Journal of Environmental Management

Journal of Environmental Management
Title	Journal of Environmental Management
Discipline	Environmental science
Abbreviation	J. Environ. Manag.
Publisher	Elsevier
Country	Netherlands
Frequency	15/year
History	1973–present
Impact	7.1
Impact-year	2024
Issn	0301-4797

Journal of Environmental Management is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research on environmental science, conservation, pollution control, restoration, and policy analysis. It covers applied and theoretical studies relevant to environmental assessment, natural resource management, waste management, and sustainability transitions. The journal serves researchers, practitioners, and policymakers connected to institutions and initiatives worldwide.

History

The journal was established in 1973 during a period of expanding international interest after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and alongside the growth of organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Resources Institute. Early editorial leadership included academics affiliated with University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London, signaling connections to European and North American environmental research networks like the Natural Environment Research Council and the National Science Foundation (United States). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it expanded coverage in parallel with landmark events including the Brundtland Commission and the Earth Summit (1992), reflecting increasing interdisciplinarity among contributors from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University. The journal's scope and editorial board evolved alongside major treaties and agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, while engaging with research centers including the Smithsonian Institution, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Scope and Aims

The journal aims to publish original research, reviews, case studies, and methodological advances that inform management of air, water, and land resources and biodiversity conservation. Topics commonly addressed include ecosystem restoration projects funded by agencies like the European Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, contaminant fate studies connected to incidents such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and assessments tied to frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention. Contributions often involve collaborations among universities such as University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, Peking University, and research institutes like the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Editorial and Peer Review Process

The editorial structure comprises an editor-in-chief supported by an international editorial board with scholars from institutions like ETH Zurich, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, The Australian National University, and University of Cape Town. Manuscripts undergo double-blind or single-blind peer review depending on policy variations, with reviewers drawn from networks including the Royal Society, Academia Europaea, and national academies such as the National Academy of Sciences (United States) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Editorial decisions reference guidelines from bodies like the Committee on Publication Ethics and align with publishing standards practiced by publishers including Elsevier and comparable houses like Springer Nature and Wiley-Blackwell.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and citation services, including Web of Science, Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded, and Google Scholar, and appears in thematic repositories connected to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Listings also include discipline-specific indexes that service communities represented by organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Society for Ecological Restoration, and the American Geophysical Union.

Impact and Reception

Citations to articles have been influential in policy and practice, informing guidelines issued by agencies such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and national ministries of environment in countries like India, Brazil, China, and United States. The journal's impact factor and h-index are tracked by evaluators including Journal Citation Reports and SCImago Journal Rank, and its publications have been cited in major assessments such as reports from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Academic reception highlights methodological rigor and applied relevance, with frequent cross-citation by journals like Environmental Science & Technology, Conservation Biology, Ecological Economics, and Global Environmental Change.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Notable articles have addressed remediation techniques tested after industrial incidents at sites investigated by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (United States) and the European Environment Agency, modeling approaches adopted by groups at MIT and Princeton University, and socio-environmental analyses linked to case studies in regions like the Amazon Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, and the Arctic. Special issues have focused on themes aligned with global events including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences, regional programs like the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM), and targeted topics promoted by networks such as the Global Water Partnership and the International Maritime Organization.

Access and Publication Model

The journal operates under a hybrid publishing model managed by a major commercial publisher, offering subscription access alongside options for open access publication under author-paid article processing charges similar to models used by Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley. Authors affiliated with institutions participating in transformative agreements—negotiated with consortia including Jisc, CERN Library, and national consortia across Germany, France, and Sweden—may have open access fees covered. Archiving and data-sharing policies reference repositories such as Dryad, Figshare, and institutional archives at universities like Columbia University and University of Cambridge.

Category:Environmental journals