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Author Guidelines — International Journal of Medical Anthropology

About this journal

Aims The International Journal of Medical Anthropology (IJMA) aims to advance the understanding of how cultural, social, and behavioral factors shape health, illness, and healthcare across diverse populations worldwide. By bridging anthropological theory with practical health concerns, the journal seeks to illuminate the complex interplay between human biology, cultural practices, social structures, and health outcomes. IJMA is committed to publishing rigorous, interdisciplinary research that informs public health policy, improves clinical practice, and promotes health equity. The journal provides a platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore the meaning and management of illness, the organization of healthcare systems, and the socio-cultural determinants of well-being. Through critical analysis and empirical investigation, IJMA fosters dialogue between medical anthropology and adjacent fields such as global health, epidemiology, sociology, and bioethics, ultimately contributing to a more holistic and context-sensitive approach to health. Scope • Cultural constructions of health, illness, and the body across societies and historical periods • Social determinants of health, including race, class, gender, ethnicity, and migration • Ethnographic studies of healthcare systems, medical pluralism, and healing practices • Bioethics and moral reasoning in clinical and community settings • Applied medical anthropology in public health interventions and program evaluation • Reproductive, maternal, and child health from a cross-cultural perspective • Mental health and psychosocial well-being in diverse cultural contexts • Global health governance, humanitarian assistance, and health inequalities • Environmental health, including the impact of climate change and industrialization • Methodological innovations in medical anthropology, including participatory and decolonizing approaches Article Types • Original Research Articles (up to 8,000 words) • Review Articles and Meta-Analyses • Critical Commentaries and Perspectives • Case Studies and Ethnographic Reports • Research Protocols and Methodological Papers • Book and Film Reviews Audience The journal serves a diverse audience including medical anthropologists, public health researchers, sociologists of health, health policy analysts, clinicians interested in cultural competence, global health practitioners, and students in the social and health sciences. It also speaks to policymakers and community health workers seeking culturally informed evidence for health interventions.

Before you submit

• Manuscripts must be original, unpublished work not under consideration elsewhere.
• All authors must approve the submitted version and agree to the ICMJE authorship criteria.
• Declare all funding sources, conflicts of interest, and any AI assistance used.
• Ensure ethics approval and informed consent are stated where human or animal subjects are involved.

Manuscript structure

1. Title page (title, all authors with affiliations, corresponding author, ORCID iDs)
2. Abstract (structured where appropriate) and 3–8 keywords
3. Main text: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion
4. References in a consistent style; DOIs where available
5. Tables and figures supplied as separate, high-resolution files

Peer review

International Journal of Medical Anthropology uses double-blind peer review. At least two independent reviewers assess each manuscript.

Licensing and fees

Articles are published open access under CC BY 4.0. The article processing charge is USD 400; waivers are available for authors from low-income countries.

Publication frequency: Biannual. Publisher: AIR JOURNALS.

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