Special Focus Issue on Naturopathy

 Guest Editors:

Amie Steel, ND, PhD Peer Mentor, International Naturopathic Research Leadership Program (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney; Associate Director Research, Office of Research, Endeavour College of Natural Health, Brisbane, Australia

Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH ARCCIM International Naturopathy Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program; Director, Helfgott Research Institute, National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, Oregon; Assistant Professor, Div. of Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego

Jon Wardle, ND, PhD Secretary-General, World Naturopathic Federation; Public Health Research Advisory Group, Public Health Association of Australia; Head, Regulatory, Legislative and Policy Stream, ARCCIM, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

This year is the centennial of the first international, naturopathic tome: the 1918 Universal Naturopathic Encyclopedia Directory and Buyer's Guide. It included details and content from naturopaths in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, Venezuela and the US.

The medical discipline of naturopathy is in a period of renewal. In North America, the modern profession - known as naturopathic medicine - played an important role in the inception of both functional and integrative medicine fields. In India, it is officially a part of the resurgent collection of traditional disciplines referred to as “AYUSH”. Globally, naturopathy is recognized as a traditional medical discipline by the World Health Organization, and the World Naturopathic Federation represents naturopathy to the WHO. Research in naturopathy has grown in the last decade with multiple naturopathic medical centers establishing research departments or institutes. Now the Australian Research Centre on Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) has established the International Naturopathy Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program.

JACM is partnering with ARCCIM and its International Naturopathy Research Leadership Program for this Special Focus Issue.  The issue's guest co-editors are each involved with the program. We plan to create an Special Focus Issue that will be a reference resource in the development of naturopathy research across the paradigm, practice and policy themes to which JACM is devoted.

We invite your submissions! Articles are welcomed along the range of research methods: clinical trials, reviews, epidemiological examinations, commentaries, policy and institutional strategies on such topics as expansion of research capacity. Trials can focus on any of the treatments and therapies that are provided as part of naturopathic care — from diets and supplements, to botanicals, physical intervention and mind-body methods. Those that successfully examine the multi-modality forms of person-centered naturopathic care will be granted special consideration.

Manuscript Submission Due Date:June 30, 2018

If you have questions about the acceptability of a submission or research topic, or ideas for other submissions that might strengthen the value of this special issue, please feel free to query us via JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks.