Author guidance

Instructions for authors

Prepare a complete IJGH submission for population, health-system, comparative, international or transnational global-health research. These instructions identify the files, declarations and reporting information needed for editorial assessment.

Submit a manuscript

JournalInternational Journal of Global Health

ISSN2693-1176 (online)

Peer reviewSingle-blind (double-blind on request)

LicenceCC BY 4.0

Check fit Article types Prepare Declarations Reporting After submission

Check scope before formatting

A manuscript must address a population, community, public-health programme, health system, cross-country comparison or transnational health challenge. Patient-level data may be analysed, but the research question and conclusions must extend beyond the diagnosis or management of an individual patient.

Aims and Scope Editorial Policies

Article types

Article type	Main text	Abstract	Tables / figures	References
Original research	3,000–6,000 words	Structured, up to 300 words	Up to 8 combined	Up to 60
Systematic, scoping and evidence reviews	4,000–8,000 words	Up to 300 words; structured for systematic and scoping reviews	Up to 10 combined	Up to 120
Methods and protocols	3,000–6,000 words	Structured, up to 250 words	Up to 8 combined	Up to 60
Policy and implementation analyses	2,500–5,000 words	Up to 250 words	Up to 6 combined	Up to 60
Field and programme evaluations	2,500–5,000 words	Structured, up to 250 words	Up to 8 combined	Up to 50
Data reports	2,000–4,000 words	Structured, up to 250 words	Up to 8 combined	Up to 40
Short communications	1,500–2,500 words	Unstructured, up to 200 words	Up to 4 combined	Up to 30
Editorials and perspectives	1,500–2,500 words	Unstructured, up to 150 words, or none by prior agreement	Up to 2 combined	Up to 30

These are indicative limits for initial submission; the main-text count excludes the abstract, references, tables, figure legends and supplementary material. Contact the editorial office before submission when a justified exception is needed.

Manuscript structure and files

Title page

Manuscript title; full author names and affiliations; corresponding author; confirmed author order; word count; keywords; and any preprint DOI or URL.

Original research

Use a structured abstract with Background, Objectives, Methods, Results and Conclusions, followed by Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Methods must describe setting, population, sampling, variables, data sources, analysis and ethics.

Reviews

State the review question, eligibility criteria, search and selection methods, synthesis, limitations and conclusions. Systematic and scoping reviews should use a structured abstract and the applicable PRISMA guidance.

Protocols

Include background, objectives, design and setting, participants or data sources, outcomes, analysis plan, ethics, dissemination and registration where applicable.

Policy analyses and programme evaluations

Describe the policy or programme, context, analytical or evaluation design, implementation conditions, outcomes, equity considerations, limitations and implications for other settings.

Data reports

Describe the dataset, collection method, governance, quality controls, access conditions, limitations and intended population-health use.

Editorials and perspectives

Present an evidence-led argument with context, implications and limitations. Contributions may be commissioned or submitted unsolicited and are considered at editorial-office discretion.

Double-blind request

Provide a separate title page and remove author-identifying information from the main manuscript and file properties.

Accepted manuscript and table files

Submit the main manuscript as an editable .doc or .docx file. Create tables as editable Word tables or supply .xlsx files when spreadsheet structure is necessary; do not submit tables only as images.

Figures

Submit TIFF, PNG, JPEG or EPS files suitable for production, normally at a minimum of 300 dpi. Number and cite each figure, provide a descriptive caption and remove unnecessary participant identifiers.

Supplementary files

Accepted formats include PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, TXT and ZIP where appropriate. Cite every file in the manuscript, describe its contents and remove undisclosed identifiable information.

Permissions

Authors must obtain written permission for copyrighted tables, figures, images, questionnaires or substantial text that is not covered by a compatible licence. Submit the permission record and credit the source in the caption or text.

Cover letter

State scope fit, article type and any related manuscripts.

Required declarations

Ethics approval: committee, approval identifier and consent procedure where applicable.
Consent for publication: when identifiable information or images are included.
Author contributions: all authors must meet the journal policy.
Competing interests: disclose relevant financial and non-financial interests, or state none.
Funding: funders, grant identifiers and funder role.
Data availability: access location or a reasoned restriction and governed access process.
Preprint disclosure: identify any prior preprint.
AI-tool disclosure: follow Editorial Policies; an AI system cannot be an author.
Acknowledgements: contributors who do not meet authorship criteria, with permission.

Reporting standards

STROBE

Observational studies

RECORD

Studies using routinely collected health data

PRISMA

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

CONSORT

Randomised trials

GATHER

Health estimates and related analytical reporting

COREQ

Qualitative interviews and focus groups

CHEERS

Health economic evaluations

Use the relevant EQUATOR Network guideline and include its checklist or flow diagram where required.

Vancouver reference examples

Journal article

Author AA, Author BB. Article title. Journal Abbrev. Year;volume(issue):pages. doi:DOI.

Book

Author AA. Book title. Edition. City: Publisher; Year.

Webpage

Organisation or author. Page title [Internet]. Place: Publisher; Year [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available from: URL.

Dataset

Creator AA. Dataset title [dataset]. Repository; Year. doi:DOI or persistent identifier.

After submission

Completeness and scope screeningThe editorial office checks files, scope, declarations and basic integrity requirements.
Editorial assessmentAn editor determines whether the manuscript should proceed to external review.
Peer reviewSingle-blind (double-blind on request).
DecisionThe editor considers the manuscript and reviewer reports and may request revision, accept or decline the work.
RevisionAuthors submit a point-by-point response and a clearly identified revised manuscript.
ProductionAfter acceptance and completion of publishing requirements, authors review proofs before publication.

Editorial independence

Decisions are based on scope, scientific merit, integrity and clarity. They are independent of article-processing charges, discounts, memberships, editorial roles, reviewing activity and optional services.

Funder and NIH compliance

The 2024 NIH Public Access Policy applies to NIH-supported Author Accepted Manuscripts accepted on or after 1 July 2025. Eligible authors remain responsible for submitting the accepted manuscript through the NIH Manuscript Submission System (NIHMS) unless Open Access Pub has formally confirmed a different compliant deposit arrangement for that article. An individual PubMed Central deposit is an article-level compliance route; it is not journal-level inclusion in the PMC Journal List or MEDLINE coverage. See NIH submission guidance.

Final checklist

Scope fit and article type confirmed
Reporting checklist included where required
Ethics and consent information included
Contributions, funding and interests declared
Data availability statement included
Tables, figures and supplements cited and labelled
Preprint and related-manuscript information disclosed
One submission route selected

Ready to submit?

Use the journal submission page for a final file check and the ManuscriptZone handoff.