Instructions for Authors
A working guide to preparing and submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Human Health Research (JHHR) — from checking fit through review, revision and publication.
These instructions are journal-specific. Ethical, legal and institutional obligations (IRB approval, local law, funder mandates) sit above them and are never replaced by them.
Before you submit
- Peer review
- Single-blind (double-blind on request); target 2–4 weeks depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity
- Payment
- APC due only after acceptance
- Submission route
- ManuscriptZone
- Scope fit
- Check Aims & Scope
Is JHHR right for your manuscript?
Confirm your manuscript falls within JHHR’s Aims & Scope before preparing a full submission — this is the fastest way to avoid a desk rejection on scope grounds. If you are responding to an open call, the Call for Papers lists the research areas currently welcomed.
The word limits, article types and requirements below apply to every submission regardless of topic.
Categories & word limits
JHHR publishes five manuscript categories, each with its own limits.
| Category | Word limit | Abstract | Figures/tables | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 4,000–8,000 | 300 words (structured) | Up to 10 | Up to 60 |
| Review Article — narrative | 6,000–12,000 | 350 words (structured) | Up to 15 | Up to 150 |
| Review Article — systematic or scoping | 5,000–10,000 | 300 words; use the applicable reporting guideline | Up to 8 | Up to 100 |
| Short Communication | 2,000–3,000 | 200 words (unstructured) | Up to 4 | Up to 25 |
| Case Report | 1,500–3,000 | 200 words; structure appropriate to the report | Up to 5 | Up to 30 |
| Commentary | Confirm with the editorial office before submission | Article-type appropriate | As needed | Confirm before submission |
Requesting a length exception
These limits support clarity and an efficient review. If reducing your manuscript would compromise its scientific meaning or completeness, contact the Editorial Office at [email protected] before submission to request guidance on an exception.
Manuscript structure
Original-research articles should follow this order.
Title page
Concise title; full author names, affiliations and corresponding-author contact; word count; article type; funding sources; conflict-of-interest declarations; 5–8 keywords aligned with MeSH terms.
Abstract
Structured — Background, Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusions. Should stand alone as a complete summary, including study design and key numerical findings.
Introduction
Background context, the research problem, relevant prior work, and the study’s objectives and hypotheses.
Methods
Study design, setting, participants (inclusion/exclusion criteria), data collection, outcome measures, statistical analysis plan, and ethical-approval information.
Results
Findings in the order set out in Methods, using tables and figures strategically. Report all pre-specified outcomes.
Discussion
Interpretation in context of existing literature; clinical implications, limitations and future directions. Avoid overstating conclusions.
Conclusions
Brief summary of key findings and their significance for human health.
Acknowledgments
Funding agencies and contributors who do not meet authorship criteria.
References
Vancouver style, complete bibliographic information, DOIs where available.
Health-research requirements
JHHR requires the following for health and medical research submissions. These support — they do not replace — your institution’s ethics committee, local law, or professional standards.
Ethical approval
- IRB/ethics-committee approval statement, including the institution and approval number where applicable
- Description of informed-consent procedures
- IACUC approval for animal studies
- Statement of compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki
Clinical trials
- Prospective registration (ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, etc.)
- Registration number stated in the abstract
- CONSORT-guideline reporting
- Participant-flow diagram; all pre-specified outcomes reported
Statistical requirements
- Statistical methods described in sufficient detail
- Confidence intervals and effect sizes reported
- Analysis software named
- Missing-data handling and sample-size justification addressed
Reporting guidelines by article type
- RCTs → CONSORT Statement
- Observational studies → STROBE Statement
- Systematic reviews → PRISMA Statement
- Case reports → CARE Guidelines
- Qualitative research → COREQ Checklist
Figures, tables & references
Figures & tables
- Submit figures as separate high-resolution files (300 DPI minimum)
- Use accessible color palettes, considering color-blind readers
- Label all axes with units; give tables descriptive titles and define abbreviations in footnotes
- De-identify images of patients, or include their written consent
- Number figures and tables consecutively as cited in text
References (Vancouver style)
Number references consecutively in the order they appear in the text; use superscript numbers in-text; include DOIs where available.
- Journal article: Smith AB, Jones CD, Wilson EF. Effects of exercise on cardiovascular health: a randomized trial. J Health Res. 2025;15(2):123-135. doi:10.1000/jhr.2025.0123
- Book chapter: Johnson PR. Clinical research methods. In: Green M, editor. Health research handbook. New York: Academic Press; 2024. p. 45-72.
- Website: World Health Organization. Global health statistics 2024 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2024 [cited 2025 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.who.int/data
Authorship & cover letter
Authorship (ICMJE criteria)
All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to conception/design or data acquisition/analysis; drafting or critically revising the manuscript; final approval; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Contributors who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors. Authorship changes after submission require written confirmation from all authors.
Cover letter
Address the cover letter to the Editor-in-Chief. Briefly describe the study’s significance and key findings and why it suits JHHR; declare any prior publication or submission of related work; confirm the manuscript is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by all authors.
Data availability
JHHR encourages data sharing to promote reproducibility and transparency. Include a Data Availability Statement describing how readers can access the underlying data: a public repository (preferred for large datasets), supplementary files, availability upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, or not applicable for review articles without original data. For clinical data, balance transparency with patient-privacy requirements.
Submission process
Prepare
Format the manuscript to these guidelines; prepare figures, tables and supplementary materials.
Register
Create an account on the ManuscriptZone submission portal if you do not already have one.
Upload
Submit the manuscript file, figures, supplementary files and a cover letter explaining significance and any prior submissions.
Review
Single-blind peer review (double-blind on request) by health-research specialists, typically 2–4 weeks. You receive reviewer comments and the editorial decision.
Revise
If revision is requested, address all reviewer feedback point-by-point with a response document.
Accept & pay
The Article Processing Charge is due only after the manuscript is formally accepted — never before.
Publish
Accepted articles proceed to production after payment and completion of all required editorial and production checks. Publication timing depends on proof correction, metadata verification and production requirements.
Public access & funder compliance
Some funders require public availability of your accepted manuscript (e.g. the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy, for manuscripts accepted on or after 1 July 2025). JHHR publishes the Version of Record under CC BY 4.0 and permits deposit of the Author Accepted Manuscript in funder-designated repositories, but does not itself deposit manuscripts in PubMed Central — authors are responsible for meeting their own funder’s requirements. Deposit in PubMed Central does not mean JHHR is indexed in MEDLINE or included in the PMC Journal List; current coverage is listed on Indexing.
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Submit your manuscript
Once the manuscript follows the requirements above, continue to the JHHR submission page. ManuscriptZone is the primary route; authors may instead use the Simple Manuscript Submission Form. Preparation questions may be sent to the editorial office. Please use only one submission route for each manuscript.
Submit Manuscript →