Focus and Scope

Environments is a refereed journal published in association with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Environments presents high-quality, multi- and trans-disciplinary, and cross-sectoral research that effectively addresses major understanding, planning, management and decision-making challenges related to the environment. Put another way, Environments addresses people in their social, natural and built environments. The intent is to promote scholarship and discussion in a multidisciplinary and civic way, providing ideas and information that people might use to think effectively about the future.

The journal is interested in papers and theme issues that bring many viewpoints, types of analysis and interpretations to bear on environment, development and design challenges, as well as on ways of planning, managing and adapting to them. The overall emphasis is on work that draws from and integrates across disciplines, sectors and communities. The journal encourages interconnections among geography, planning, environmental studies, political science, and other disciplines; among heritage, policy, design, assessment, participation and other fields of interest; and among scholars, professionals and citizens.

Environments welcomes the submission of individual papers as well as proposals for theme issues.

Section Policies

Papers (Peer reviewed)

Papers present scholarly, professional and scientific work that focuses on the themes and interests described above.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Ideas (Peer reviewed)

Papers in the Ideas section air work in progress, debate controversial themes, voice interpretations, and discuss different scholarly and civic points of view. The intention is to provide a forum for material that is interesting and evocative but that may not find a voice in a strictly academic format.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Research Notes (Peer reviewed)

Research Notes include preliminary or summary descriptions of research methods and/or results that do not yet address their full theoretical, policy or practical implications. The intention is to provide researchers and practitioners with a forum for presenting interesting but preliminary ideas, methodologies, or results in the spirit of fostering reflection and dialogue.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Commentary

From time to time, Environments will ask reviewers or others to comment on individual papers or theme issues that have been accepted for publication. The intention is to enrich discussion by bringing forward additional insights or perspectives in a critical but collegial manner.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Reviews

Reviews include reviews of books, monographs, reports, films, websites and other materials published in a variety of media.

Editors

• Alex Latta

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Theme Issues (Peer Reviewed)

Theme issues typically include five or six papers (as well as an introduction) that focus on a topic relevant to the aims and objectives of the journal. Papers can fit in any of the preceding categories and work together as a whole - through correspondence or contrast - to cover a subject, approach, geographic region or other integrating theme.

Theme issues provide an excellent opportunity for enhancing the interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-perspective nature of Environments. We are open to considering proposals or submissions that aim to achieve these objectives in unique and challenging, albeit scholarly ways.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Web-based 'Papers' or Presentations (Peer reviewed; currently experimental)

The online environment provides opportunities for presenting and sharing insights and information in ways that are unavailable through the print medium. These include different ways of creating the material (interactively, collectively), presenting the material (hypertext, multi-media) and/or reacting to the material (comments, open-editing). The possibilities are limited only by imagination, its manifestation in the online environment - and the aims and objectives of the journal.

Finished submissions are welcome, however, the scope of this section is still under exploration, so it would be prudent to submit a short proposal or outline prior to submitting a final presentation.

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

Manuscript selection and revision
Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two specialist referees on the basis of the following criteria:

• Is the contribution relevant to the focus and scope of Environments?
  
• Is the problem or issue discussed in the paper/theme issue of significant importance?
  
• Is the presentation clear and concise?
  
• Does the information, data, etc., justify the conclusions?
  
• Are the research methods used appropriate and clearly explained?
  
• Is sufficient note taken of limitations in methods, techniques, and interpretations?
  
• Does the manuscript relate its methods and findings to relevant literature in the field?
  
• If the paper is concerned with questions of policy, does it clearly indicate the evaluative criteria that are used?
  
• Would the submission be readable and of interest to a broad audience?

Authors will usually be notified within sixteen weeks as to whether their submissions have been accepted for publication. If revisions are requested, the manuscript will be returned to the author along with the anonymous comments of the referees and editorial suggestions. The editors reserve the responsibility for final decisions on manuscript selection and revision.

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.

Copyright

All papers published on this site are copyright © Environments: a journal of interdisciplinary studies/revue d’études interdisciplinaires. Copies may be made for personal and educational use. No part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means for commercial use without permission in writing from the Editor.