Submissions

Information for Authors and Reviewers

The Journal of Public Health Student Capstones (JPHSCs) has implemented an electronic peer review tracking system, Open Journal Systems (OJS) that is accessible to authors, reviewers, editors, and staff. If you have the appropriate background for serving as a reviewer, we invite you to register. Click here to access the Open Journal System Manager and click on the "Register Now" link if you are not already registered. You will be asked to fill out a registration form. All items with an asterisk are required to complete the registration process. If you have already registered, please enter your username and password. If you encounter any problems, please contact staff at [email protected].

  

HOW TO SUBMIT A MANUSCRIPT

Submit a Manuscript Here.

Before beginning the submission process, be sure that you have carefully read the Author Guidelines Here for general article information and the instructions for submission below. We have also created a Manuscript Checklist with which your initial submission will be evaluated for context and clarity. You can find the checklist here. In brief, please log into the Open Journal System Manager and click the "submission" button, and then enter in the required information as prompted. All papers must have a title page, cover letter, abstract, full manuscript, references, attestation form and, if applicable, tables, figures, photos and supplementary data files. The link to the attestation form may be found here. Authors can save their work in progress, proof and submit revisions, download and review proofs, check on the status of their article, update personal information, and review their past submission records. Decisions are sent to authors via email. If you encounter any problems during the submission process, please contact staff at [email protected].

 

If you have a question about JPHSC interest or applicability of a specific capstone topic, the fastest way to receive feedback is to submit the paper for evaluation. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a weekly basis, Editorial and Internal staff cannot review and comment on appropriateness of articles not formally submitted.

 

EDITORIAL POLICIES

JPHSC aspires to select, through faculty/practitioner-review, the highest quality field experience and capstone project–related manuscripts. To achieve this, the entire manuscript review and publication process of the JPHSC must be thorough, objective, and fair. Every aspect of this process involves important ethical principles and decisions.

 

EDITORIAL BOARD AND STAFF

Journal Editorial Board and staff contact information can be accessed by clicking here.

 

OPEN ACCESS

JPHSC promotes open access in the scientific community. All articles accepted for publication will be covered for a fee known as an Article Processing Charge (APC). The APC supports open access of the article on the JPHSC website. Questions regarding open access and the APC can be directed to the Editorial Manager, Hannah Kling, MPH at [email protected] any time before or after acceptance or publication.

GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWERS

Reviewer instructions by submission type can be found here: JPHSC Reviewer Guidelines.

Initial Submission

All submissions should include the 4 basic documents listed below. For abstract guidelines, word counts, required manuscript components and table and figure limits specific to submission type, see guidelines below under "Types of Submissions."  All manuscripts should be submitted in Word document format here. Submissions sent to an email address will not be accepted. 

1. 1) A title page which includes the title of the manuscript, JPHSC submission type, author names, author affiliations, and the full abstract. Structured abstracts include an objective, methods, results and conclusion section. Unstructured abstracts are written in paragraphs and don't have any titles specific for different parts of the abstract. A template can be found here.
2. 2) A blinded manuscript file that does not include: acknowledgements, author information, institutional affiliations or contributions, disclosures of conflict, identification of funding source(s), and names of IRB granting institutions (if appropriate for the type of manuscript). Manuscript filenames should not include any author names or initials. Please see below for more details on formating your manuscript according to your specific submission type.  
   1. A)All blinded manuscripts (reglardless of submission type) should contain the following elements 
      1. i) title of manuscript, JPHSC submission type, and abstract 
      2. ii) page numbers
      3. iii) numbered lines (in Word, > Page Setup > Line Numbers > Continuous) throughout the text of the manuscript; with a font size of 12
      4. iv) Tables and figures embedded at the end of the manuscript, OR uploaded as separate file

3. 3) An attestation form which may be found  here. 

4) A cover letter with concise text that addresses the following topics:

1. i) [A brief introduction to the public health problem being presented in the manuscript. 
2. ii) For this [submission type][A brief statement on the objective and methodological approach (if relevant) of the manuscript.]
3. iii) [A short summary of the main findings or conclusions of the completed work and the public health relevance of the submitted manuscript.]

A template of the cover letter can be found here.

Citation Style

All JPHSC articles follow the AMA Manual of Style, 10th Edition. Substantive notes and footnotes are not permitted.

 

Types of Submissions

There are 8 submission categories: 1) Program Evaluation; 2) Public Health Reviews (i.e., Systems Analysis Review, Literature Review, Topical review, Historical Review); 3) Secondary data analysis; 4) Policy Assessment; 5) Design of Research Proposal; 6) Economic Evaluations; 7) Research Project; and 8) Current Opinion. Word totals apply to the main body of the paper and exclude citations, tables, and figures unless otherwise specified in the section below.

 

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation manuscripts report on evaluations conducted to determine whether a public health program or practice has met its goals. You should follow the relevant Equator Network reporting guideline for the study type. 3000-word limit, 250-word structured abstract (objectives, methods, results, and conclusions), no more than 5 tables or figures. Program evaluation manuscripts should include a structured abstract. Sections should include a structured abstract, introduction, description of the program being evaluated, purpose of the evaluation (including evaluation criteria), methods, results, lessons learned, references, and tables/figures.

 

Public Health Reviews

This category of manuscript, includes several types of public health reviews, including: Systems Analysis Review, Literature Review, Topical review, Historical Review. Please use the PRISMA checklist when organizing your review. 

 

Systems analysis review manuscripts report on reviews conducted of public health systems or related entities to critically evaluate the design, development and impact of the system. This type of manuscript breaks down a public health system into its component pieces for the purpose of the studying and evaluating how well those component parts work and interact to accomplish their purpose. 3000-word limit, 250-word structured abstract (objectives, methods, results, and conclusions), no more than 5 tables or figures. Sections should include a structured abstract, introduction, description of the public health system being evaluated, purpose of the review (including review criteria), methods, results, lessons learned, references, and tables/figures.

 

Literature reviews assess current knowledge of a particular public health field experience or capstone project topic using secondary sources. Although new conclusions can be made, this type should not report new or original experimental work. 3000-word limit, 250-word structured abstract (objectives, methods, results, and conclusions), no more than 5 tables or figures. Literature reviews should incorporate previously published work to address key points of the manuscript and provide an historical perspective of the topic. It should also, discuss literature search strategies including databases used and MeSH terms, includes rationale for inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as the level of detail required to replicate study.

 

Topical reviews are narrative summaries of a topic relevant to public health field experiences and capstone projects, including a comprehensive survey of the public health topic, often including a review of the existing literature and knowledge base, and an update on the current understanding and state-of-the art of the topic.  3000-word limit, 250-word unstructured abstract, no more than 5 tables or figures. Sections should include an unstructured abstract, introduction, methods (if relevant), discussion, public health implications, references, and tables/figures. The editors review topical review submissions in accordance with whether the manuscript: 1) provides a comprehensive presentation and synthesis of the topic and, if included, a review of the existing literature and knowledge base, 2) leaves the reader with an update on the current understanding and state-of-the art of the topic, and 3) uses plain language and statistical presentation relevant to a broad range of public health professionals.

 

Historical reviews similar in format/layout to the abovementioned topical review, should include a summary of important events in public health history as they relate to a student field experience or capstone project. Historical reviews will include events that have shaped and transformed public health practice. These types of reviews are not a summary of the events that lead to a field experience or capstone project, rather a review of major historical public health events that motivated and inspired the field experience. Authors should consult with the editors on this type of submission. 3000-word limit, 250-word unstructured abstract, no more than 5 tables or figures. Sections should include an unstructured abstract, introduction, methods (if relevant), discussion, public health implications, references, and tables/figures.

 

Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis articles report on the results of secondary data analysis using data from a public health project or public health surveillance system. 3500 words in the text, a structured abstract, up to 4 tables & figures combined, and no more than 35 references. The structured abstract must provide the date(s) and location(s) of the data collected. The text must have an introduction and separate sections for Methods, Results, Discussion, and, Implications for undergraduate and graduate public health students working on field experience and capstone projects.

 

Policy Assessment

Policy assessment articles uses a range of research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of policy interventions, implementation and processes, and to determine their merit, worth, or value in terms of improving the social and economic conditions of different stakeholders. Policy assessment manuscripts will evaluate principles and methods that examine policy content, and implementation or impact of a policy. A policy assessment exercise would be an activity through which we develop an understanding of the merit, worth, and utility of a policy. These types of articles will require some level of analysis (e.g., system or community level for policy evaluation) and increased emphasis on the use of surveillance and administrative data. 3500-word limit, 250-word structured abstract, no more than 5 tables or figures. Sections should include a structured abstract, introduction, methods (if relevant), discussion, public health implications, references, and tables/figures.

 

Design of Research Proposal

The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a public health problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. As part of their field experience and/or capstone project, public health students may have worked on designing a research proposal that address a public health problem. The JPHSC will consider manuscripts that describe the design of a research proposal. This type of manuscript should specify the research goal, the proposed research approach and the educational goal of the research proposal. The intellectual merits (the contribution your research will make to your area of public health) should specify the current state of knowledge in the field, and where it is headed. The manuscript should state what your research proposal (if successful) will add to the state of knowledge in the field. Furthermore, important to state is what your research will do to enhance or enable other public health practitioners in the field. Finally, one should answer why your research proposal is important for the advancement of the field. These manuscripts should be organized with the following headers: Introduction/Background of problem or scientific/practice gap; proposal approach; expected outcomes; and future/next steps. 3500-word limit, 250-word structured abstract, no more than 5 tables or figures. Sections should include a structured abstract, introduction, methods (if relevant), discussion, public health implications, references, and tables/figures.

 

Economic Evaluations

Economic evaluation manuscripts can include cost-benefit analysis, cost-effective analysis, cost-minimization analysis and cost-utility analysis. Cost-benefit analysis compares monetary cost and benefits of alternative strategies. Cost-effective analysis compares the cost of alternative strategies that have different public health outcomes. Cost-minimization analysis compares the costs of alternative strategies that have public health-related equivalent outcomes, while cost-utility analysis compares the costs of alternative strategies using quality of life outcome measures. These manuscripts should be organized with the following sections: a structured Abstract; Introduction (i.e., Includes the type of economic evaluation and the comparative interventions in the aim of the study); Materials and Method (i.e., Includes the perspective (point of view) and time frame of the economic evaluation and adequately describe alternative strategies or interventions); Results (i.e., Present data both in aggregated and disaggregated forms; cost-benefit analyses should specify the type of evaluation [that is benefits-to-cost ratio, net present value, or net benefits as percentage of costs]; Express results of any break-even equation in monetary terms, and specify if human capital or willingness to pay approach is used in cost-benefit analyses). 3500-word limit, 250-word structured abstract, no more than 5 tables or figures. 

 

Original research

Original research manuscripts report on research or meta-analyses, conducted to increase knowledge of a particular public health concern, establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, or support previous or develop new theories. You should follow the relevant Equator Network reporting guideline for the study type. 3000-word limit, 250-word structured abstract (objectives, methods, results, and conclusions), no more than 5 tables or figures. Structured abstract. Sections should be structured in the following order: introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, references, and tables/figures. For meta-analyses, please include a structured abstract, introduction, methods (data sources, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and criteria for assessing data), results, discussion, public health implications, references, and tables/figures. 

 

Current Opinion

These essays discuss on a current or emerging public health issue, policy issue, important scientific and programmatic development, new technology, or current scientific debate. It is expected that commentaries may take a personal viewpoint on a topic. 2500-word limit and no more than 2 tables or figures. These essays should include the sections introduction, discussion, public health implications references, and tables/figures.