Risk Analysis

Risk analysis is the science of evaluating health, environmental, and engineering risks resulting from past, current, or anticipated, future activities.  The use of these evaluations include providing information for determining regulatory actions to limit risk, presenting scientific evidence in legal settings, evaluating products and potential liabilities--within private organizations, resolving World Trade disputes amongst nations, and for educating the public concerning particular risk issues.  Risk analysis is an interdisciplinary science that relies on epidemiology and laboratory studies, collection of exposure and other field data, computer modeling, and related social and economic and communication considerations.  In addition, social dimensions of risk are addressed by social scientists.  Methods of risk analysis and the outcome of particular evaluations are regularly presented in scholarly papers that are published in Risk Analysis: An International Journal and topics are as diverse as quality of drinking water, air and land contamination, the safety of foods and drugs, automobile and infrastructure safety, and risk associated with weapons of mass destruction.

Risk Analysis - ranked among the top 10 journals in the ISI Journal Citation Reports under the social sciences, mathematical methods category - is designed to meet the need for organization, integration, and communication and provide a focal point for new developments in the field. The analysis of risk is being increasingly viewed as a field in itself, and the demand for a more orderly and formal treatment of risk is great. This international journal is committed to publishing critical empirical research, conference proceedings, and commentaries dealing with risk issues. The topics covered include:

• Health risks
  
• Engineering
  
• Dose-response
  
• Risk characterization
  
• Risk communication
  
• Risk management
  
• Laws and regulatory policy
  
• Risk perception, acceptability, and ethics
  
• Ecological risk