The International Journal of Indigenous Health (IJIH) is pleased to announce this collaborative partnership with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) of British Columbia, Canada for a Special Thematic Issue on "Wellness-Based Indigenous Health Interventions".

In this Special Call for Papers, the IJIH and the FNHA request manuscripts from academic and community-based researchers and practitioners in Indigenous Health within the theme "Wellness-Based Indigenous Health Interventions". The FNHA is particularly interested in community-based papers and papers that reflect full collaboration with Indigenous partners. Papers that are focussed on and grounded in the intellectual traditions and voices of First Nations residing within the geographic boundaries of what is now known as British Columbia, Canada are of special interest to the FNHA.

IJIH welcomes manuscripts based on research as well as evidence-based promising practices that have a primary focus on health and wellness within an Indigenous paradigm, and a health topic relevant to and investigated within a defined Indigenous community. Manuscripts that identify strategies using cultural/traditional Indigenous practices as the central component to promoting Indigenous wellness and addressing health disparities are particularly encouraged.

The following topics represent primary areas of interest for this special thematic issue: managing chronic disease, mental wellness, building resilience at the community and/or individual level, and using culturally appropriate indicators as a way to measure Indigenous wellness.

The International Journal of Indigenous Health welcomes the following types of submissions:

• Research Articles - standard journal article format on research arising from diverse university, community or practice-based settings (maximum 5,000 words excluding references and charts).

• Research Trainee Articles - standard journal article format arising from research conducted as part of a Master's, PhD, Clinical and/or research training program (maximum 3,500 words).

• Community-based Articles* - standard journal article format on a promising practice(s) that arises from a community-based project or program. For example, an intervention, program or activity that has an impact on health status demonstrated through research, evaluation or other systematic review (maximum 3,500 words).*Please see section on Community-based Articles below for details on how to submit.

Complete manuscripts that meet the submission guidelines and are the final version and ready for peer review are due by June 1, 2015. Submissions received after this date will not be reviewed. Manuscripts will be subject to an initial Editorial review undertaken by IJIH and FNHA senior Editorial staff and Board members to assess overall strength, contribution and fit within the context of guidelines, mandate and Call for Papers. Manuscripts will be scored by the Editorial team, based on relevant criteria (e.g. active involvement of Indigenous people, primary research/intervention, writing quality, engagement of Indigenous ethics/protocols, etc). Those that score less than 50/100 will be returned to the author and will not be considered for publication in the Special Thematic Issue; those that score 50-60 may be returned for additional editing by the authors; those that score over 60/100 will undergo peer review. Please refer to the Journal's submission guidelines and policies prior to preparing the manuscript for submission, instructions for submissions can be found here:

http://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/ijih/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Community-based Articles

Indigenous community-based researchers and practitioners from within British Columbia are invited to submit manuscripts to the Research, Knowledge Exchange and Evaluation (RKEE) department of FNHA by May 1, 2015 for a preliminary screening process. This reciprocal process, between authors and senior FNHA Editorial staff, is intended to strengthen the manuscript so that it fits within formal guidelines, including structure, methodology, formatting and language, but maintains community voice and perspective. This process is optional but is available to especially encourage contributions from beyond academia. IJIH and FNHA will ensure that an Editorial staff contact is available to answer questions and provide suggestions where needed throughout the preliminary screening process. Manuscripts not selected for publication in the Special Thematic Issue will be considered for publication as a best practice by the FNHA through multiple mediums including Spirit Magazine.

Manuscripts and/or questions can be submitted to FNHA Editorial staff via email at rkee@fnha.ca

Research and Research Trainee Articles

Authors of research articles, please note that inquiries related to potential submission topic eligibility will not receive replies, as all relevant information for potential submission topics can be found in this Call and on the Journal's website. If you have specific questions about your submission that cannot be answered in the Author Guidelines or this Call, please contact the Managing Editor, email: ijih@uvic.ca. Authors will receive notification of receipt of submission. Papers will not be reviewed, and no correspondence related to authors' submissions, will be sent until the deadline for the Call for Papers is closed.

IJIH Mandate

Published bi-annually by the Aboriginal Health Research Networks Secretariat in Canada, the International Journal of Indigenous Health was established to advance knowledge and understanding to improve Indigenous health. The journal seeks to bring knowledge from diverse intellectual traditions together with a focus on culturally diverse Indigenous voices, methodologies and epistemology.

This peer-reviewed, online, open-access journal shares innovative health research across disciplines, Indigenous communities, and countries. Integral to the journal's mandate is the foundational body of knowledge formed by the Journal of Aboriginal Health established by the National Aboriginal Health Organization (2004) and transferred to the Aboriginal Health Research Networks Secretariat (2012).

FNHA Mandate

The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is the first province-wide health authority of its kind in Canada. In 2013, the FNHA assumed the programs, services, and responsibilities formerly handled by Health Canada's First Nations Inuit Health Branch – Pacific Region. The First Nations Health Authority works to reform the way health care is delivered to First Nations in British Columbia (BC) through direct services and collaboration with provincial partners. The First Nations Health Authority is governed by and serves BC First Nations individuals and communities. For more information on the FNHA visit: www.fnha.ca/about

Download the Author Submissions Guidelines for the International Journal Of Indigenous Health (PDF)

Download this Call for Papers in PDF format here (PDF 181 KB)