AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Submissions

Authors may submit a new manuscript or view pending submissions through the online submission system.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to confirm that their submission complies with all of the following items. Submissions that do not adhere to these requirements may be returned to authors without review.

  • The manuscript represents original, authentic, and valid work.
  • The manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part, in any language or format, without written permission from the copyright holder.
  • All authors have made a significant intellectual contribution to the work and approve the submitted version.
  • All authors agree that the corresponding author will serve as the primary point of contact with the editorial office and will manage revisions and proofs.
  • The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect format.
  • The manuscript text adheres to the stylistic, structural, and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines (hyperlinked).

Author Guidelines

Authors are required to follow the journal’s Author Guidelines and use the official article template provided on the journal website.

Preparation of Manuscripts

Manuscripts must be submitted in English and written using clear grammar and appropriate scientific terminology. Each manuscript should be submitted only once to obtain a unique submission identification number. Multiple submissions of the same manuscript may result in rejection.

All submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter stating the manuscript title and the names of all authors.

English Language Quality

Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to ensure that the manuscript has been carefully reviewed for language clarity prior to submission. Either American or British English may be used consistently throughout the manuscript.

New Submissions

All submissions are processed through the online submission system. Authors may submit the manuscript as a single file for peer review. Figures, tables, and supplementary materials should be embedded within the main manuscript file for initial submission.

References

References must follow the journal’s reference style as specified in the Author Guidelines. Where applicable, author names, publication year, article or chapter title, journal or book title, volume, issue, page numbers, and DOI should be provided.

Formatting Requirements

There are no rigid formatting requirements at initial submission. However, manuscripts must include essential sections appropriate to the study type, such as Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Funding, Acknowledgements, and Conflict of Interest.

Revised Submissions

For revised manuscripts, authors are required to format their submission according to the journal template. Authors are advised to keep formatting simple and to carefully check spelling and grammar before resubmission.

Manuscript Verification

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere. Any related or overlapping manuscripts must be disclosed and submitted as supplementary material.

Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts should generally be organized as follows: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgements, and References.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors must follow established reporting guidelines to enhance transparency, reproducibility, and methodological quality. Where applicable, completed reporting checklists should be submitted as supplementary files and will be considered during editorial assessment and peer review.

The journal recommends the use of the following reporting guidelines:

  • ARRIVE 2.0 – Animal research reporting standards (arriveguidelines.org)
  • CHEERS 2022 – Health economic evaluation reporting (CHEERS Guideline)
  • CONSORT 2010 – Randomized controlled trial reporting (CONSORT)
  • STROBE – Observational epidemiologic studies (STROBE)
  • PRISMA – Systematic review and meta-analysis reporting (PRISMA)
  • SPIRIT – Clinical trial protocol standards (SPIRIT)
  • STARD – Diagnostic test accuracy reporting (STARD)
  • TRIPOD – Prediction model development and validation (TRIPOD)
  • CARE – Case report standards (CARE Guidelines)
  • SQUIRE – Quality improvement studies in healthcare (SQUIRE)

Authors working on specialized designs such as mixed-method studies, AI/ML models, bioinformatics, global burden of disease modeling, or qualitative research are strongly encouraged to consult the EQUATOR Network Library of Research Guidelines: https://www.equator-network.org. Authors should select the guideline(s) most appropriate to their study design. Submissions that do not follow relevant reporting standards may be returned for revision prior to peer review.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship is limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the study. Contributions limited to funding acquisition or general supervision do not qualify for authorship. Honorary or guest authorship is not permitted.

All authors must:

  1. Contribute substantially to at least two of the following: study conception or design, data acquisition, data analysis or interpretation, or manuscript drafting.
  2. Critically review and approve the final manuscript.
  3. Be able to take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole.

Order of Authors

The order of authors should reflect the relative contribution of each author. Decisions regarding authorship order should be made collectively by the authors prior to submission. Equal contributions may be indicated in a footnote.

Article Types

Digital Health and Population Research Journal publishes the following types of manuscripts:

Original Research Articles

Full-length reports of original research that address digital health or population research questions. Manuscripts should be structured according to standard scientific formats and demonstrate clear methodological rigor and relevance to population health or health system decision-making.

Research Notes

Brief reports presenting preliminary findings, methodological developments, data resources, or focused analyses of timely relevance. Research Notes should be concise and clearly state their contribution and limitations.

Review Articles

Comprehensive syntheses of existing literature, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews. Review articles should follow appropriate reporting guidelines and provide a critical assessment of the current state of evidence.

Perspectives

Scholarly articles that offer informed viewpoints on emerging issues, conceptual frameworks, methodological challenges, or policy implications in digital health or population research. Perspectives should be evidence-informed and balanced in tone.

Commentaries

Short, focused discussions responding to recently published articles or addressing topical issues relevant to the journal’s scope. Commentaries may include critical reflections, methodological considerations, or policy-relevant insights.

Letters to the Editor

Brief communications addressed to the Editor that comment on articles published in the journal or discuss issues of relevance to digital health or population research. Letters should be concise, evidence-based, and may be subject to editorial review and editing for clarity and length.

Copyright Notice

Authors retain copyright of their work. All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, provided the original work is properly cited.