ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Focus, Scope, and Objectives

The focus of the Women, Family, and Disaster Journal is on the topics of women, families, and disasters in the social and health contexts. The journal aims to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and academics to share knowledge, research findings, and thoughts related to these issues.

The scope of the journal encompasses various aspects related to women, families, and the impact of disasters. The topics covered include, but are not limited to, the role of women in disaster mitigation and response, women's and children's health in the context of disasters, the influence of disasters on families, psychosocial aspects of disaster resilience, post-disaster recovery, public policies related to disasters and families, as well as efforts to empower women and families in facing disasters.

The goal of the Women, Family, and Disaster Journal is to promote a better understanding of the impact of disasters on women and families and to advocate for sustainable and inclusive disaster management and recovery strategies. The journal also aims to facilitate collaboration among experts and practitioners in this field, with the hope of making a positive contribution to enhancing the sustainability and resilience of communities to disasters.

Peer Review Process

Peer review is applied to all research articles and involves at least two independent and expert peer reviewers.

Policy

All submissions to the Women, Family, and Disaster Journal are first checked for completeness (criteria for desk rejection are available in the Guide for Authors) before being sent to an Editor, who decides whether they are suitable for peer review. If an Editor is listed as an author or has a competing interest in a particular manuscript, another member of the Editorial Board will be assigned to oversee peer review. When making a decision, the Editor will consider the peer-reviewed reports, but they are not bound by the opinions or recommendations contained in them. Concerns raised by a peer reviewer or a single Editor may result in the rejection of the manuscript. Peer review reports are sent to authors along with the editorial decision on their manuscript.

The Women, Family, and Disaster Journal use one of two types of peer review:

Single-blind: Reviewers know the names of the authors, but the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscripts.
Double-blind: Reviewers do not know the authors' names, and the authors do not know who reviewed their manuscripts.

Selection

The selection of peer reviewers is crucial in the publication process. Various factors influence it, including expertise, reputation, specific recommendations, conflicts of interest, and previous performance. All of these qualities are highly desirable: speed, thoroughness, sound reasoning, and collegiality.

When two independent peer reviewers cannot be obtained, the Editor may act as a second reviewer or make a decision based on only one report. If acting as a second reviewer, the Editor must have sufficient knowledge in the area and sign the review to ensure transparency in the peer review process.

Before accepting an invitation to review a manuscript, potential peer reviewers should notify the Editor of any potential conflicts of interest. Editors' and peer reviewers' communications contain confidential information that should not be shared with third parties.

The Women, Family, and Disaster Journal is committed to making editorial decisions and publishing them as soon as possible, and we believe that an efficient editorial process benefits both our authors and the research community as a whole. As a result, we ask reviewers to respond within the agreed-upon time frame. If reviewers anticipate a delay, we ask that they notify us so that we can keep the authors updated and, if necessary, find alternative solutions.

Diversity and Equity

Women, Family, and Disaster is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strives for demographic diversity among peer reviewers. When inviting peer reviewers, editors are strongly encouraged to consider geographical regions, gender identities, racial/ethnic groups, and other groups.

Misconduct

False or misleading information, such as identity theft and suggesting fake peer reviewers, will result in the manuscript being rejected, and further investigation in accordance with the policy.

Guidance

The primary goal of peer review is to provide the Editor with the information needed to make a fair, evidence-based decision that adheres to the journal's editorial criteria. Review reports should also assist authors in revising their paper so that it can be accepted for publication. Reports that include a recommendation to reject the paper should explain the major flaws in the research; this will help the authors prepare their manuscript for possible resubmission (if allowed by the Editor) or submission to a different journal.

A quick guide to reviewing is available here.
Before submitting a report, reviewers should ask themselves the following questions:
- How would you react if you received this report?
- Do you find the tone offensive?
- Is it polite and professional?
- Do the authors or their competitors receive any unnecessary personal or antagonistic remarks?
Please keep in mind that any offensive language in your report may be removed by the Editor.

Publication Frequency

All articles are published immediately upon acceptance by adding them to the Table of Contents of the current volume.

Article Processing Charge

Open Access publishing indeed incurs certain costs. However, all articles accepted for publication in Women, Family, and Disaster Journal are published completely exempt from any charges, as the journal is funded by the Women, Family, and Disaster Studies Center Universitas Aisyiyah Yogyakarta

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.