Home

Welcome

The International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters (IJMED) is published by the International Research Committee on Disasters, which is RC 39 of the International Sociological Association (ISA). As the official journal of the IRCD, IJMED focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of relatively sudden collective stress situations typically referred to as disasters or mass emergencies. To increase dissemination of scholarly research on disasters to other disciplines and, especially, to scholars in developing countries, back issues (older than three years) are available free of charge.

About Us

Official Journal of the Research Committee on Disasters International Sociological Association

The Journal addresses issues of theory, research, planning, and policy. The central purpose is publication of results of scientific research, theoretical and policy studies, and scholarly accounts of such events as floods and earthquakes, explosions and massive fires, disorderly crowds and riots, energy cut-offs and power blackouts, toxic chemical poisonings and nuclear radiation exposures, and similar types of crisis-generating situations. Its audience inc specialists within various areas of research and teaching plus people working in the field who are responsible for mitigative, preparedness, response, or recovery actions.

While each issue of the Journal typically deals with a variety of relevant topics, special issues on particular subjects are published whenever possible to bring together a set of articles on a specific problem area. Since the Journal is intended to provide an international forum, contributions from and about all sections of the world are encouraged. Priority is given to those writing with cross-cultural data or implications.

The Journal has five sections, although not all of these appear in any single issue:

Research and Theoretical Articles: Empirical and scholarly studies reflecting the central concerns of the Journal.
Book and Film Reviews: Critical examinations of the written and visual literature on disasters and mass emergencies.
Editorial Commentaries: Brief overviews by Journal editors and special-issue editors placing the material in a given issue in the larger context of the state of the field.
The Critic's Corner: An open page presenting controversial issues and personal opinions by invited and volunteer authors.
Feedback from the Field: Letters to the editor and brief unreferreed commentaries on current questions and issues in the disaster area.