Instructions to Authors and Other Information

Wilderness Medicine Magazine Contributor Guidelines

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal

Instructions for Authors - please see Journal

WILDERNESS & ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE  SCOPE AND CATEGORIES

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (WEM) is the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society. It is published quarterly and is devoted to original scientific and technical contributions related in whole or in part to wilderness or environmental medicine.

TOPICS

Pertinent topics include, but are not limited to, medical, physiological, pharmacological, and expeditionary considerations of (but are not limited to) medical, physiological, pharmacological, and expeditionary considerations of: high altitude and climbing; hypothermia and cold-induced injuries; heat/cold-related disorders; weather-related phenomena and natural environmental disasters; toxinology; drowning and near-drowning; diving and barotrauma; hazardous plants, reptiles, insects, and marine animals; ethnobotany; animal attacks; medicine practiced in rugged environments; tropical disease and immunizations; search and rescue; ethical and legal issues. 

 Manuscripts are considered for the following categories:

Editorials: Commentaries on major current issues or controversies with significant implications for wilderness medicine, generally not to exceed 6 double-spaced pages plus references.

Original Research: Original studies of basic or clinical research in areas relevant to wilderness medicine.

Concepts: Descriptions of clinical and non-clinical wilderness medical problems and solutions. Articles may focus on practical “how-to” management techniques and/or new approaches to the planning, management, or provision of wilderness medical services. 

Review Articles: Extensive, well-referenced reviews of the literature on a narrow clinical topic. 

Case Reports: Brief descriptions of unique wilderness medicine problems or situations. Include narrative abstract, introduction, and discussion of implications. 

Clinical Updates: Expert analysis, based on recent research, of a clinical topic in wilderness medicine. Papers should provide statistical evidence of prevalence, a brief historical perspective, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and range of outcome for the injury, illness, reaction, or disorder. 

Brief Reports: Preliminary findings or small sample-sized studies that generate new hypotheses for further research. Reports should generally follow the guidelines under Manuscript Preparation and be limited to 8 double-spaced pages plus the structured abstract and no more than 10 references.

Letters to the Editor: Observations, opinions, and/or corrections on topics appearing in WEM, generally not to exceed 4 double-spaced pages with a maximum of 5 references. 

Lessons from History: Classic papers in the medical literature relating to wilderness medicine. Such papers should have been first to describe a new problem, providing new information about old subjects, or describing new, effective methods of treatment or prevention. The contributor should submit a short commentary that emphasizes the importance of the original article and puts it into historical context. Include the full citation of for the original text.

Clinical Images: Pictures that teach something about wilderness medicine, as well as tell an engaging story. The focus will be on clinical images, each accompanied by text explaining the photograph and briefly reviewing the diagnosis and treatment of the condition it illustrates. 

Wilderness Images: High-quality, high-resolution (300) digital images of wilderness subjects.

Wilderness Essays: Personal essays or anecdotes relating to the wilderness and medicine.

Wilderness Instructor: Articles focusing on teaching techniques and insights relevant to wilderness medicine education at any level. 

Questions about the WEM Journal or Magazine? Contact: jonna@wms.org

Jonna Barry, Managing Editor
Wilderness and Environmental Medicine

Editorial Office, 1505 No Royer St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719.330.7523 (tel) 801.705.1483 (fax)