1. Scope and Article Types

1.1 Original Research Articles

Word limit: 5,000-8,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures)

Abstract: 300 words maximum, structured format

Purpose: Report original empirical research using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approaches. Studies should present novel findings that contribute significantly to public health knowledge.

1.2 Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Word limit: 6,000-10,000 words

Abstract: 300 words maximum

Requirements: Must follow PRISMA guidelines. Include protocol registration number (PROSPERO, INPLASY, or equivalent). Provide PRISMA checklist and flow diagram.

1.3 Brief Reports

Word limit: 2,000-3,000 words

Abstract: 150 words maximum

Purpose: Communicate preliminary findings, pilot studies, or time-sensitive results that warrant rapid dissemination.

1.4 Perspectives and Commentaries

Word limit: 1,500-2,500 words

Purpose: Provide expert opinion on emerging issues, policy debates, or research directions in public health.

2. Manuscript Preparation

2.1 General Format Requirements

2.2 Manuscript Structure for Original Research

Title Page (First Page)

The title page should contain the following information:

• Article Title: Concise and informative (≤150 characters). Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.
• Running Title: Abbreviated version (≤50 characters) for page headers.
• Author Names: Full first name, middle initial(s), and surname of all authors.
• Institutional Affiliations: Department, institution, city, state/province (if applicable), country for each author. Use superscript numbers to link authors to affiliations.
• Corresponding Author: Full name, complete mailing address, telephone number, email address, and ORCID iD (required).
• Author Contributions: Specify each author's contribution using CRediT taxonomy (Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition).
• Word Count: Provide word count for main text only (excluding abstract, references, tables, figures).
• Number of Tables and Figures: Specify total count.

Abstract (Second Page)

Structure Required: Original research articles must use a structured abstract with the following sections:

• Background: Provide context, state the problem, and explain the rationale for the study (2-3 sentences).
• Objectives: Clearly state the specific aims or research questions (1-2 sentences).
• Methods: Describe study design, setting, participants, sample size, data collection methods, and statistical analysis (4-5 sentences).
• Results: Present key findings with specific data, including effect sizes, confidence intervals, and p-values where appropriate (4-5 sentences).
• Conclusions: Summarize main conclusions and implications for public health practice or policy (2-3 sentences).

Keywords: Provide 4-6 keywords below the abstract. Use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms where possible.

Introduction

The Introduction should:

• Provide sufficient background to understand the context and significance
• Briefly review relevant literature, citing key previous work
• Identify gaps in current knowledge
• Clearly state the study objectives or research questions/hypotheses
• Explain how the study addresses the identified gap

Suggested length: 500-800 words (2-3 paragraphs).

Methods

The Methods section must provide sufficient detail to allow replication of the study. Include the following subsections:

Study Design: Clearly specify the type of study (e.g., randomized controlled trial, cohort study, case-control study, cross-sectional survey, qualitative study). For intervention studies, describe the study protocol and registration.

Setting and Participants:

• Describe the study setting (location, type of facility, dates of data collection)
• Define the study population and sampling frame
• State inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Describe recruitment procedures
• Report sample size calculation and justification
• Provide participant flow through the study (use CONSORT or STROBE flow diagram)

Data Collection:

• Describe all data collection procedures and instruments
• For surveys or questionnaires, provide validity and reliability information
• State whether instruments were previously validated or developed for the study
• Describe any pilot testing conducted

Variables and Measurement:

• Define all outcome variables clearly
• Define exposure or intervention variables
• Describe how variables were measured and categorized
• Explain any composite measures or indices used

Statistical Analysis:

• Specify statistical software used (name and version number)
• Describe statistical tests and methods used for each analysis
• State the significance level (typically p<0.05)
• Explain handling of missing data
• Describe any adjustments for confounding or multiple testing
• For complex analyses, provide rationale for methodological choices

Ethics Statement:

• State name of institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee that approved the study
• Provide ethics approval number
• Confirm that the study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki
• Describe informed consent procedures
• For studies involving vulnerable populations, describe additional safeguards

Results

The Results section should:

• Present findings in logical sequence, following the order of the Methods section
• Begin with descriptive statistics (sample characteristics)
• Report main outcome measures with appropriate statistics (means, standard deviations, medians, interquartile ranges, proportions)
• Include confidence intervals and p-values for primary analyses
• Use tables and figures to present data efficiently (do not duplicate information)
• Report both statistically significant and non-significant results
• Avoid interpretation of results (save for Discussion)
• Do not include references to literature

Discussion

The Discussion should address the following points:

• Summary of Key Findings: Begin with a concise summary of the principal results
• Interpretation: Explain what the results mean in the context of existing knowledge
• Comparison with Previous Research: Compare findings with relevant published studies, explaining similarities and differences
• Mechanisms and Implications: Discuss possible mechanisms underlying the findings and their implications for public health practice, policy, or future research
• Strengths: Highlight key strengths of the study (e.g., sample size, study design, novel methods)
• Limitations: Acknowledge limitations honestly and discuss their potential impact on interpretation
• Generalizability: Discuss to whom the findings can be generalized
• Future Research: Suggest directions for future research
• Conclusions: End with clear, specific conclusions supported by the data

Avoid: Overstating conclusions, introducing new data, repeating results in detail.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledge individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria. Include:

• Technical assistance, data collection, or administrative support
• Writing assistance or language editing (must be declared)
• Provision of study materials or equipment
• Obtain written permission from all individuals mentioned in acknowledgments

3. References

3.1 Reference Style

Public Health International accepts either Vancouver (numbered) or APA reference style. Be consistent throughout the manuscript.

3.2 Vancouver Style Examples

3.3 Reference Guidelines

• Cite references in numerical order as they appear in the text using superscript numbers
• Include Digital Object Identifier (DOI) when available
• List up to 6 authors; for 7 or more authors, list first 6 followed by "et al."
• Abbreviate journal names according to PubMed/MEDLINE standards
• Verify accuracy of all references before submission
• Include only published or in-press works in the reference list
• Personal communications should be cited in text only, not in references

4. Tables and Figures

4.1 Tables

• Format: Create tables in Microsoft Word or Excel (editable format required)
• Numbering: Number tables consecutively (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) in order of citation
• Title: Provide concise, descriptive title above each table
• Footnotes: Place explanatory notes below the table using superscript letters (a, b, c)
• Abbreviations: Define all abbreviations in footnotes
• Style: Use horizontal lines only; avoid vertical lines and color
• Submission: Include tables at the end of the manuscript file or as separate editable files
• Size: Tables should fit on one page when possible

4.2 Figures

• Quality: High resolution (minimum 300 dpi for print quality)
• File Format: TIFF, JPEG, PNG, PDF, or EPS
• Color: Figures may be in color; ensure they are also interpretable in grayscale
• Numbering: Number figures consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)
• Legends: Provide descriptive figure legends in the main manuscript file
• Labels: Use clear, readable fonts (Arial or Helvetica, minimum 8-point)
• Symbols: Define all symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters used
• Permissions: Obtain written permission for previously published figures
• Submission: Submit figures as separate high-resolution files

4.3 Data Presentation Guidelines

• Present data in tables OR figures, not both
• Ensure all tables and figures are cited in the text
• Place tables and figures after their first mention in the text
• Use appropriate precision for numerical data (avoid excessive decimal places)
• Report confidence intervals where appropriate

5. Ethical Requirements and Disclosures

5.1 Research Involving Human Participants

All research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and local/national regulations. The following must be included:

• Ethics Approval: State the name of the institutional review board (IRB) or ethics committee that approved the study, along with the approval number and date
• Informed Consent: Confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians
• Confidentiality: Describe measures taken to protect participant privacy and data confidentiality
• Vulnerable Populations: For studies involving children, prisoners, pregnant women, or other vulnerable groups, describe additional ethical safeguards
• Clinical Trials: Register all clinical trials in a publicly accessible registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) before enrollment begins; provide registration number

5.2 Research Involving Animals

Animal studies must comply with institutional and national guidelines:

• Obtain approval from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent
• State ethics approval number in the Methods section
• Follow ARRIVE guidelines for reporting animal research
• Describe animal welfare measures, including housing conditions, anesthesia, analgesia, and humane endpoints
• Justify sample size and experimental design to minimize animal use

5.3 Conflict of Interest Statement

All authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest. This includes:

• Financial interests: Employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patents
• Non-financial interests: Personal relationships, institutional affiliations, membership in advisory boards
• Funding sources: All sources of financial support for the research
• No conflicts: If no conflicts exist, state: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest"

Include this statement at the end of the manuscript before references.

5.4 Funding Statement

Declare all sources of financial support for the research, including:

• Funding organization names
• Grant numbers
• Role of funders in study design, data collection, analysis, and copyright terms
• If no funding was received, state: "This research received no specific grant from any funding agency"

5.5 Data Availability Statement

Authors are encouraged to make research data openly available. The data availability statement should specify:

• Where data supporting the findings can be accessed (repository name and DOI/accession number)
• Any restrictions on data availability (e.g., privacy, ethical, legal constraints)
• How to request access to restricted data

Recommended repositories: Zenodo, Dryad, Figshare, Harvard Dataverse, or field-specific repositories

5.6 Consent to Publish

For case reports or studies including identifiable patient information:

• Obtain written informed consent for publication from patients or legal guardians
• Remove all identifying information from case descriptions, images, and tables
• State in the manuscript that consent was obtained

6. Reporting Guidelines

Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines based on study design:

Submit completed checklists as supplementary files. Guidelines available at: www.equator-network.org

7. Peer Review Process

7.1 Review Type

Public Health International employs a Single-Blind Review process as standard, where reviewers know the authors' identities but authors do not know reviewers' identities. Authors may request Double-Blind Review to ensure impartial evaluation. To request double-blind review:

• Indicate your preference in the cover letter
• Submit a blinded manuscript with all author-identifying information removed from the main text and file properties

7.2 Review Timeline

7.3 Editorial Decisions

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept: Manuscript accepted with no or minimal revisions
• Minor Revision: Manuscript accepted pending minor changes
• Major Revision: Manuscript has merit but requires substantial revision; re-review may be required
• Reject with Resubmission: Manuscript requires fundamental revisions; may be resubmitted as a new submission
• Reject: Manuscript does not meet journal standards or scope

8. Submission Checklist

9. After Acceptance

9.1 Article Processing Charges

Public Health International is an open access journal. Article Processing Charges (APCs) apply only after acceptance. Authors will receive:

• Detailed invoice with payment copyright-license
• Information about institutional discounts or waivers (if applicable)
• Multiple payment options (credit card, wire transfer, institutional purchase order)

9.2 Production Process

• Authors receive proofs for correction within 48 hours of acceptance
• Proofs must be returned within 48 hours with corrections
• Articles are published online immediately after proof approval
• All articles receive a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

9.3 Indexing and Dissemination

Published articles are:

• Indexed in Google Scholar, BASE, and other academic databases
• Assigned DOIs through CrossRef
• Archived in LOCKSS and CLOCKSS for long-term preservation
• Made available via OAI-PMH protocol for harvesting
• Shared on social media and academic networks

10. Contact Information