Australian Journal of Emergency Management

Contributor guidelines

Name: Australian Journal of Emergency Management contributors guidelines
Start: 0001-01-01
End: 0001-01-01
Location: National

The Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM) supports a disaster resilient Australasia. AJEM has published research, reports and relevant information related to emergency and disaster issues across society, all levels of government, community, business and non-government sectors since 1986.

The purpose of the publication is to create a world-class journal to advance disaster resilience and emergency management research, evidence, knowledge and practice, reflecting a system-wide perspective.

AJEM is well regarded within the national and international community for scholarly research papers and practice articles underpinned by evidence, and dialogue about issues at the forefront of disaster resilience or emergency management.

AJEM’s practitioner-based audience is well placed to implement research findings, and the open access publication supports accessibility of new and emerging knowledge.

AJEM follows a double-blind refereeing process for research articles undergoing peer review. It is published quarterly (January, April, July and October) and welcomes cross-cutting, interdisciplinary and innovative articles addressing multi-faceted aspects of emergency management.

AJEM is a publication of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) and is funded by the Australian Government.

AJEM is published under a Creative Commons 4 [CC BY-NC] license. AJEM is an open access publication available via the Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub.

Types of AJEM articles

AJEM accepts a range of article submissions including research papers, reports, news and views, opinions, book reviews and letters to the editor. AJEM also considers thematic submissions, such as ‘seed articles’ for the Viewpoints series and proposals for special editions of the journal.

Submission types are detailed below. Contributors should nominate an article type when submitting their article for consideration.

Research paper

Research suitable for AJEM reports the findings of original research. Other types of research includes reviews, methods papers, data papers, short communications and case studies.

Commensurate with the type of work undertaken, research papers should follow a discipline-standard approach to scholarship, research practice, article style, composition and structure. Research papers should have the markers of research scholarship such as (but not limited to):

defining and justifying a research problem using the literature
a clear research aim
data collection undertaken using justified and standard methodologies
findings described using data and evidence
discussion of findings in relation to the proposition
a sound conclusion.

Research papers should follow a structure:

Abstract
Self-contained, citation-free and should not exceed 200 words.
Introduction
Succinct, with no subheadings. It should include the aim and relevance of the research.
Materials and methods
Provide enough detail for others to be able to replicate the study.
Ethics Statement
Where ethics approval is required, include the ethics committee and approval number.
References
See Contributor Guidelines for citation and referencing information.
About the author(s)
Provide a 2-3-sentence bio about each author.

Original research papers can be up to 8,000 words (excluding references, tables and figures, abstract and acknowledgements).

In line with previous AJEM policies, shorter 5,000 word papers can be submitted and should align with scholarly markers of research. Supplementary files (available for online publishing only) can be used for relevant material not forming part of the main article. These include datasets, computer code or questionnaires.

Research papers undergo double-blind peer review. Peer reviewers with expertise in the area are appointed to assess the validity, quality and contribution of the article. For further information, see the AJEM Editorial Policy. Authors should carefully assess their material and consider whether it meets the markers of a research paper or whether the material is suited as an alternative type of submission.

Peer review generally takes 4 weeks for a first review and, if required, another 3 weeks for reviewers to consider research paper revisions. Authors will be given an opportunity to make amendments to research papers during the review process.

Research papers should be original, have not been published previously and are not being considered for publication elsewhere.

Report

Reports are descriptions of practices, projects, incidents, research, major initiatives and policies of interest to those sectors with a role or interest in disaster resilience or emergency management, and be within the scope of AJEM. They might communicate in detail the findings of a consultancy, an exercise, a project, a workshop, an excerpt from a research project, a practice enhancement or a new or revised policy or initiative.

The difference between a report and a research paper is that a report does not need to have the scholarly markers of research. However, reports are expected to convey a clear narrative, refer to the literature where relevant, be well-written, concise and free of errors and inaccuracies.

Reports can be up to 4,000 words (including references). They can include photographs, data, tables and figures. Reports should include citations and references to source material depending on the subject matter (See Contributor Guidelines for citation and referencing guidance). Reports are not double-blind peer reviewed but may be single peer reviewed if required.

News and views

News and views articles are short information and communication articles describing events, program updates, announcements, initiatives, policies, workshop outcomes, professional development and other items of interest to AJEM readers, including obituaries.

News and views articles can be 500–800 words and contain photographs or other visual materials, as well as links to online information. News and views articles are not peer reviewed. AJEM will not publish articles promoting a named product or service of an individual or firm.

Viewpoints

Viewpoints is a forum exploring cross-cutting and emerging issues within disaster resilience and emergency management research and practice. A ‘seed article’ forms the core of Viewpoints and responses to the seed article are sought from respected and experienced researchers, practitioners or others.

The seed article is 1,500 words and critiques a cross-cutting or emerging issue, proposing some change, idea, advancement or issue. Responses to the seed article (approx. 500 words) are invited by the publisher. Viewpoints is not peer reviewed.

Opinions

Opinion pieces offer advanced critiques of current or emerging issues in disaster resilience and emergency management. Authors of opinion articles must be highly qualified or have substantial expertise or experience in the area being discussed. Opinions must be evidence-based, well-considered and well-argued. Opinions might propose new approaches to policy issues, review a practice with evidence or highlight topical and significant debates relevant to research or practice.

Opinion pieces must be no longer than 500–800 words. Opinion pieces will be evaluated by the Editorial Committee.

The committee reserves the right to request revisions or reject articles that are not of sufficient standard, fail to argue a case, contain factual or other errors or mention individuals or agencies where permission has not been provided. Opinion pieces are not peer reviewed.

Book review

Book reviews are 500-word articles reviewing a recently published book of interest to those sectors with a role or interest in disaster resilience or emergency management. Book reviews should summarise what the book is about and also critique the application, concepts and advances in thinking, research or practice, proposed or outlined by the book within disaster resilience or emergency management contexts. For example: ‘Why would this book be a useful read for those with specific or general roles within emergency management and related sectors?’

The Editorial Committee may invite reviews of books, or book reviews may be submitted independently. Book reviews are not peer reviewed.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should be no longer than 300 words, must refer to an article published in the most recent edition of AJEM and must include the writer’s name(s), address and contact details.

Special issues of AJEM

AJEM publishes special editions to showcase cutting-edge, innovative or significant topics in the practice, science, knowledge or conceptualisation of disaster resilience or emergency management.

The requirement for a special issue is a set of at least 4 research papers on the topic that have completed AJEM peer review. These research papers may be supplemented with other types of articles, such as reports, news and views or opinion.

Citation and referencing

Research and non-research papers submitted to AJEM must cite relevant, timely and verified literature to support any claims made. AJEM compiles to the Australian Government Style Manual and uses the Harvard author-date system of in-text citation.

References should also be compiled at the end of the paper in Harvard style. Footnotes may be used (sparingly) for other purposes. While the editors will endeavour to advise and assist, articles not using Harvard referencing will be returned to authors for correction before publication can proceed.

In-text citation

For works by 1 or 2 authors

Jones (2017)
Jones and Smith (2017) [not Jones & Smith, 2017]
Reference list should be: Jones J and Smith S (2017) When disasters happen…. [not Jones, J., and Smith, S., 2017, When disasters happen…]

For a work by 3 or more authors, use the first author’s name plus ‘et al.’ (meaning ‘and others’) in the in-text citation. All authors’ names are included in the reference list.

Jones at al. (2017) [not Jones, et al., (2017)]
Reference list should be: Jones J, Smith S, Black B and Green G (2017) [not Jones, J., Smith, S., Black, B., & Green, G., 2017,]

Use a and b to differentiate works by the same author(s) published in the same year.

Include page numbers in the in-text citation only when the work has page numbers and you’re including a direct quotation. Use a colon between the date and page number (e.g. Cretney 2018: p.125).

Reference examples

Research paper or report

Cretney RM (2018) ‘Beyond public meetings: Diverse forms of community led recovery following disaster’. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 28:22–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijdrr.2018.02.035

Cutter SL, Barnes L, Berry M, Burton C, Evans E, Tate E and Webb J (2008) ‘A place-based model for understanding community resilience to natural disasters’. Global Environmental Change, 18:598–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008.07.013

Gonzalez-Mathiesen C, March A, Leonard J, Holland M and Blanchi M (2019) Urban planning: historical changes integrating bushfire risk management in Victoria. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 34(3): 60-66.

Penman TD, Collins L, Syphard AD, Keeley JE and Bradstock RA (2014) ‘Influence of fuels, weather and the built environment on the exposure of property to wildfire’. PLoS ONE, 9(10): Article e111414. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111414

For online-only journals, the article number is used rather than page numbers. Authors can report volume only or volume and issue. References to papers can include the DOI if available. Please be consistent.

Book

Tierney K. (2014) The social roots of risk: Producing disasters, promoting resilience. Stanford University Press.

Comfort LK, Boin A and Demchak CC. (Eds.) (2010) Designing resilience: Preparing for extreme events. University of Pittsburgh Press.

Chapter in an edited book

O’Brien D, Elliott C and McNiven B. (2017) Ten years of great love: The evolution of housing reconstruction in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. In: A. March and M. Kornakova (Eds.), Urban planning for disaster recovery (pp. 189-208). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Report

Department of Home Affairs. (2018) National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. Commonwealth of Australia. https:// www.homeaffairs.gov.au/emergency/files/national-disaster-risk-reduction-framework.pdf

Gibbs L, Molyneaux R, Harms L, Gallagher HC, Block K, Richardson J, Brandenburg V, O’Donnell M, Kellett C, Quinn P, Kosta L, Brady K, Ireton G, MacDougall C. and Bryant R. (2021). 10 years beyond bushfires report. University of Melbourne. https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3645090/BB-10-years-report_spread.pdf

Website

Page dated

Kuneida Y. (2021, May 5) Counting women: using disaggregated data to build resilience. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. https://www.undrr.org/news/counting-women-using-disaggregated-data-build-resilience

Page undated

National Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.) Tsunami monitoring and detection network. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 16 March 2024 from https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/ get-ready/get-tsunami-ready/tsunami-monitoring-and-detection-network

Full details and further examples are available at: https://www. stylemanual.gov.au/referencing-and-attribution

Further guidance

Author information

The following information should be included with each submission:

Research paper or article title
Full author name(s) and post nominals
ORCID number (if available)
Author(s) biographical paragraph of 40-50 words (research papers and reports only)
Full institutional title, city and state/country
Email address(es)

Acknowledgements and disclosures

All acknowledgments (if any) should be included. This includes anyone who made a contribution to the research or research paper, but who is not a listed author (i.e. reviewers) (with their permission).

Authors must declare all relevant interests that could be perceived as conflicting. Authors should explain why each interest may represent a conflict. If no conflicts exist, the authors should state this. Submitting authors are responsible for co-authors declaring their interests.

Authors must state how the research and publication of their article was funded, by naming financially supporting body or bodies (written out in full) followed by associated grant number(s) in square brackets (if applicable). For example: “This work was supported by the XXX [grant numbers xxxx, yyyy].

Authors are encouraged to include a statement about the location and accessibility of data if appropriate to the article.

If the research did not receive specific funding but was performed as part of the employment of the authors, this employer should be named. If the funder was involved in the writing, editing, approval, or decision to publish, this should be declared.

Formatting

Research papers and articles submitted to AJEM must be in English, written clearly and concisely and adhere to AJEM requirements for formatting and presentation as established in the Australian Government Style Manual. Submissions that do not comply will be returned for rectification.

All articles should be submitted in electronic MS Word compatible format and include page and line numbering. Any tables, figures and charts used in the text should be provided in their electronic file format as separate files (please ensure the file is MS Word compatible). All print-ready images should be supplied as separate files.

Tables and figures should be cited consecutively in the text. Every table must have a descriptive title and if numerical measurements are given, the units should be included in the column heading.

Any figures, charts and photos incorporated into the text should be provided in electronic file formats. Print-ready images should be supplied as separate files. Authors should indicate an appropriate placement of the image and provide an associated caption within the text.

Images must be in JPEG, TIF or EPS formats at 300 dpi. Appropriate captions and image credit should accompany the submission. If figures, tables or images have been published elsewhere they must be identified, and permission by the copyright holder must be provided.

Submission and article processing

Research papers

All research papers submitted for peer review are emailed to the AJEM Managing Editor at ajem_editor@aidr.org.au. The Managing Editor will assess the paper for suitability and provide information to authors about article processing procedures.

Reports, news and views, viewpoints, opinion pieces, book reviews, letters to the editor and special editions

All non-peer reviewed articles are emailed to ajem@aidr.org.au.

All articles submitted for consideration for publication must be accompanied by a completed Copyright Release Form.

All articles submitted will be considered for publication however, the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Committee reserve the right to edit or to reject unsuitable material.

Corrected proofs of articles must be returned to the Managing Editor within two to three days of receipt. The publisher will do everything possible to ensure prompt publication in the next available issue of AJEM.

Editorial policy

Purpose

The Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AJEM) supports a disaster resilient Australasia. AJEM has published research, reports and relevant information related to emergency and disaster issues across society, all levels of government, community, business and non-government sectors since 1986.

AJEM is for researchers, policymakers and practitioners across diverse sectors with an interest in emergency management, disaster resilience, disaster risk reduction, risk analysis and mitigation, emergency response and recovery, policy and program development and delivery, planning for natural hazards and community engagement, among others.

Aim

To advance the knowledge and practice of all sectors and with a role or interest in strengthening disaster resilience and emergency management in Australasia, through the dissemination of high-quality research and information from the academic and practitioner communities.

AJEM does this by:

publishing high-quality research from Australasia and internationally
attracting practitioners looking for information and current thinking on disaster resilience and emergency management research and practice
facilitating discourse to enhance capability
stimulating discussion about innovative disaster resilience and emergency management policy and practice
being a pathway for practitioners to report and describe events, trends and issues relevant to risk reduction and resilience
publishing current trends in disaster resilience and emergency management.

Scope and inclusions

The journal is both scholarly and practical in its orientation.

AJEM publishes peer-reviewed research papers, and non peer-reviewed reports, news and views, viewpoints, opinions and book reviews. Research papers constitute original research and should be methodologically sound, theoretically informed and of relevance to the AJEM audience.

AJEM publishes contributions in the areas of:

emergency management
disaster resilience
disaster science
disaster risk reduction
risk analysis and mitigation
prevention, preparedness, response and recovery
disaster and emergency management policy and governance
community engagement.

AJEM welcomes cross-cutting, interdisciplinary and innovative articles addressing multi-faceted aspects of emergency management including, but not limited to, compounding and cascading disasters, disasters associated with climate change, emerging risks, behavioural and practice change, lessons learning, policy reform, public-private partnerships, sectoral collaborations and hazard futures. AJEM recognises the complexity of practices, sectors, disciplines and approaches to emergency and disaster management and the Editorial Committee will consider all submissions.

AJEM is not a vehicle for the advocacy of political or politically ideological matters or business interests and will not publish articles promoting a named product or service of an individual or firm.

Display and classified advertising may be accepted for publication with agreement from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to insert the word ‘Advertisement’ above or below any copy.

Sector relevance and readership

AJEM articles feature extensive analysis, considered views, lessons learnt and insights into current and future issues from researchers and practitioners. AJEM’s practitioner-based audience is well placed to implement research findings, and the open access publication supports accessibility of new and emerging knowledge.

Subscribers are from emergency services and disaster management; all levels of government; academia; non-government, not-for-profit, business sectors and community-based organisations, across Australasia and internationally.

In 2023, AJEM recorded an audience of almost 4,500 subscribers. The online version of AJEM recorded more than 485,500 pageviews in 2023, and just over 14,300 downloads.

AJEM is a publication of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) and is funded by the Australian Government.

Frequency of publication and open access

AJEM is published and distributed in accordance with the Editorial Policy and approved by the Editor-in-Chief. AJEM is published quarterly (January, April, July and October).

All editions are available in HTML open access and downloadable PDF per article and per edition.

AJEM is published under a Creative Commons 4 [CC BY-NC] license.

Editorial governance

Editorial Committee

The Editorial Committee has editorial content responsibility for the publication. The committee meets 8 times a year to administer and manage the production of editions. Membership is voluntary and at the invitation of the publisher.

Editorial Committee members represent:

Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
Australian Government National Emergency Management Agency
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Natural Hazards Research Australia
AFAC
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor

Editorial Advisory Board

The Editorial Advisory Board provides advice to the publisher and provides recommendations on matters regarding AJEM and its purpose and function. The board meets at least 2 times a year. Membership is voluntary and at the invitation of the publisher.

The Chair of the board holds personal expertise and knowledge in emergency management or disaster resilience principles and issues. Members of the board are chosen for contributions to their disciplines.

The Editorial Advisory Board’s role is to:

establish and maintain a direction for AJEM and review its aims and purpose as required
review and advise on AJEM direction, coverage and balance of content
manage issues affecting the viability of AJEM (e.g. format, distribution)
advise on legal and procedural arrangements appropriate to the function of AJEM
advise on future enhancements and developments.

The current Editorial Advisory Board membership is listed online.

Publication requirements - general

Permission to publish

Authors should ensure they have the appropriate permissions from their organisation to publish. The Editorial Committee may contact the author’s organisation for clarity about the submission or confirm permission for content to be published.

Authors must obtain the necessary permissions to include material that is owned and held in copyright by a third party (e.g. proprietary text, illustrations, tables). Photos that can reveal the identity of people must have received the permission of those people to use the image in AJEM.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated content

Authors who use AI tools to produce their article, either in text, images and figures, or in the collection and analysis of data, must be transparent in disclosing how the AI tool was used and which tool was used. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their article, including that which is produced by an AI tool, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics.

Conflict of interest

Authors must disclose:

all sources of funding for the research supporting any article offered to AJEM for publication.
any personal or professional relationships with other people or organisations that could, or could be seen to, inappropriately influence (bias) their work.

Decision to publish

All articles submitted will be considered for publication in the AJEM, however, the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Committee reserve the right to edit or to reject unsuitable material. Final decision to publish lies with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience as the AJEM publisher.

Grievance procedure

This procedure controls the means to address grievances by authors whose submission, articles, letters or other material are rejected for publication:

The grievance must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Editorial Committee within 7 days of notice that a submission has been rejected for publication.
The grievance will be considered by the Editorial Committee with the exception that any member of the committee may not participate in the consideration of the grievance if they have a conflict of interest. A majority vote of the remaining members of the committee is required to resolve the grievance.
If the required number of votes cannot be obtained, the grievance will be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief for resolution. An independent ad hoc committee consisting of not less than 3 members of the Editorial Committee will vote on the grievance.
The grievance will be acted within 30 days from receipt. The decision will be in writing and will be final.

Article processing charges

AJEM does not charge publication fees.

Publication requirements – research papers

Authorship

Authors of research papers should ensure that practices and policies of research authorship set by their organisation and by the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research are followed. This includes appropriate and fair attribution of authorship, accountability for outputs and acknowledging contributions other than authorship.

All authors must approve the research output before its submission for publication and, in doing so, agree to be accountable for it. The corresponding author must keep written records that confirm that approval has been obtained from all authors.

Authors listed on research papers must meet all the following criteria:

They have made a significant contribution to the work (e.g. conception, study design, execution, data collection, analysis and interpretation).
They have drafted or written, or substantially revised or reviewed the paper.
They have agreed that the paper will be submitted to AJEM.
They have reviewed and agreed on all versions of the article before submission, during revision, the final version accepted for publication and any significant changes made at the proofing stage.
They agree to take responsibility and be accountable for the contents of the paper and to share responsibility to resolve any questions raised about the accuracy or integrity of the published work.

Peer review process

Peer reviewing of research papers plays a critical part in determining the scholarly standing of AJEM. Peer review serves 2 functions – a filter to ensure research is properly verified before being published; and it improves the quality of the research (in that rigorous review by expert others determines the scholarly merit of the work and highlights points for revision). AJEM follows a double-blind refereeing process where the reviewers are not provided with the author’s details and any feedback to the author(s) has reviewer details withheld.

Referral of possible misconduct

In cases where research misconduct or dishonesty in research submitted for peer review is suspected or alleged, the Editorial Committee reserves the right to forward any submitted research paper to the contributor’s associated organisation or other appropriate authority for investigation. The Editorial Committee will ensure that misconduct is appropriately pursued but will not undertake the actual investigation or make determinations of misconduct.

Ethics approval

Research involving human participants, animals or clinical trials must have been approved by the author’s institutional ethics committee or other authoritative review board. Informed consent must be obtained from all human participants. Authors must include in the Methods section a brief statement identifying the institutional or licensing committee approving the research, and the approval number.

AJEM is published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia license. The AJEM Copyright Release Form must be completed by all authors and emailed to the Managing Editor alongside the article.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyright material from other sources and should check that references to people and organisations are accurate and not libellous. While the publishers take every effort to ensure accuracy, they do not accept responsibility for mistakes or the consequences that may arise from them.

Authors retain the copyright of their articles, and all open access articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.

Liability

While the advice and information in AJEM is believed to be true and accurate on the date of publication, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher accept any legal responsibility for errors or omissions. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material published in AJEM.

Documents

Guidance for authors contributing content to AJEM

Contributor guidelines (PDF 188KB)

Editorial policy (PDF 991KB)