Journal Article Types
 
This document integrates information on the core/focus areas with article types for the journal's peer review of the proceedings of the Institute of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology (iHASE). More specifically, the document provides a detailed outline of the various article types that can be used to conduct quality assurance and continuing education through peer review of authors' submissions to the Journal of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology (jHASE).
  

1. Original articles reporting HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiologic Research and methods (including related public health conditions):

In pursuit of the jHASE objective of providing quality assurance, training and education through peer review, jHASE encourages the submission of suitable articles that report research work on all aspects of applied Public Health surveillance and Epidemiologic research on HIV/AIDS and related public health conditions. jHASE editorial processes ensure that research is reported in the most appropriate way to assure fulfillment of  journal’s commitment to quality assurance and education through peer review.

  • 1.1. Research: The journal's focus is on quality assurance, training and education through peer review of submissions of full (standard) and brief (short) research articles on all aspects of applied Public Health surveillance and Epidemiologic research on HIV/AIDS disease burden/risk factor assessment; prevention, treatment and care interventions; services access, utilization, and gaps; and other HIV-related public health conditions. 

    1.1.1. Examples of article core/focus areas may include the following:

    • Disease Burden/Risk Assessment studies: 
      • Public Health surveillance of HIV/AIDS and related Epidemiologic research studies on HIV/AIDS (and related conditions);
      • Development and evaluation of HIV/AIDS surveillance systems;
    • Intervention Epidemiology Research and Development Studies: 
      • Studies in support of development, implementation and outcome evaluations of large-scale public health interventions;
      • Assessments of HIV/AIDS prevention and care guideline implementation, and service utilization, needs and gaps;
    • Additional core/focus areas of applied HIV Epidemiology are outlined in this document;
    • Other related public health studies are welcome and will be considered if relevant to the field of applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology;

    1.1.2. The journal uses the two key research article types indicated below for peer-reviewed research work, including methodology articles or case reports. Examples of article types for reporting peer-reviewed work such as original research findings, case reports and methodology articles are as follows:

    • Standard reports: Fully fledged reports of data from original research (usually about 3500 words in main text, 5 tables/figures, and a structured abstract of 350 words);
    • Short reports: Brief reports of data from original research (usually about 1500 words, 4 tables/figures, and a structured abstract of 350 words). This article type may also be used for rapid communications of important findings in the field.

     

  • 1.2. Case reports of public health importance/implications for HIV Surveillance & Epidemiology: Reports of clinical cases of public health importance that can be educational, describe a diagnostic or therapeutic dilemma, suggest an association, or present an important adverse reaction. All case report articles submitted to jHASE must be of demonstrated public health importance and implications for HIV Surveillance & Epidemiology.  All case report articles should be accompanied by written and signed consent to publish the information from the patients or their guardians.

     

  • 1.3. Study methodology articles: 

    • 1.3.1. Methodology/procedures articles: Present new surveillance/study/experimental methods, tests or procedures. The methods described may either be completely new, or may offer a better version of an existing method. The article must describe a demonstrable advance on what is currently available. The method needs to have been well tested and ideally, but not necessarily, used in a way that proves its value.

    • 1.3.2. Methods protocols of study design and procedures: Describe proposed, ongoing or published article's research methods, providing a detailed account of the hypothesis, rationale, design and procedures of the study. Submitted protocols must include all elements that would be ordinarily required by PHS/NIH guidelines or for IRBs review as ethics issues will also be peer-reviewed for all protocols submitted.  Protocol topics may be in the following areas:

      • HIV/AIDS surveillance & related Epidemiology research protocols; and 

      • Public Health intervention/practice protocols;

    • 1.3.3. Protocols of statistical analyses and data management methods and software: Review and describe proposed, ongoing or published articles' statistical analyses, specifically providing a detailed account of the hypotheses, statistical analyses methods and the rationale thereof, corresponding statistical software program procedures or menu-driven analyses steps, and/or data management procedures/tools. Generic protocols/reviews may describe statistical software programs, applications, tools or statistical algorithm implementations typically used in HIV/AIDS surveillance and Epidemiology studies or data management. Submitted protocols must include relevant statistical methodology elements, if any, that would be ordinarily required by PHS/NIH guidelines or for IRBs review as ethics issues will also be peer-reviewed for all protocols submitted. Typically, descriptions/reviews of the statistical analyses software programs will include statistical software programs and/or step-by-step tutorial-format archive of screenshots with the submitted manuscript in supplementary files. Statistical analyses protocol topics may be in the following areas:

      • HIV/AIDS surveillance & Epidemiology statistical analyses protocols; 

      • Public Health intervention/practice statistical analyses protocols; and

      • Data Management procedures/algorithms;

    • 1.3.4. The journal uses the two key methods protocol article types indicated below for peer-reviewed work. The two article types for both methods procedures and statistical analyses protocols are as follows:

      • Standard length protocols: Fully fledged protocols following NIH guidelines, including an abstract/summary;
      • Abstract/summary of protocols: Abstracts/summaries of  protocols may be used for rapid communications of important study/analyses concepts.

 

2. Reviews, commentaries, chronicles and editorials:  author-initiated or jHASE-commissioned.

jHASE encourages leaders in the applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology field and experts in particular relevant areas to submit discursive articles to the journal. jHASE hereby declares that it has an interest in a wide range of particular subject areas within the field and encourages authors to suggest commissioned works, including a series of related articles which may make up a monograph. The distinct categories of articles below indicate that such articles are judged by standards distinct from those used for the mainstream research articles. Examples of article types within this category are as follows:

  • 2.1. Editorials: These are short articles written by members of the Editorial Board describing policy issues relevant to the journal. For example, jHASE has written an editorial for the launch of the journal explaining why it was started. Editorials are usually 1000-1500 words. These can also be used to highlight new article types launched in the journal and any policy changes.

  • 2.2. Reviews: Comprehensive, authoritative, reviews of the state-of-the art or literature on any subject within the journal’s scope. In addition to reviews initiated by authors, opinion leaders that have been invited by the Editorial Board may write these articles. They have an educational aim and are 2000-3000 words. These can be broken down into topical types such as basic science and clinical reviews, ethics, legislative and regulatory affairs, pro/con debates, equipment, textbook and software reviews and thematic series to highlight/summarize specific topics in the field of applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology.

  • 2.3. Commentaries: Short, focused and opinionated articles on any subject within the journal’s scope. These articles are usually related to a contemporary issue, such as recent research findings, and are often written by opinion leaders invited by the Editorial Board. They focus on specific issues and are about 1500 words. The commentaries section may be broken down into several types including ethics, technology, research-related, review-related, general interest, debates, and reviews of recently published papers from this and other journals in the field. 

  • 2.4. Hypotheses: Short articles presenting an untested original hypothesis backed solely by previously published results rather than any new evidence. They should outline significant progress in thinking that would also be testable, and be about 1500 words. 

  • 2.5. Debate articles: Present an argument that is not essentially based on practical research. Debate articles can report on all aspects of the subject including Public Health law, regulations, sociological and ethical aspects related to HIV/AIDS Surveillance, applied HIV Epidemiology research and Public Health practice.

3. Additional  guidelines on manuscript sections/article formatting (and examples) of each specific article type are provided below: