Editorial Policies
Upholding scientific integrity through transparent editorial standards in global health research publishing.
Committed to Ethical Excellence
The International Journal of Global Health adheres to the highest standards of publishing ethics, ensuring fairness, transparency, and scientific rigor in all global health publications. Our policies align with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and reflect best practices in international health research publishing.
Journal at a Glance
ISSN: 2693-1176 | DOI prefix: 10.14302/issn.2693-1176 | License: CC BY 4.0 | Open access publishing
Single-blind peer review with typical editorial decisions in 2-4 weeks for complete submissions.
IJGH employs rigorous single-blind peer review to ensure scientific quality while maintaining efficiency. Each manuscript undergoes evaluation by at least two independent global health specialists with expertise relevant to the submission.
Initial Screening
Upon submission, the Editor-in-Chief performs an initial assessment to verify scope alignment, basic formatting compliance, and overall scientific quality. Manuscripts outside scope or with fundamental flaws may be desk-rejected within 5 business days.
Reviewer Selection
The handling editor selects reviewers based on expertise in infectious diseases, NCDs, maternal/child health, health systems, epidemiology, or health policy. Reviewers are screened for conflicts of interest before assignment.
Review Timeline
Reviewers are requested to submit evaluations within 14-21 days. Authors typically receive an initial decision within 2-4 weeks of submission. Expedited review may be available for outbreak or emergency health topics.
Decision Categories
Possible decisions include: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. Authors receive detailed feedback from reviewers along with the editorial decision letter outlining required changes.
All research published in IJGH must comply with established ethical standards for human subjects research:
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval: All studies involving human subjects require documented approval from an institutional ethics committee
- Declaration of Helsinki: Research must comply with the ethical principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki
- Informed Consent: Written informed consent must be obtained and documented; special considerations apply for vulnerable populations
- Multi-Country Research: Studies conducted across multiple countries must document ethical approval from each participating site
- Community Engagement: Research in LMICs should demonstrate appropriate community consultation and benefit-sharing
Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
IJGH is particularly attentive to ethical standards in LMIC research. Authors should address local data governance, community ownership of findings, and equitable partnership arrangements between institutions from different income settings.
Transparency regarding potential conflicts is essential to maintaining research integrity. Authors must disclose:
- Financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, NGOs, or donors whose interests relate to the research
- Consulting fees, honoraria, or advisory roles related to the topic
- Funding sources for the research, with grant numbers where applicable
- Employment or contractual relationships with governmental or non-governmental organizations
- Any other relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research
Reviewers and editors must also declare conflicts and recuse themselves from manuscripts where objectivity could be compromised.
IJGH follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship. All listed authors must have:
- Made substantial contributions to conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation
- Drafted or critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content
- Approved the final version to be published
- Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work
Contributors who do not meet all criteria should be acknowledged. Ghost authorship and honorary authorship are prohibited.
IJGH uses iThenticate plagiarism detection software to screen all submissions. Manuscripts must represent original work with proper attribution of sources. Self-plagiarism (substantial overlap with authors' previous publications) is also monitored. Manuscripts with similarity indices exceeding acceptable thresholds will be returned for revision or rejected.
Duplicate Submission
Concurrent submission to multiple journals is a violation of publication ethics. Authors must confirm that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere. If a manuscript is withdrawn from IJGH after 3 days of submission, a 30% withdrawal fee applies.
| Issue | Action |
|---|---|
| Minor errors discovered post-publication | Erratum or Corrigendum published |
| Serious errors affecting conclusions | Correction notice with updated article version |
| Evidence of misconduct or fabrication | Retraction per COPE guidelines |
Authors who disagree with editorial decisions may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days, providing justification and any additional evidence.
Authors are encouraged to make datasets available in appropriate repositories. A Data Availability Statement is required for all empirical manuscripts, describing how and whether underlying data can be accessed. For sensitive data from LMICs, authors should address local data sovereignty considerations.
Questions About Our Policies?
Our editorial team is available to address any questions regarding ethical compliance, authorship, or publication standards.
Contact Editorial Office
