Submissions

Author Guidelines

Publishing criteria:

OJPH does not accept for publication submissions that have already been published, in whole or in part, in other scholarly journals. All figures included in manuscripts should be original, and should not have been published in any previous publications. OJPH will not consider submissions that are currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

We do not consider conference presentations, publication as a pre-print, or publication as an academic dissertation or thesis as prior publication.  

Alternative text, also called "alt text" must be included for all images, charts, graphs, and figures. Alt text should be limited to 150 characters, and can be added to Word documents easily. Alt text should:

• Be descriptive and concise: Describe the image clearly but keep it brief. A few words to a short sentence for a simple image or illustration is ideal, and one to two sentences is appropriate for more detailed graphs and charts. See examples below.
• Add context: Include information that conveys the image's purpose and relevance within the article. Avoid simply describing what the image looks like.
• Avoid redundancy: Do not start with phrases like "image of" or "picture of." Avoid repeating any information that is used in the figure caption or text. Screen readers will announce the figure as an image, then read the alt text, and then read the figure caption, and the user will ideally be able to gather the information of the whole image from all three elements.
• Include relevant information: If the image contains relevant text, include it in the alt text.

Examples: We have included two generic cases in which an author would need to provide alt-text.

• Photograph/illustration: Describe what is shown. (Examples: A woman smiling with short brown hair and glasses from the shoulders up. OR A dog sits on the foreground with a sign that reads “No loitering” with a forest in the background.)
• Graph/diagram: Say what kind of graph or diagram is being shown (if applicable) and describe what is being measured/compared. Reminder, if the details of the graph/diagram are already described in the figure caption, it doesn’t necessarily have to be repeated in the alt-text. (Examples: A bar graph titled “Average cats per city” comparing the number of cats per household on the y-axis and the names of different cities on the x-axis. The cities include Columbus, Phoenix, Toronto, and Sacramento.)

Article Types

1. Research articles and research brief reports: Use these paper categories to submit original public health research. OJPH will publish reports of secondary data analysis based on data gathered or generated in Ohio, but does not generally publish research review papers unless the topic is highly relevant for OJPH readers, such as a review of research studies conducted in Ohio or in regional states including Ohio. Empirical research reports can be up to 4000 words in length (not including abstract, tables/figures, or reference lists) and brief reports should be no longer than 2000 words. For research articles and brief reports:

• Include a structured abstract of no more than 250 words, with these sections: introduction, methods, results, conclusions.
• Please provide up to 5 keywords. One keyword should describe method or design
• Include these paper sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Public Health Implications
• Cite sources in text using superscript numbers and format reference lists following 11^th edition AMA style guidelines. Include DOIs for all cited articles in this format: https://doi.org/

Research articles may include up to 5 tables and/or figures. Content in the introduction section of the manuscript should include a description of the problem or concern as relevant to Ohio, and a summary of recent research which describes the current state of knowledge and provides a rationale for the work described in the report. The purpose or research question should be clearly stated in the introduction section of the paper.

The methods section should include information about design, participants or data sources, recruitment strategy when applicable, data gathering and data processing and analysis. Authors should use citations when appropriate to support design and analysis decisions.

The results section should include a comprehensive description of results and authors should further interpret and explain the results in the discussion section, comparing their findings with work described in the introduction as appropriate. Authors should also acknowledge limitations and describe strengths or unique features of their work in the discussion section. The Public Health Implications section should identify use of the findings, and, when possible, identify those who may benefit from the research, with particular focus on Ohio relevance.  If the authors believe further research is warranted, please recommend specific strategies.

Research brief reports are typically descriptions of small, focused project with relatively straightforward findings. Examples include small survey research studies, papers based on review of policies or records, or simple secondary analyses.  If the methods or results are complex, please consider submitting the manuscript as a research article. Brief reports may include up to 2 tables or figures.  Authors should use the same sections as used in a research article. However, the introduction section of a brief research report is likely to emphasize current data or trends rather than present a summary of prior published research.

2. Public health practice articles: Use this paper category to submit articles that include description of a public health program, intervention, or other applied (actual or planned) approach to a public health concern in Ohio. This category includes any papers up to 4000 words in length.

• Include an abstract of no more than 250 words. Authors may provide a structured abstract with section headers used in the paper or an unstructured abstract.
• Please provide up to 5 keywords. One keyword should describe the specific public health concern.
• Public health practice articles should begin with an Introduction section and conclude with a Public Health implications section. Because practice reports are highly variable, authors may use other article section headings as needed to organize the information to provide an engaging report for readers. Possible section headings include: Program Development; Resources; Processes; Implementation; Program Delivery; Program Assessment; Program Evaluation; Lessons Learned, and others.
• Cite sources in text using superscript numbers and format reference lists following 11^th edition AMA style guidelines. Include DOIs for all cited articles in this format: https://doi.org/

3. Public health education articles: Use this paper category to submit articles that include description of a public health educational program developed or delivered in an academic, workplace, conference or other context or setting. Papers where authors’ primary aim is to advocate for changes to public health education may fit better in the commentary category. The public health education category includes any papers up to 4000 words in length.

• Include an abstract of no more than 250 words. Authors may provide a structured abstract with section headers used in the paper or an unstructured abstract.
• Please provide up to 5 keywords. At minimum, one keyword should describe the education topic or the intended audience.  
• Public health education articles should begin with an Introduction and conclude with a Public Health implications section. Because education reports are highly variable, authors may use other article section headings as needed to organize the information to provide an engaging report for readers. Possible section headings include: Skills (or Knowledge) needed; Program (or Course) development; Program (or Course) delivery; Course Assessment; Course Evaluation; Instructional needs; Lessons learned, or others.
• Cite sources in text using superscript numbers and format reference lists following 11^th edition AMA style guidelines. Include DOIs for all cited articles in this format: https://doi.org/

4. Commentary or Policy article: Use this paper category to submit commentary and policy papers supported by research or other credible evidence. This is distinguished from an Op-Ed by the inclusion of an evidence base. Commentary or policy articles may emphasize one dimension of an issue or argue for a preferred solution. The commentary or policy paper category includes any papers up to 4000 words in length.

• Include an abstract of no more than 250 words. Authors may provide a structured abstract with section headers used in the paper or an unstructured abstract.
• Please provide up to 5 keywords. At minimum, one keyword should describe the issue or the intended audience.  
• Commentary or policy articles should begin with an Introduction and conclude with a Public Health implications section. Because these reports are highly variable, authors may use other article section headings as needed to organize the information to provide an engaging report for readers.
• Cite sources in text using superscript numbers and format reference lists following 11^th edition AMA style guidelines. Include DOIs for all cited articles in this format: https://doi.org/

5. Op-Ed or Letters: Use this category to submit a brief opinion paper written in the form of a letter or narrative. No abstract or section headings apply. Please limit submissions in this category to 500 words. Up to 5 references or footnotes may be included to supplement or verify information.

6. Public Health in Action: The Ohio Journal of Public Health encourages submissions from public health practitioners using the “Public Health in Action” template. The template is structured in a question and answer format, to allow programs, activities, or initiatives to be described briefly with focus on the essential details. No review of prior literature, methods, or results are requested in this submission type; the intent of this format is to share and promote the work of professionals to improve public health in Ohio. Only programs provided by government or non-profit organizations are eligible. There is no word count range for this type of submission. The template question and answer format may be modified prior to publication as needed to best present program details.

Make a new submission to the Public Health in Action section.

7. Student reflections: The Ohio Journal of Public Health accepts brief, reflective submissions from current graduate, undergraduate or high school students enrolled in institutions within Ohio, who are engaged in public health-associated research or practice. These submissions should be centered on reflection about personal experience and may be made in text or alternative formats including visual arts, poetry, audio-visual, and other expressions. Text submissions are limited to 500 words; submissions made in alternative formats should likewise be engaging and concise. If using multi-media content, please submit a hyperlink to a web location rather than audio/visual file. Peer reviewers may include public health and other professionals depending on the mode of expression.

8.Other types. If you want to submit an article that does not fit into any of these categories, please reach out to the editor with a proposal in which you identify the subject matter, describe the intended audience, and provide either an abstract or brief outline.

The corresponding author must be a resident of Ohio with an Ohio address. Other authors can reside outside of Ohio.

OJPH follows publication guidelines provided by the American Medical Association (AMA); please refer to the AMA 11th edition style guide for specific information regarding content, order, in text citations and reference list formatting.  

Contributors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright owners if they use an illustration, table, or lengthy quote (100+ words) that has been published elsewhere.