The publication process

Submission

All manuscripts should be submitted to Public Health Research & Practice via our online journal management system ScholarOne. Submissions will be acknowledged via ScholarOne. If manuscripts are considered suitable for peer review but do not contain all information requested in our for authors section, they will be returned with a request to supply the omitted detail. This may affect the timeliness with which a manuscript is dealt.

Authors with questions about our online submission system can either contact the Editor or refer to the ScholarOne online help guide for authors. An Author check list is also available  so authors can ensure they have followed all the necessary steps for submission. The Submit a paper page contains the forms and details we require authors to complete.

The journal does not accept manuscripts that have been published elsewhere or simultaneously sent to other journals. Please refer to our Dissemination policy. Copies of published articles based on the same research must be supplied as a supplementary file with the manuscript. We do not charge authors any submission or processing fees.

Assessment

Each manuscript will be reviewed by the Editor, who will decide whether the submission is in scope and suits the journal’s Editorial criteria. Submissions are then sent to one of the journal section editors – subject experts who sit on the journal’s editorial board. Associate Editors review the paper, decide if it is suitable for peer review and nominate two appropriate peer reviewers. A first copy edit of the manuscript may take place before it is sent out to peer review.

Peer review

The journal takes peer review seriously as an important method of ensuring the journal content is worthy of publication. As the journal follows a single blind peer review process, it is unnecessary for authors to de-identify their manuscripts.

The journal editorial team is responsible for choosing peer reviewers, however authors may suggest independent reviewers to assess their manuscript. We do not guarantee that authors’ suggested reviewers will be approached.

The following types of articles are always peer reviewed:

• Original research, systematic reviews and research methods articles
• Perspectives pieces
• In Practice articles
• Brief reports

Peer reviewers submit their reviews via our online journal management system ScholarOne. A ScholarOne online help guide for reviewers is available or reviewers can contact us for assistance.

Submissions will generally be sent to two reviewers, however in some cases the opinion of a third reviewer may be sought. We may also seek the assistance of a statistical reviewer where appropriate. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to make the final decision on whether to accept or reject a peer reviewer’s assessment.

Authors can track the status of their manuscript via our ScholarOne editorial management system.

Manuscript revision

Reviewer comments are communicated to authors who are invited to revise their manuscript to accommodate reviewer suggestions. Authors should resupply their manuscript with revisions in tracked changes. If the journal editorial team considers the reviewer’s comments have not been sufficiently addressed, the manuscript will not be published.

Manuscripts will also be edited by the editorial team for structure, style and clarity. Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, a PDF proof of the edited article will be sent to the author for review.

Online Early

If a manuscript is considered particularly timely, the journal may consider it for publication in the Online Early section of the website. This will mean the paper is published ahead of the quarterly issue, but will be removed from the Online Early section and incorporated into the quarterly issue once it is published.  Authors may be offered the option to pay a fee for fast-track Online Early publication of manuscripts when journal capacity permits. The Editor will contact the author to discuss this option.

Pre-publication activities

Authors whose embargoed papers have been chosen for highlighting to the media will be asked to confirm their availability for media interviews in the days preceding publication and give their input into the media release. Please see our Media guidelines for authors for more information.

Appeals process

All final decisions on manuscripts, including the decision to publish, are made by the Editor-in-Chief. The journal appeals process for rejected manuscripts is outlined in our Editorial policies.

Timeliness

Public Health Research & Practice will endeavour to treat manuscripts in a timely fashion.  PHRP is a on-profit, open-access journal with no required author publication fees. We endeavour to publish papers as quickly as possible, and generally within 12 months of acceptance but we do receive a large number of submissions. Authors’ prompt responses to editorial queries and suggestions and their ensuring that all requirements, information and forms are provided when manuscripts are submitted will prevent delays in publication.

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