence or appear to influence a researcher's judgment or actions in the course of conducting and publishing research. This practice is vital in maintaining transparency and integrity, ensuring that potential biases are acknowledged and addressed to uphold the credibility of the research process.
Creative Commons Licenses: Creative Commons licenses are a set of public copyright licenses that enable creators to share their work legally while allowing others to use, modify, and distribute it under specified conditions. These licenses provide a flexible range of protections and freedoms for authors, artists, and educators, fostering collaboration and innovation while ensuring proper attribution and respect for the creator's rights.
Double-blind review: Double-blind review is a process used in academic publishing where both the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous to each other. This method helps to eliminate bias in the evaluation of research, ensuring that the review is based solely on the quality of the work rather than on the identity or reputation of the authors.
Effectiveness: Effectiveness refers to the degree to which something produces a desired result or fulfills its intended purpose. In research, it evaluates how well an intervention or method achieves the expected outcomes, which is crucial for validating the utility and success of various approaches in practice.
Expressive therapies continuum: The expressive therapies continuum is a framework that illustrates the range of expressive arts therapies, from more structured, directive approaches to less structured, open-ended methods. This model helps practitioners understand how different modalities, such as art, music, and drama, can be utilized at various points along the continuum to facilitate healing and self-expression in clients. It emphasizes the therapeutic potential of creative processes and how they can be adapted to meet individual needs and preferences.
Gestalt Theory: Gestalt Theory is a psychological approach that emphasizes the understanding of phenomena as organized, structured wholes rather than as separate parts. This perspective highlights how individuals perceive patterns and forms in a holistic manner, influencing various therapeutic practices, including art therapy, by focusing on the client's overall experience and the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Informed Consent: Informed consent is the process of obtaining permission from a client before conducting any assessment, treatment, or intervention, ensuring that they are fully aware of what it entails and its potential risks and benefits. This concept is crucial in establishing trust and respect between the client and therapist, as it supports the ethical practice of art therapy while emphasizing the client's autonomy and decision-making rights.
International Journal of Art Therapy: The International Journal of Art Therapy is a scholarly publication that focuses on the research, practice, and education of art therapy. It serves as a platform for professionals in the field to share findings, theoretical perspectives, and innovative practices related to art therapy. The journal aims to advance the knowledge base in this area, encouraging the dissemination of quality research and fostering a global community of art therapists.
Literature review: A literature review is a comprehensive survey of existing research and scholarly articles on a particular topic, synthesizing findings to provide an overview of current knowledge and gaps in the field. It serves as a critical foundation for research, helping to justify the significance of new studies by demonstrating how they fit within the larger context of existing work.
Longitudinal study: A longitudinal study is a research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables over a long period of time. This approach allows researchers to track changes and developments in subjects, making it useful for understanding trends, causal relationships, and the long-term effects of certain factors.
Mixed methods: Mixed methods is an approach to research that combines both qualitative and quantitative techniques to gather and analyze data. This method allows researchers to draw on the strengths of both types of data, providing a more comprehensive understanding of a research question. By integrating multiple perspectives, mixed methods can enhance the validity and richness of findings.
Narrative storytelling: Narrative storytelling is the art of conveying a story through a structured sequence of events, often focusing on characters, conflict, and resolution. This method is used to engage audiences emotionally and intellectually, creating a relatable context that allows for deeper understanding and connection. In research contexts, narrative storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for presenting findings in a way that resonates with readers, making complex information more accessible and memorable.
Open access publishing: Open access publishing is a model of scholarly publishing that allows readers to access research articles and other academic content freely without subscription or payment. This approach promotes the dissemination of knowledge, making it more accessible to a broader audience, including researchers, practitioners, and the general public. It contrasts with traditional publishing models where access to content is restricted by paywalls and subscription fees.
Open peer review: Open peer review is a transparent and inclusive process of evaluating scholarly work where the identities of both the authors and reviewers are known to each other. This approach encourages accountability and constructive feedback, promoting higher quality research and fostering collaboration among researchers. By making the peer review process more open, it aims to eliminate biases and enhance the integrity of scientific publishing.
Painting therapy: Painting therapy is a therapeutic practice that uses painting as a means of expression to facilitate emotional healing and personal insight. This approach encourages individuals to explore their feelings and experiences through the creative process of painting, allowing for self-discovery and a deeper understanding of their emotions. By engaging in this artistic expression, clients can communicate non-verbally, which can be especially beneficial for those who find it challenging to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
Peer-reviewed journals: Peer-reviewed journals are academic publications that require submitted articles to be evaluated and critiqued by experts in the field before they can be published. This process ensures that only high-quality research, with validated methodologies and credible findings, is disseminated to the academic community and the public. The rigorous review process helps maintain the integrity of scientific literature and contributes to the advancement of knowledge within various disciplines.
Post-publication peer review: Post-publication peer review refers to the process of evaluating research after it has been published, allowing for ongoing critique and discussion within the academic community. This approach emphasizes transparency and encourages feedback from a broader audience, potentially improving the quality of research and its application in practice. It stands apart from traditional peer review, which occurs before publication, providing a platform for continuous assessment and dialogue.
Research publication: A research publication is a formal written document that presents original findings, analysis, and conclusions of a research study, intended for distribution within the academic or professional community. It serves as a means of sharing knowledge, validating research through peer review, and contributing to the body of literature in a specific field.
Shaun McNiff: Shaun McNiff is a prominent figure in the field of art therapy, known for his contributions to the understanding and practice of integrating creativity with healing. He has emphasized the importance of art as a means of self-expression and has advocated for a deeper exploration of the relationship between artistic processes and therapeutic outcomes. His work connects with various aspects of art therapy, highlighting the interplay between creative expression and psychological well-being.
Single-blind review: A single-blind review is a peer review process where the reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know who the reviewers are. This method is designed to reduce bias in the evaluation of research by keeping the authors anonymous while allowing reviewers to provide objective feedback based on the quality of the work.
The arts in psychotherapy: The arts in psychotherapy refers to the integration of creative modalities such as visual arts, music, dance, and drama into therapeutic practices. This approach allows individuals to express emotions and thoughts in non-verbal ways, fostering healing and self-discovery while enhancing traditional psychotherapy techniques. By engaging with art forms, clients can explore their feelings and experiences in a safe environment, promoting deeper insight and personal growth.
Therapeutic Alliance: The therapeutic alliance refers to the collaborative and trusting relationship between a therapist and a client, essential for effective therapy. This bond is built on mutual respect, understanding, and agreement on therapy goals, which play a crucial role in the healing process and self-expression.
Visual Aids: Visual aids are tools that help to convey information through graphical representations, such as charts, graphs, images, and slides. They enhance communication by making complex information more understandable and engaging for the audience, ultimately supporting better retention of the material presented.