International Journal of Wound Research (IJWR) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal dedicated to advancing research, clinical practice, education, and innovation in wound prevention, assessment, treatment, management, and healing.
The journal aims to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, quality of life, and the organization of wound care by publishing rigorous, transparent, and clinically relevant contributions for an international and interdisciplinary readership.
IJWR welcomes research and scholarly work concerning acute and chronic wounds, including:
- pressure injuries and pressure-ulcer prevention;
- diabetic foot ulcers and related complications;
- venous, arterial, and mixed-aetiology leg ulcers;
- surgical and traumatic wounds;
- burns;
- oncological and radiotherapy-related skin injuries;
- infected and difficult-to-heal wounds;
- skin tears, moisture-associated skin damage, and periwound skin conditions;
- tissue repair, regeneration, and wound-healing mechanisms;
- scar prevention, assessment, and management.
The journal also publishes research on:
- wound assessment, classification, measurement, and outcome evaluation;
- dressings, medical devices, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, biological products, and regenerative therapies;
- negative pressure wound therapy and other advanced therapeutic approaches;
- infection prevention, biofilms, antimicrobial stewardship, and wound microbiology;
- pain, exudate, odour, quality of life, adherence, and patient-reported outcomes;
- clinical photography, wound imaging, digital health, telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and remote monitoring;
- nutrition, mobility, rehabilitation, and management of wound-related comorbidities;
- healthcare organization, multidisciplinary pathways, implementation science, sustainability, and health economics;
- education, professional competencies, patient and caregiver involvement, and public-health approaches to wound prevention;
- development and validation of measurement instruments, clinical tools, prediction models, and research methodologies.
IJWR encourages interdisciplinary contributions from nursing, medicine, surgery, dermatology, podiatry, diabetology, vascular medicine, infectious diseases, geriatrics, rehabilitation, radiotherapy, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, public health, healthcare management, engineering, and other disciplines relevant to wound care.
The journal publishes Original Scientific Research, Quality Improvement Reports, Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Narrative, Integrative, Rapid and Scoping Reviews, Case Reports and Case Series, Study Protocols, Brief Reports, Procedure Updates, Editorials, Commentaries, Letters to the Editor, Cultural and Educational Articles, and clearly identified Conference Abstracts.
Research articles and other scholarly submissions designated as peer reviewed undergo double-anonymous external peer review by at least two independent reviewers with appropriate expertise. Editorials, Commentaries, Letters to the Editor, Conference Abstracts, and other specified non-research content may undergo editorial or Scientific Committee review instead. The review status of each article type is clearly identified in the journal’s policies.
The journal welcomes appropriately designed quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, methodological, translational, clinical, educational, organizational, and implementation research. Manuscripts should use methods suited to the research question and comply with applicable ethical requirements and recognized reporting guidelines.
Studies involving commercial products, medical devices, software, or proprietary technologies are considered when they address a relevant scientific or clinical question, report methods and outcomes transparently, and fully disclose funding, material support, and potential conflicts of interest. Promotional or unsupported commercial claims are not accepted.
IJWR is intended for healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, healthcare managers, policymakers, scientific societies, patients’ representatives, and other stakeholders involved in wound care, tissue viability, skin integrity, and wound-healing research.
The journal is published in English and provides immediate open access to its content under the applicable Creative Commons licence.