# About the Journal The Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Journal) is the official journal of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Society | https://idrim.org/), established since 2009. The IDRiM Journal was approved for indexing in Scopus in 2021. This further demonstrates that the IDRiM Journal is a reliable and high-quality source of information in the field of integrated disaster risk management. Scopus preview: https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101079124 IDRiM Journal Background It is now commonly accepted that disaster risk reduction (DRR) requires tackling the various factors that influence a society’s vulnerability to disasters in an integrated, holistic, and comprehensive way. Thus, integrated disaster risk management is called for. Successful integrated disaster risk management will require integration between disciplines, stakeholders, levels of government, and between global, regional, national, local and individual efforts. Although the need for integrated disaster risk management is widely recognized, there are still large gaps between theory and practice. Civil protection authorities, government agencies in charge of delineating economic, social, urban or environmental policies, city planning, water and waste disposal departments, health departments, etc. often work independently and without consideration of the hazards in a territory, and the risk they may be (unintentionally) imposing on their citizens. Thus, questions on how to carry out integrated disaster risk management in different contexts, across different hazards, etc., still remain. Furthermore, the need to document and learn from successfully applied risk reduction initiatives, including the methodologies or processes used, the resources, the context, etc. are imperative to avoid duplication of efforts or repeating mistakes. In an effort to promote integrated disaster risk management the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) have carried out a series of nine international forums on integrated disaster risk management since 2001. The IIASA-DPRI Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM) Forums have provided a platform for discussion, presentation of research findings, and innovative implementation approaches on integrated disaster risk management. The IDRiM Forums have been promoted also by many national and international organizations including Beijing Normal University, the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES, Iran), the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC/EC) and many others. In October 2009, based on the excellent IDRiM Forum achievements, the organizers of the Forum launched the IDRiM Society and its journal. The IDRiM Society was enthusiastically welcomed and its Charter approved by more than 100 international experts, researchers, practitioners, and individuals from more than 20 different countries working in the disaster risk management field. The IDRiM Journal builds upon the existing international and interdisciplinary network fostered by the IDRiM Forum and 10 years of the annual IDRiM Conference attracting high quality manuscripts of validated, real world cases of successful integrated disaster risk management practices and research.

# Editorial Policies >> Focus and Scope >> Type of Articles >> Peer Review Process >> Open Access Policy >> Journal Subject Areas and Contents >> Audience >> Review Guidelines >> Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Focus and Scope The main objective of the IDRiM Journal is to promote knowledge transfer and dissemination of information on all aspects of integrated disaster risk management. The journal will seek to promote success models for implementation of integrated disaster risk management and comparative case studies, innovative countermeasures for disaster risk reduction, and interdisciplinary research and education in real-world localities, varying in geographic, climatic, political, cultural and social systems. IDRiM also explores implementation science for disaster reduction. The journal is intended for a wide audience including researchers and academics, policy and decision makers, practitioners and interested citizens. Thus, easy to understand language without sacrificing scientific content is encouraged. IDRiM Journal is published semiannually. IDRiM Journal is wholly supported and managed by the IDRiM Society.

Type of Articles Regular articles: Regular articles are research papers of about 8,000-10,000 (max.) words. Please follow the IDRiM Journal website’s instructions for authors. Implementation Case Studies: The journal will seek to promote success models for implementation of integrated disaster risk management and comparative case studies, innovative countermeasures for disaster risk reduction, and interdisciplinary research and education in real-world localities, varying in geographic, climatic, political, cultural and social systems. Implementation case studies can be from 2,000-6,000 words, and be clearly supported by a short literature review demonstrating its originality and contribution to the field. Technical Notes: Up to 4,000 words. Technical Notes present in-progress research in ways that are less comprehensive than full research papers. At a minimum, Technical Notes should present original research; partial or preliminary results of research activities; discussion of techniques to accomplish research objectives, and next steps. To submit a Technical Note, please follow the IDRiM Journal website’s instructions for authors. Technical Summaries: (Only for the IDRiM Conference Special Issue) Up to 2,000 words. The Special Issue provides an opportunity for researchers to present a thematic summary or synthesis of one or more IDRiM conference panels and papers. Thematic summaries are intended to highlight significant questions and innovations raised during the conference about a particular area of integrated disaster risk management. Thematic summaries should (a) be derived from IDRiM conference participation, notes, and post-conference interactions and exchanges, (b) present an informed and balanced discussion of a particular theme, and (c) contribute to reviewing the effectiveness of integrated disaster risk management research and/or initiatives. To submit a Thematic Summary, please follow the IDRiM Journal website’s instructions for authors. IDRiM Conference Special Issue: Articles submitted for the IDRiM Conference Special Issue. These must be based on work presented at the annual IDRiM Conference. Special issue articles can be research articles, technical notes, or technical summaries (see above). Special Issue submissions should include the words: “(name) Special Issue: (type of article)" on the cover page of the manuscript. NOTE: All articles will be published ONLINE FIRST until they are published in an Issue.

Peer Review Process Manuscripts submitted to the IDRiM Journal will go under a rigorous peer-review process. Submitted manuscripts will be checked by the editorial manager(s) to insure that they comply with the minimum requirements (e.g., topic, length, format, English). The managing editor(s) will then submit the manuscript to one or several of the chief editors who can consult with one or more members of the editorial board if they can review the manuscript or make recommendations on three reviewers. Once review comments are obtained, the chief editor assigned to that particular manuscript decides if the manuscript can be accepted as is, with minor corrections, with major corrections, or is refused for publication. Major revisions are treated as new submissions, whereas minor revisions are immediately transferred to the Publication Production Office or after the corresponding editor/special issue editor has accepted the changes, respectively. Upon acceptance of the manuscript by the Chief Editor(s), the manuscript will go on to Editorial correction and proof reading. Proof read papers will be published online first, and will later be published in Quarterly online volumes which can be easily downloaded to Printed Journal Form. The managing of the manuscript from the submission, through the review process, corrections, to the final proofs and online publication are managed through an online editorial management system.

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. No subscription fees or pay-per-view fees are charged. The journal reserves the right to modify its policy concerning publication fees and other charges. Any change will apply to new submissions from the date of the change. Authors and readers are encouraged to join the IDRiM Society which helps to support the Open Access policy. Currently, no fees or charges are required for manuscript processing and/or publishing materials in IDRiM Journal. The Journal reserves the right to modify its policy concerning publication fees and other charges. Any change will apply to new submissions from the date of the change. Copyright on any open access article in IDRiM Journal is retained by the author(s). Authors grant IDRiM Journal a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.

Journal Subject Areas and Contents IDRiM Journal hopes to attract manuscripts on implementable integrated disaster risk management approaches for disaster risk reduction that offer reliable, affordable and effective solutions for minimizing the loss of life, property damage, and social and economic disruption. The Journal will consider integrated disaster risk management solutions for all types of natural hazards (earthquakes, flood, drought windstorms, landslides, etc.) and secondary hazards arising from them such as damage to critical infrastructure and other essential facilities. It will also include the development methods and tools for modeling and assessment of disaster risks; socio-economic studies, human and economic loss estimation, and catastrophic risk insurance. IDRiM also covers the governance of disaster risks, design of institutional schemes, participatory approaches, etc. The nature of the contents include research papers, review papers, case studies, rapid communications (letters), conference reports, calendar of events, and news.

Audience The journal is intended for a wide audience including researchers and academics, policy and decision makers, practitioners and interested citizens. Thus, easy to understand language without sacrificing scientific content will be encouraged.

Review Guidelines All IDRiM Journal articles are subjected to peer-review. Peer-review is defined as obtaining advice on individual manuscripts from experts in the field. Reviewer judgments should be objective, and reviewers should have no conflict of interest. Reviewed articles should be treated confidentially prior to their publication. The Editor reserves the right to make the final determination of a manuscript submission. When reviewing manuscripts for the IDRiM Journal please keep in mind the following: a) If the article is particularly suitable for the journal b) If the research contributes to existing knowledge on the subject c) If the research is original, or uses innovative models or tools d) If the methodology used is appropriate, sound e) If the conclusions are well substantiated or need strengthening f) If the abstract is accurate g) If the figures and tables are necessary and clear h) Whether the references are comprehensive or lacking i) If the English is good or requires editing Any suggestions for necessary revisions would also be welcome.

Ethics and Malpractice Statement IDRiM Journal is committed to publishing high-quality content and follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices document: https://publicationethics.org/files/editable-bean/COPE_Core_Practices_0.pdf Intellectual Property: IDRiM Journal will not review or publish manuscripts that have been previously published in print or online (i.e., under copyright of another entity or widely available in print or electronic formats). Exceptions are provided for theses, dissertations, and government reports. Allegations of Misconduct and Complaints: IDRiM Journal takes seriously allegations of misconduct, both pre-publication and post-publication. Concerns or complaints should be documented in writing to the Editor, who is obligated to investigate and disclose allegations. A summary of allegations and complaints shall be presented to the IDRiM Society’s Publication Committee during the annual meeting. IDRiM Journal reserves the right to require authors to correct, revise, or retract articles after publication. Authorship: Only persons who have significantly contributed to the research or manuscript preparation should be listed as coauthors. The corresponding author attests that any others named as coauthors have approved the final version of the paper, author order, and agreed to the submission. Conflicts of Interest: Editors and reviewers shall avoid conflicts of interest and/or their appearance. The editor shall not send a manuscript to reviewers who are known to have personal bias in favor of or against the author or the subject matter of that manuscript. If a manuscript submitted for review presents a potential conflict of interest, or the reviewer has a personal bias, the reviewer shall decline to review the manuscript. Data and Reproducibility: All reasonable requests by reviewers for materials, data, and associated protocols will be fulfilled. IDRiM Journal must be informed of any restrictions on sharing of materials used in the reported research. Any such restrictions should be indicated in the related submission. The nature of the restrictions should be noted in the paper. All the data are saved on Scholastica's servers. Scholastica uses industry-standard servers and databases, including distributed and encrypted backups of all your data, so your data have multiple secure redundancies to protect against any data loss. https://scholasticahq.com/faq

Developing a Community-Based Resilience Assessment Model with reference to Northern Ghana