Published by the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on the Sociology of Disasters, the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of relatively sudden collective stress situations typically referred to as disasters or mass emergencies.

The journal addresses issues of theory, research, planning, and policy. The central purpose is publication of results of scientific research, theoretical and policy studies, and scholarly accounts of such events as floods and earthquakes, explosions and massive fires, disorderly crowds and riots, energy cut-offs and power blackouts, toxic chemical poisonings and nuclear radiation exposures, and similar types of crisis-generating situations.

Its audience includes specialists within various areas of research and teaching plus people working in the field who are responsible for mitigation, preparedness, response, or recovery actions.