Author Guidelines

About the journal

GPHHS is an open access journal with continuous publication. Articles are published online as soon as they are accepted and prepared for publication. Each calendar year constitutes one volume made up of four issues.

Manuscript categories

  • Original Research Articles
  • Short Reports (brief, high-value findings; faster handling)
  • Program & Policy Evaluations
  • Implementation Research Articles
  • Systematic Reviews / Scoping Reviews
  • Methods Papers (tools, indicators, protocols with justification)
  • Perspectives (invited or tightly curated)

Manuscript preparation (minimum requirements)

Language: English
Format: MS Word preferred
Structure (Original Research):

  1. Title page (title; authors; affiliations; corresponding author; ORCID if available)
  2. Abstract (structured recommended: Background/Methods/Results/Conclusion). Should be less than 300 Words.
  3. Keywords (4–7)
  4. Introduction
  5. Methods (design, setting, participants, sample size, measures, analysis, ethics)
  6. Results
  7. Discussion (interpretation, implications, strengths/limitations)
  8. Conclusion
  9. References - Vancouver (numbered) system for referencing. References are numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. In-text Citation: Indicate references by superscript Arabic numerals (e.g., 1,2). 
  10. Tables/Figures (clear titles; defined abbreviations)

Ethics and transparency

Authors must include:

  • Ethical approval (committee name + reference number) OR a clear justification if not applicable
  • Informed consent statement where relevant
  • Conflict of interest declaration
  • Funding statement (or “no funding”)
  • Data availability statement (what can be shared and under what conditions)
  • AI/LLM use disclosure: If any AI tools were used for language editing or figure preparation, authors must state where and how, and confirm authors take full responsibility for content.

Plagiarism and originality

Submitted manuscripts may be screened for similarity. Manuscripts with high similarity (Above 20%) or poor citation practices may be returned for correction or rejected.

Peer review and decision timeline (3–4 weeks target)

GPHHS operates a rapid, quality-focused peer review process:

  • Day 0–3: editorial office checks (completeness, ethics, formatting, similarity screen)
  • Day 3–6: handling editor desk decision (reject, request corrections, or send for review)
  • Day 6–8: reviewer invitations sent
  • Day 8–22: peer review (typical reviewer deadline 10–14 days)
  • Day 22–28: editorial decision

Note: Complex manuscripts, difficulties finding reviewers, or major revisions may extend timelines. However, the journal aims to keep decisions efficient and transparent.

Revisions

  • Minor revisions: typically 7–14 days for author resubmission
  • Major revisions: typically 14–30 days
    Editors may request additional review for major revisions.

Submissions

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online system. Submissions that do not meet the minimum requirements may be returned without external review