Author guidelines
Global Health Synapse (GHS) publishes original, peer-reviewed research in global health, public health, medicine, healthcare systems, epidemiology, and interdisciplinary health sciences. Please read these guidelines before you submit.
| Peer review | Double-blind, with at least two independent reviewers |
|---|---|
| Fees | No submission fee and no article processing charge (APC) |
| Licence | CC BY 4.0; authors retain copyright |
| Ethics standard | Follows COPE principles and recommendations |
| Technical help | editor@tresearch.ee |
Scope
Manuscripts must fit the aims and scope of GHS. Submissions that are substantially outside the scope may be declined before peer review.
Before you submit
- The work must be original and unpublished.
- It must not be under consideration elsewhere, and submission to GHS stays exclusive throughout peer review.
- All listed authors must have approved the manuscript, and authors are responsible for its accuracy and integrity.
- Submissions may be screened for plagiarism and similarity.
Manuscripts that do not meet basic editorial or ethical requirements may be returned before peer review.
Editorial screening and peer review
Initial screening checks scope, originality and plagiarism, basic methodological suitability, ethics approval and consent statements, conflicts of interest, completeness of declarations, and compliance with these guidelines. Manuscripts needing clarification or correction may be returned to authors before review.
Peer review. Eligible manuscripts undergo double-blind review by at least two independent reviewers, depending on the nature of the submission. The editorial team selects reviewers according to subject expertise. Authors may be asked to revise and should respond to each reviewer comment. Further review rounds may be held if needed. The responsible editor makes the final decision based on the editorial assessment and the review reports.
Authorship
All authors must have made a substantial contribution to the study design or data (acquisition or analysis), to interpreting the results, to drafting or critically revising the manuscript, and must approve the final version. All authors are accountable for their contributions and for the integrity of the work. Any change to the author list after submission needs written consent from all authors and approval from the editorial office. People who helped but do not qualify as authors may be acknowledged, with their permission.
Research ethics and declarations
Research involving human participants, patients, patient records, clinical data, identifiable personal information, biological samples, or animals must comply with applicable ethical standards, and approval must be obtained before the research begins. Give the name of the ethics committee or institutional review board and the approval or reference number. The journal may ask for evidence of approval.
Every manuscript must include a Declarations section before the References. If a declaration does not apply, write "Not applicable."
| Ethics approval | Committee or IRB name, institution, and approval number. If approval was not required, state why. |
|---|---|
| Informed consent | Confirm that participants gave informed consent before taking part. |
| Consent for publication | Required if the manuscript contains identifiable patient information, photographs, or case details. |
| Animal ethics | Confirm ethical approval and compliance with animal welfare requirements. |
| Competing interests | Disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, the work. If none: "The authors declare that they have no competing interests." |
| Funding | List all sources of financial support, or state that none was received. |
| Author contributions | Describe what each author contributed. |
| Data availability | Say where the supporting data can be accessed and explain any restrictions. |
| Acknowledgments | Name non-author contributors, with their permission. |
Preparing your manuscript
Files: title page, main manuscript, figures and images, tables, supplementary files, and the required ethics and declaration statements, where applicable. Submit in Microsoft Word where possible; PDF is accepted where appropriate.
| Research Articles | Up to 20 pages |
|---|---|
| Review Articles | Up to 15 pages |
| Case Reports / Short Communications | Up to 8 pages |
| Letters to the Editor | Up to 3 pages |
Structure of Research Articles: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Declarations, Acknowledgments (if applicable), References.
Originality and publication integrity
Manuscripts must not contain plagiarized, fabricated, falsified, or improperly attributed material. GHS follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and may investigate plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, authorship disputes, undisclosed conflicts of interest, inadequate ethical approval, missing consent, and other misconduct. Depending on the findings, a manuscript may be returned, investigated further, or rejected.
Corrections, updates, expressions of concern, and retractions are handled under the journal's editorial policies and COPE recommendations. An article may be corrected or retracted where errors, ethical concerns, or misconduct affect the reliability of the published record.
Fees
GHS charges no submission fee and no APC, including after acceptance. Rejected manuscripts incur no fee. Editorial decisions are independent of payment, and institutional affiliation does not influence evaluation.
Copyright and licensing
Authors retain copyright. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which allows reuse, distribution, and adaptation with appropriate credit to the authors and source.
Appeals
To appeal an editorial decision, contact the editorial office with clear reasons and any supporting information. The Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate senior editorial representative reviews the appeal. The outcome is communicated to the author and is normally final.
Author checklist
- The manuscript is original, accurate, and within the journal's scope.
- It is properly referenced and formatted as described above.
- All ethical approvals, consents, and permissions were obtained before submission.
- The Declarations section is complete.
- All authors have approved the submission.
Submitting a manuscript confirms that the authors have read and agreed to these guidelines and the journal's publication ethics requirements.
