Instructions to Authors
Please prepare your manuscript according to the following guidelines before submission. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal requirements may be returned to the authors for correction before editorial assessment.
- Before You Submit
- Cover Letter
- Title Page and Author Details
- Manuscript Organization
- Tables and Figures
- Declarations and Supplementary Information
- Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies
- References and In-Text Citations
- Pre-Submission Checklist
- Revising and Responding to Reviewers
1. Before You Submit
1.1 Language
Manuscripts must be written in academic English. For authors who are not native speakers of English, a certificate of English editing from an authorized language institute or a qualified and certified language editor is required.
If generative AI tools were used for language editing or assistance, authors must disclose their use in the cover letter and manuscript.
1.2 Article Types and Word Limits
The maximum word counts for each article type are listed below. The abstract and references are excluded from the word count.
- Original study: 4,000 words
- Review articles: 5,000 words
- Short report: 2,000 words
- Editorial: 1,500 words
1.3 Manuscript Format
Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format with continuous line numbering.
2. Cover Letter
A cover letter is required for all submissions to the Journal of Health Research. It should provide a brief background to the study, describe the research methodology, summarize the work, and highlight the significance of the study and its potential impact on public health or public health sciences.
The abstract must not be copied and pasted into the cover letter. Any use of generative AI for language editing or assistance must be disclosed in the cover letter.
Authors may download and use the journal’s Cover Letter Template when preparing their submission.
Download the Cover Letter Template (.docx)
3. Title Page and Author Details
The title page must be uploaded separately in the submission system. All authors must be listed by first name, initials, last name, and affiliation. Only one corresponding author should be identified, and a correspondence address, normally an email address, must be provided.
Please ensure that:
- A correct email address is provided in the individual account of each author.
- Each author’s full name appears in their account exactly as it should appear in the published article, including or excluding middle names or initials as appropriate.
- The affiliation recorded in each author’s account is correct and reflects where the author was based when the research was conducted.
- Names, affiliations, and email addresses match exactly between the title page and Editorial Manager.
- Academic positions are not included in author names.
⚠ Important: Changes to author information are not permitted after the review process. Please verify all details carefully before submission.
4. Manuscript Organization
4.1 Article Title
The title must be concise, clear, and informative and should include the study population, study location, and outcome. The title of an experimental study must identify the intervention and control groups, where applicable. Optional elements may include the study design and wording that makes the title more engaging.
4.2 Structured Abstract
Authors must provide a structured abstract of no more than 250 words, including the keywords. The abstract must contain the following sections:
- Background
- Method
- Results
- Conclusion
- Keywords
A maximum of six keywords or phrases may be provided. Keywords must be arranged in alphabetical order.
4.3 Introduction
The Introduction should state the objectives, relevance, and significance of the research and provide a framework for the manuscript.
4.4 Methodology
The Methodology section should provide sufficient information to describe and justify the study methods, including the study design, study area, target population, sample size determination, sampling techniques, research instruments, instrument validity and reliability, data collection procedures, and data analyses.
The relevant ethical declaration must be included in this section. For randomized controlled trials and clinical trials, the Clinical Trial Registration number and the name of the registry must also be provided.
4.5 Results
The Results section should present the findings clearly and concisely in relation to the research question and identify the new knowledge contributed by the study. Authors should present representative data or descriptions and avoid redundancy. The Results section should be written in the past tense.
4.6 Discussion
The Discussion should explain whether the results were expected and interpret their meaning in relation to the stated research problem. Authors should compare their findings with those of related studies. The strengths and limitations of the study are usually presented in the final paragraph of the Discussion.
4.7 Conclusion
The Conclusion should summarize the key points of the study and address their implications. It should also provide recommendations or suggestions for overcoming the identified issues in future research or practice.
5. Tables and Figures
Tables and figures must be placed within the body of the manuscript in Microsoft Word format. Each table and figure must be numbered consecutively and provided with a brief title. Explanatory information should be presented in a footnote below the relevant table or figure.
Please allow 260 words for each table or figure. A manuscript may contain a maximum of six tables and figures in total. Figures must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
6. Declarations and Supplementary Information
6.1 Acknowledgement
Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work should be acknowledged in this section.
6.2 Data Availability
Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement, even when data sharing is not applicable.
Samples1. No data are available
Data availability: No data are available for sharing because no datasets were generated or analyzed during the study.
2. Data are available upon reasonable request
Data availability: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
3. Data are publicly available
Data availability: The data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available at [repository name/link], under [accession number/DOI].
4. Data are restricted due to ethical/privacy concerns
Data availability: The data are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions but may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to appropriate approval.
6.3 Funding
All sources of funding must be disclosed, including the names of funding organizations, grant numbers, and other funding details.
Samples1.If the study received no funding, please use the statement below:
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
2.If the study received funding, please use the statement below:
Funding: This research was supported by [Name of Funding Agency] under Grant No. [XXXX].
6.4 Conflict of Interest
Authors must include a Conflict of Interest statement.
6.5 Appendix
Large supplementary files should be deposited in an institutional repository. A URL or link to the supplementary information should be provided in an appendix before the References.
7. Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies
Authors must include a “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies” section in the manuscript, whether or not generative AI tools were used.
If generative AI tools were used for language editing or assistance, the following statement must be included:
During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] for [REASON]. The author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
If no generative AI tools were used, the following statement must be included:
No Generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
8. References and In-Text Citations
Manuscripts must follow the Vancouver reference style. In-text citations must be numbered consecutively in square brackets [ ]. The reference list must follow the same numerical order in which the references appear in the text.
8.1 In-Text Citations
When author names are included in the text, cite both authors for works written by two authors. For works written by three or more authors, cite the first author followed by “et al.”
Examples:
- Kwan and Mapstone [1] reported that…
- Rose et al. [2] reported that…
When author names are not mentioned in the text, cite the source using the relevant reference number in square brackets [ ].
Example: Air pollution was associated with respiratory symptoms [2].
8.2 Reference List
In the reference list, include all authors when a work has six or fewer authors. When a work has more than six authors, list the first six authors followed by “et al.” Journal titles must be abbreviated according to the abbreviations used in PubMed.
Examples
Journal Article
[1] Kwan I, Mapstone J. Visibility aids for pedestrians and cyclists: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Accid Anal Prev. 2004;36(3):305-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-4575(03)00008-3
[2] Rose ME, Huerbin MB, Melick J, Marion DW, Palmer AM, Schiding JK, et al. Regulation of interstitial excitatory amino acid concentrations after cortical contusion injury. Brain Res. 2002 May;935(1-2):40-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-8993(02)02471-X
[3] Montero D, Roche E, Martinez-Rodriguez A. The impact of aerobic exercise training on arterial stiffness in pre- and hypertensive subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Cardiol. 2014 May;173(3):361-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.03.072
Entire Book
[4] Miles DA, Van Dis ML, Williamson GF, Jensen CW. Radiographic imaging for the dental team. 4th ed. St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier; 2009.
Book Chapter
[5] Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.
Electronic Journal Article
[6] Stone D, Harper BJ, Lynch I, Dawson K, Harper SL. Exposure assessment: recommendations for nanotechnology-based pesticides. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2010 Oct-Dec;16(4):467-74 [cited 2010 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21222390
Electronic Book or Monograph
[7] Donaldson MS, editor. Measuring the quality of health care [monograph on the Internet]. Washington: National Academy Press; 1999 [cited 2004 Oct 8]. Available from: http://legacy.netlibrary.com/
Proceedings Article
[8] Christensen S, Oppacher F. An analysis of Koza’s computational effort statistic for genetic programming. In: Foster JA, Lutton E, editors. Genetic programming. EuroGP: Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Genetic Programming; 2002 Apr 3-5; Berlin: Springer; 2002. p. 182-91.
Website
[9] National Cancer Institute. Fact sheet: targeted cancer therapies [Internet]. [Updated 2014 Apr 25; cited 2014 Jun 2]. Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/targeted#q1
9. Pre-Submission Checklist
Before submitting the manuscript, authors must confirm that:
- The manuscript has been submitted only to this Journal and has not been published, accepted for publication, or submitted elsewhere.
- The research complies with ethical guidelines and international reporting standards, including the legal requirements of the country in which the study was conducted.
- The Clinical Trial Registration number and registry name have been prepared for randomized controlled trials and clinical trials.
- A complete anonymous manuscript file has been prepared. Identifying information must be included separately in the title page or in a supplementary file that is not intended for review to allow double-blind peer review.
- Any potential conflicts of interest have been declared.
- Support received from any third party has been acknowledged.
- A Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies has been included, whether or not generative AI tools were used.
- Authors who are not native speakers of English have provided a certificate of English editing from an authorized language institute or a qualified and certified language editor.
10. Revising and Responding to Reviewers
Authors cannot make revisions directly to the originally submitted version of the manuscript. The manuscript must be revised using a word-processing program and saved on the author’s computer.
Changes must be clearly identified using the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word or by using bold or coloured text. The revised text must be linked to each relevant reviewer comment.
All comments made by Reviewer 1 and Reviewer 2 must be copied individually into comment bubbles and linked to the corresponding changes in the manuscript. All requests for changes from the Background through the Conclusion must be addressed.
If any reviewer comment has not been addressed in the revised manuscript, the authors must quote the comment and provide a justification.
Two versions of the revised manuscript must be uploaded: one clean copy and one copy showing all changes using the Track Changes function.
10.1 Instructions for Revised Manuscript Submission
- Remove the original files.
- Number all main headings and subheadings as follows:
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Use clear and appropriate file names. Do not include author names.
- Remove all author names from the revised manuscript file.
- Upload tables and figures as separate files.
- Add line numbers to all revised files.
- Upload a rebuttal response document.
