Special Call for papers
Indigenous Health Special Issue, July 2025.
The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) is pleased to announce a call for papers for a Special Issue on Indigenous Health that will be published to coincide with NAIDOC week 2025.
In 2024, the MJA published a Special Issue in partnership with the Lowitja Institute that implemented a range of new editorial policies and practices aimed at privileging Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. For the 2025 Special Issue we aim to again uphold these approaches to celebrate Indigenous leadership and excellence in health and medical research.
We welcome submissions from Indigenous researchers and health practitioners, community-controlled organisations and communities on areas of health and wellbeing that are a priority to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes the broad definition of health and wellbeing and those outlined in the Closing the Gap priority reforms.
For this Special Issue, only submissions that are led by (first or last author) Indigenous authors will be considered for publication. All types of publications will be welcomed. All manuscripts must include an ethical research statement that addresses the Consolidated criteria for strengthening reporting of health research involving indigenous peoples: the CONSIDER statement
Manuscripts will be subject to editorial review undertaken by a Guest Editorial team, comprised of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics prior to peer review. Manuscripts will undergo peer review and assessment through the MJA’s processes overseen by collective guidance by Guest Editors. The Guest Editorial team reserve the right to make final publication decisions in consultation with the MJA Editorial team. Please refer to the MJA submission guidelines, policies and processes, prior to preparing and submitting an article.
Submission deadline is 23 December 2024. Submissions received after this date will not be guaranteed for review for consideration in this Special Issue.
Manuscripts submitted must include a cover letter that addresses:
- The positionality of the research team
- How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance was upheld in the research process
- How the research addresses an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community priority, and
- How Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research ethics was upheld in the research practice
Authors are welcome to discuss their manuscript ahead of submission. Please contact: mja@mja.com.au in the first instance.