Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines

Public Health Frontier (PHF) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing research and practice in public health. The journal welcomes submissions that address a wide range of topics within the scope of community health, environmental health, epidemiology, medical technology, health behavior, and health policy.

1. Manuscript Types Accepted

PHF publishes the following types of articles:

  • Original Research Articles
  • Review Articles
  • Short Communications
  • Case Studies
  • Letters to the Editor

2. Submission Requirements

All manuscripts must be original, not under consideration elsewhere, and free from plagiarism. Manuscripts should be written in English, using clear, concise, and grammatically correct language. Non-native English speakers are encouraged to use professional language editing services before submission.

3. Manuscript Structure

Submissions must be structured as follows:

  1. Title Page
    • Article title (clear and concise)
    • Author names (first name, middle initial, last name)
    • Institutional affiliations
    • Corresponding author's full address and email
  2. Abstract
    • Maximum 250 words
    • Structured: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion
    • Include 3–5 keywords below the abstract, separated by commas
  3. Main Text (for original articles):
    • Introduction
    • Materials and Methods (study design, population, instruments, data analysis, ethical approval)
    • Results (tables and figures must be referenced and explained)
    • Discussion
    • Conclusion
  4. Acknowledgments: Acknowledge contributions not qualifying for authorship.
  5. Funding Statement: Declare funding sources or state "The authors received no funding for this research."
  6. Conflict of Interest: Disclose potential conflicts or state "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
  7. Authors' Contributions: Describe each author's role using initials (e.g., M.S. conceptualized the study).
  8. Ethical Approval: Provide ethics committee name and approval number if applicable.
  9. References:
    • Use Vancouver style, numbered consecutively in-text using superscripts (e.g., 1,2).
    • Example reference:
      Preetha TS, Hemanthakumar AS, Krishnan PN. A comprehensive review of Kaempferia galanga L. (Zingiberaceae): A high sought medicinal plant in Tropical Asia. J Med Plants Stud. 2016;4(3):270–6.

4. Tables and Figures

  • Number consecutively (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1)
  • Include clear titles and legends
  • Tables must be editable (not images)
  • Images must be high-resolution (min. 300 dpi)

5. Formatting Requirements

  • File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
  • Spacing: 1.5 lines
  • Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
  • Page numbers: Bottom center

6. Plagiarism Policy

The journal uses plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with more than 15% similarity will be rejected. Self-plagiarism is not tolerated.

7. Article Processing Charges (APC)

No APCs are currently charged. PHF is fully open access and free to publish.

8. Licensing and Copyright

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.

9. Open Access Policy

PHF provides immediate open access to its content to support the global exchange of knowledge.

10. Peer Review Process

All manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. Final decisions are made by the editorial team. Expected timeline:

  • Initial decision: 3–4 weeks
  • Final decision (after revision): 6–8 weeks

11. Crossmark Policy

PHF uses Crossmark to ensure content integrity. Corrections, updates, or retractions are clearly marked using the Crossmark icon on the article page.

12. AI and Ethical Considerations

  • Use of AI: AI-assisted writing must be disclosed in the methods or acknowledgment section. AI tools cannot be authors.
  • Ethical Standards: Research involving humans or animals must comply with ethical guidelines and obtain prior approval from ethics committees.

13. Submission Procedure

Submit manuscripts via the journal's online system: https://publichealthfrontiers.org/index.php/phfs/submissions.