MJA instructions for authors and reviewers
The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) is Australia’s leading general medical journal.
We publish high quality research and commentary to inform health policy and influence medical practice in Australia.
The MJA expert Editorial team is led by Professor Virginia Barbour. We aim to provide authors with a constructive, collaborative process during peer review and publication.
Please read these instructions before submitting your paper.
- The submission and publication process at the MJA
- Types of articles published by the MJA
- Publishing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health-related research at the MJA
- Editorial policies
- Open access at the MJA
- Sponsored supplements
- Detailed guidelines for manuscripts
Please read these guidelines if reviewing for the MJA
If you have questions about the process, please contact mja@mja.com.au.
Please note that emails about manuscripts will only come from mja.com.au email addresses.
Call for papers: Indigenous Health Special Collection 2026
The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) is pleased to announce a call for papers for a Special Collection on Indigenous Health, which will have a publishing run from NAIDOC week 2026 until the end of 2026. The call for papers runs from now until 31 March 2026.
This is the third year of the MJA adopting a range of editorial policies and practices aimed at privileging Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. In 2024, the MJA published a Special Issue in partnership with the Lowitja Institute. In 2025, we were honoured to receive artwork from Uncle Paul Scott for the issue, illustrating the issue theme “Carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity”.
In 2026, we aim to again uphold these approaches to celebrate Indigenous leadership and excellence in health and medical research.
We welcome submissions from Indigenous researchers and health practitioners, community-controlled organisations and communities on areas of health and wellbeing that are a priority to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We encourage authors to consider a broad definition of health and wellbeing including those outlined in the Closing the Gap priority reforms, and to articulate how their work engages with the relationship between sovereignty and health.
For this Special Collection, only submissions that are led by (first or last author) Indigenous authors will be considered for publication. All types of publications will be welcomed, and we are also willing to consider suggestions for podcasts and other ways of dissemination. All manuscripts must include an ethical research statement that addresses the Consolidated criteria for strengthening reporting of health research involving Indigenous peoples: the CONSIDER statement.
Manuscripts will be subject to editorial review undertaken by a Guest Editorial team, comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics and health practitioners, prior to peer review. Manuscripts will undergo peer review and assessment through the MJA’s processes overseen by collective guidance by the Guest Editors. The Guest Editorial team reserve the right to make final publication decisions in consultation with the MJA Editorial team. Please refer to the MJA submission guidelines, policies and processes, prior to preparing and submitting an article. See the MJA website for the types of articles accepted.
Submission deadline is 31 March 2026. We are open for submissions now and welcome early submissions for the Special Collection, which will be a rolling collection of articles. Submissions received after 31 March 2026 will not be guaranteed for review for consideration in this Special Collection.
Manuscripts submitted must include a cover letter that indicates that it is being submitted for consideration for the Special Collection and which includes:
- the positionality of the research team
- how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance was upheld in the research process
- how the research addresses an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community priority, and
- how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research ethics were upheld in the research practice.
Authors are welcome to discuss their manuscript ahead of submission. Please contact: mja@mja.com.au in the first instance.