guidelines for Authors

1) About the Journal

Global Public Health & Health Systems (GPHHS) is an open access journal published by EcoScribe Publishers. The journal uses continuous publication: articles are published online as soon as they are accepted and prepared for publication. Each calendar year constitutes one volume, organised into four issues for indexing and archiving purposes.

Open Access & Licensing
All articles are published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. This permits sharing and adaptation with appropriate attribution.

2) Manuscript Categories

GPHHS considers the following article types:

  • Original Research Articles

  • Short Reports (brief, high-value findings; faster handling where possible)

  • Program & Policy Evaluations

  • Implementation Research Articles

  • Systematic Reviews / Scoping Reviews

  • Methods Papers (tools, indicators, protocols with justification and validation/feasibility evidence where applicable)

  • Perspectives (invited or editor-approved proposals only)

3) Before You Submit (Double-Blind Requirements)

GPHHS operates a double-blind peer review model. To support anonymity:

You must submit TWO files:

  1. Title Page (Identifying file) – contains: title, all author names, affiliations, corresponding author details, ORCID (if available), acknowledgements, funding, and conflict of interest.

  2. Main Manuscript (Anonymous file) – must NOT contain author names, affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgements, or any identifying statements.

Anonymisation tips

  • Remove author names from document properties/metadata.

  • Avoid phrasing such as “in our previous study…” unless cited in third person.

  • If you must cite your own work, cite it as any other reference; do not write “our paper”.

4) Manuscript Preparation (Minimum Requirements)

Language: English
Format: MS Word preferred (.doc/.docx)

Structure for Original Research Articles (Recommended)

  • Title Page (separate file; identifying)

  • Abstract (structured recommended: Background / Methods / Results / Conclusion)- not exceeding 300 words.

  • Keywords (4–7)

  • Introduction

  • Methods (design, setting, participants, sample size justification, measures/tools, data collection, analysis, ethics)

  • Results

  • Discussion (interpretation, implications, strengths/limitations)

  • Conclusion

  • 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). 

  • Tables/Figures (clear titles; units stated; abbreviations defined)

Tables/Figures

  • Keep them clear and self-explanatory.

  • Provide source/permission information for any reused material.

5) Ethics and Transparency (Required Statements)

All manuscripts must include a “Declarations” (or equivalent) section with:

  • Ethics approval: committee name + reference number OR a clear justification if not applicable

  • Informed consent: statement where relevant, including confidentiality safeguards

  • Conflicts of interest: declare any conflicts or state “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

  • Funding: list funders and grant numbers or “No funding.”

  • Data availability: what can be shared, where/how to access, and any restrictions with justification

  • AI/LLM disclosure (if used): tool used, purpose (e.g., language editing/figure assistance), and confirmation that authors take full responsibility for accuracy, originality, and citations

6) Originality, Similarity Screening, and Plagiarism

All submissions may be screened using similarity-detection software and editorial assessment.

Guidance thresholds (evaluated with context):

  • ≤15%: usually acceptable (often references/methods overlap), subject to editorial assessment

  • 15–25%: may be returned for correction and improved citation/rewrite before review

  • >25%: typically desk rejected for substantial overlap and/or poor citation practices

Important: Similarity percentages are interpreted based on where overlap occurs. Unattributed copying of results, discussion, or unique phrasing, or duplicate publication may lead to rejection regardless of the percentage.

7) Peer Review Process and Decision Timeline (Target: 3–4 Weeks)

GPHHS uses double-blind peer review and aims for efficient, quality-focused decisions:

  • Day 0–3: editorial office checks (completeness, anonymisation, ethics statements, formatting, similarity screen)

  • Day 3–6: handling editor desk decision (reject / request corrections / send for review)

  • Day 6–8: reviewer invitations

  • Day 8–22: peer review (typical reviewer deadline 10–14 days)

  • Day 22–28: editorial decision

Timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, and the extent of revisions required.

8) Editorial Decisions

Decisions may include:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

9) Revisions and Resubmission Windows

  • Minor revisions: typically 7–14 days

  • Major revisions: typically 14–30 days
    Major revisions may be returned to reviewers when needed.

Revised submissions should include:

  • a clean revised manuscript,

  • a tracked-changes version (recommended), and

  • a point-by-point response letter.

10) APC, Payment, and DOI Assignment

GPHHS charges an APC of USD 50 for accepted manuscripts only (no submission fee). After acceptance, authors receive an invoice. Publication processing begins after payment is confirmed, and DOIs are assigned after APC payment.

Refunds: APC payments are generally non-refundable once paid, except in limited cases such as duplicate/erroneous payments or where the publisher is unable to proceed for reasons attributable to the journal/publisher (see APC Refund & Withdrawal Policy).

11) Repository and Sharing Policy

GPHHS allows authors to deposit:

  • the submitted version (preprint),

  • the accepted manuscript (AAM), and

  • the published version (VoR)

in institutional/funder repositories and reputable platforms. Authors should update repository records with the DOI link to the final published version once available. The published version may be shared under CC BY 4.0 with full citation and DOI.

12) Submissions

All manuscripts must be submitted via the journal’s online submission system. Submissions that do not meet the minimum requirements (including anonymisation and required statements) may be returned without external review.