Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

Aims and Scope of the Journal: As an independent international open access peer-reviewed journal of proceedings of the Institute of HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Epidemiology (iHASE), jHASE conducts peer review of both external and internal (iHASE) contributions of articles on all aspects of applied Public Health Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, i.e. applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology research, which includes Public Health surveillance and related Epidemiologic research on HIV/AIDS and related public health aspects. Through peer-review, jHASE aims to provide a quality assurance service which also complements continuing public health Epidemiology education and applied training initiatives of the Institute of HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Epidemiology. jHASE aims to advance the field of applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology research conducted by Public Health agencies and their collaborating partners. The field includes Public Health surveillance and population-level Epidemiologic research on HIV/AIDS and related aspects.

About the Field of Applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology: Public Health surveillance of HIV/AIDS is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. HIV Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of the disease (both risk factors and interventions) in human populations. Through jHASE peer review, quality assurance is conducted to develop a body of literature on authoritative findings from applied HIV/AIDS Epidemiology research. These authoritative findings serve as the scientific basis for public health intervention (prevention and care) program planning, resource distribution, and outcomes-driven program development and implementation.

Rationale and Significance: The conceptualization of jHASE arose from a recognition of the need for quality assurance, training and continuing education through peer review in the bourgeoning global field of Public Health surveillance and related applied Epidemiology research on HIV/AIDS and associated aspects. Further, population-level findings of Public Health surveillance and related Epidemiologic research on HIV/AIDS and related conditions are not often published in peer-reviewed scientific journals with particular expertise or interest in the field. Hence, public health agencies have difficulty obtaining quality assurance, training and continuing education through peer-review of their work. Similarly, public health agencies have difficulty accessing authoritative evidence-based population-level research findings on HIV/AIDS and related aspects, which are needed for public health intervention program (prevention and care) planning, and outcomes-driven program development and implementation. Further, there are no other open access peer-reviewed journals that focus on the field of Public Health surveillance and Epidemiologic research of HIV/AIDS and related aspects. JHASE aims to advance this field through open access, peer review, quality assurance and continuing education.

 

Section Policies

Editorials

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section presents short articles written (solicited) 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.

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GLOBAL SERIES: Strategies for HIV Surveillance in Resource Constrained Settings

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this jHASE Global Series Section conducts peer review of HIV/AIDS surveillance and epidemiology discourse on strategies for HIV/AIDS surveillance in resource constrained settings within the context of the global response to HIV/AIDS, related diseases such as STIs, TB and Viral Hepatitis, and risk behaviors. The section will expand work on this subject beyond jHASE's peer review of the proceedings of the 2nd Global Surveillance Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2009, which is conducted under a separate journal section towards a jHASE supplement titled: CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS: New Strategies and Methods for HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Low and Middle Income Countries - 2009.

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RESEARCH: Surveillance Studies (Monitoring & Evaluation of Population Level Outcomes)

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of the design, conduct, interpretation, summarizing/reporting and translation/utilization (of findings) of studies on monitoring of disease burden/risk and interventions, and evaluation/ assessment of population-level outcomes [Public Health surveillance: incl. surveillance of risk &/or behavioral factors; disease incidence, burden and progression; early outbreak detection linked to social network investigations/partner services (PS); linkage to prevention and care services] and other related disease burden/risk assessment Epidemiologic research studies.

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RESEARCH: Disease Intervention Epidemiology (Disease Control & Prevention, incl. Health Service Interventions)

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of the design, conduct, interpretation, reporting (summarizing) and translation/utilization (of findings) of disease intervention epidemiology research and development studies:
=>Disease Control & Prevention Research: incl. population level research on biomedical (vaccines and drugs), behavioral and social interventions; linkage of early case finding to prevention and treatment/care for 'positives', e.g. voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and partner services (PS);
=>Health Services Research: Outcome evaluation of health service interventions and health service programs/delivery systems [incl. scale-up of HIV (& related disease) prevention and treatment (incl. antiretrovirals) programs]; assessment of health service needs and utilization; service gap analyses; assessment of health care quality; etc;

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RESEARCH: Epidemiology Support for Prevention & Care Program Planning, Development, Implementation and Evaluation

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of studies conducted in the context of Epidemiology support for prevention and care program planning, development, implementation and evaluation (incl. Epidemiology data support for planning);

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CASE REPORTS of Public Health Importance/Implications for HIV Surveillance & Epidemiology

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of reports of relevant 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.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: New surveillance/study/experimental methods, tests or procedures.

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of 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. Other studies in this category may present validations/comparisons of different surveillance methods.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Methods protocols of study design and procedures of studies of public health importance.

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of articles summarizing methods and procedures of:
a) proposed study/demonstration project protocols (incl. fully-fleshed conceptual stage work),
b) previously published research articles of public health importance (in order to expantiate on details of methods and procedures to enable replication), and
c) ongoing or completed research studies/demonstration projects (in a jHASE brief or standard length article format incl. an abstract).

=>To facilitate dissemination of sufficient protocol details needed to enable replication, articles summarizing methods and procedures of ongoing or completed research/demonstration projects, and previously published research articles must ideally include detailed account of the objectives and hypothesis, background & rationale, study population and sampling methods, study design & procedures of the study. In addition to the above, sufficient protocol information to enable replication of ongoing/completed research/demonstration projects shall be understood to also include an e-resources/e-tools zip archive containing the detailed protocol that the article is based on (comparable to what would be ideally submitted for grant applications/IRB reviews), sample budgets, study brochures, data collection instruments, consent forms, databases, data analyses programs, etc.
=>To strike a balance between protection of intellectual property and the open access ethos of jHASE and iHASE, access to e-resources/e-tools archives of any given protocol will be limited to registered iHASE collaboration center network members who must sign an iHASE-brokered collaboration agreement requiring collaboration with the protocol authors/leader on any replication work conducted (unless expressly authorized in writing by the protocol author/leader).
=>Articles summarizing studies which meet the technical definition of "research" for IRB purposes (studies which generate generalizable knowledge beyond the study population) will be subject to additional peer-review to address ethics/human subject protection issues (unless proof of prior review by a 'country-accredited IRB' is submitted with the article summarizing the research protocol). Articles summarizing studies which do not meet the definition of "research" will be required to obtain a non-research determination from a 'country-accredited IRB' or from the jHASE review of human subject protections, which may be granted where appropriate by iHASE.

Article topics for this section may be in following focus areas:
=>HIV/AIDS surveillance & related Epidemiology research protocols; and
=>Public Health intervention/practice protocols.

jHASE may commission and solicit protocols on topics of particular public health importance. [Authors interested in recommending or developing commissioned works are advised to contact the Section Editor before embarking on such an effort.]

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Statistics, Data Management, and Information Technology Methods, and Software

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of three sub-categories under this section:
=>Research methodology articles presenting statistics, data management, and information technology methods, and software used in support of surveillance (disease burden/risk assessment) and intervention epidemiology research & development studies (incl. outcome evaluation and health services utilization/service gaps).
=>Articles which review, validate and describe proposed, ongoing or published articles' methods, 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.

In the spirit of open access, jHASE strongly encourages that submitted protocols 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;

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RESEARCH & METHODS: Mathematical Modeling/Theoretical Epidemiology

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of research and methods pertaining to modeling/theoretical epidemiology of HIV and and a broad range of related infectious agents.

The section's areas of interest include:

=>Research and methods articles addressing research questions at a variety of levels of study, including the use of biomarker data collected in surveillance studies to examine individual/host-level interactions between pathogens and the immune system within the host, the population-level spread and persistence of atypical and resistance genotypes within pathogen populations, social networks and the attendant transmission dynamics, impact and control of these diseases within human populations, and also review cross-level studies which examine individual and population-level predictors of various outcomes. A central theme in the research of interest is the study of the interaction between factors which determine the natural history of infection in an individual host and those which determine transmission in host populations with varying social network structures. Mathematical and statistical methods are widely used in the research, including the formulation and testing of hypotheses, design of experimental and observational studies, in parametric estimation. The underlying principles in mathematical model construction in infectious disease and immunology research begins with simpler approaches and builds up in the complexity of the experimental design up to a level whereby one or more factors are allowed to vary while others are held constant, in a manner similar to that of laboratory-based experiments. The interaction between host and pathogen is highly dynamic and is often characterized by non-linear relationships which are best described with non-linear models. Even in simpler systems, patterns of relationships and dynamics tend to be complex both within the host and in host populations (adapted from Anderson, 2008). Surveillance studies provide critical data for various inputs to these models and also for validation of models, hence it is logical to extend the scope of the jHASE to include the area of intersection between: a) population level surveillance and epidemiology studies, with b) mathematical modeling and theoretical epidemiology as they apply to population studies of HIV and related diseases.

=>Additional research and methods of interest include modeling and projections in actuarial sciences based on time-to-event data or operations research data derived from surveillance studies.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Laboratory Methods Supporting HIV Surveillance, Intervention Epi., HIV Screening & Diagnostics

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of laboratory methods supporting HIV surveillance (disease burden/risk assessment), intervention Epidemiology (interventions research & development studies, incl. vaccine, drug, outcome evaluation and health services utilization/service gap studies), and HIV screening & diagnostics (diagnostics research & development studies)

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CASE STUDIES: APPLIED EPI TRAINING/Capacity Development: Quality Assurance and Continuing Education through Peer-Review

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of case studies of applied Epidemiology training/capacity development. Preference will be given to case studies which demonstrate the effectiveness/outcomes of capacity development models which incorporate principles of quality assurance and continuing education through peer-review.

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Review articles

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of comprehensive and 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 who have been invited by the Editorial Board may write these articles. They have an educational aim and are 2000-3000 words. These may 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.

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Commentaries

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of 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.

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Hypotheses

Within the framework of jHASE's overall peer-review policies, this section conducts peer review of 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.

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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.

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Peer Review Process

Background & Rationale of Peer Review Process:

The peer review process of the journal jHASE (Journal of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology) is founded on the preceptorship model and philosophy of the Institute of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology (iHASE), which propounds the notion that rigorous peer review of seminal field-advancing works of science should include both experienced published researchers and mentored junior peer reviewers or peer review fellows (junior or mid-level researchers, post-doctoral fellows and doctoral candidates as peer-review fellows/trainees).

In a manner similar to the science and medicine post-doctoral training model (or law clerkships in the court system), this approach provides an opportunity for preceptorship/ mentored training of junior peer reviewers who assist in literature reviews, critique and rigorous peer review in the search for excellence through open debates in the proceedings of the Institute of HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Epidemiology (i.e. open public health discourse, debates and constructive criticism as a vehicle for  advancement of public health surveillance and applied Epidemiology research on HIV/AIDS and related conditions). Further, jHASE strongly believes that mentored junior peer reviewers should contribute to every stage of the process of quality assurance, training and continuing education through peer-review and publication of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology work, including all levels of the proceedings of the Institutes of HIV/AIDS Surveillance & Epidemiology.



Peer Review Process:

=>At submission of an article, authors must also nominate and submit a slate of 4-5 recommended potential peer reviewers who are knowledgeable about the subject matter of their article, preferably those with published work on the subject or a related subject - for research manuscript peer-reviewers, 2 of the 5 nominees must have been first author in at least 1 peer-reviewed article/presentation with advanced multivariate analyses methods - authors must submit nominations on the jHASE peer-reviewer nomination forms (the journal may also entertain author(s) requests for recusal of at least 3 potential reviewers on the grounds of gross conflicts of interests, subject to submission of reasonable cause/substantiation);


=>At intake, a 3-member intake editorial panel determines if submitted manuscripts are suitable (and submit their recommendation to the relevant Section Editor);

=>3 external reviewers are assigned by a Section Editor to review each suitable manuscript;

=>The intake editorial panel consolidates reviewers’ reports into recommendations to publish, request revisions per reviewers' instructions, or reject (and upon request of a Section Editor conduct additional critique of the article and literature review on the subject matter of the article);

=>A Section Editor reviews the recommendations and manuscript, and either endorses or rejects the recommendations;


=>The decision is conveyed to the author(s). In the event of non-acceptance of a manuscript addressing an issue of public health importance whereby substantial work is required before a resubmission can be considered, jHASE may offer other pathways including a) scaling back the manuscript to a methods article describing the research methods (if sound), and b) refer the authors to the iHASE collaboration center for assistance with networking with partners with more experience who may be interested in preceptoring and collaborating with the authors on bringing the original research manuscript (incl. study results) up to par. Determinations on these pathways will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the outcome of peer-review.

=>In the event of strong disagreement either among peer reviewers or between the authors and peer reviewers, the journal's Editors-in-Chief may convene Special Editorial Board panels (made up of Senior Editors/Associate Editors or Guest Editors). Peer review decisions arbitrated by Special Editorial Board panels are final;

=>The journal's Editors-in-Chief provide overall guidance to the journal's peer review process and the ultimate responsibility for the peer review process lies with the Editors-in-Chief and the Special Editorial Board panels;

=>To avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof, all peer reviewers and members of the journal's Editorial Board shall not participate in the review of their own contributions to the journal (or those of colleagues they've published with in the past 5 years) and must recuse themselves from editorial responsibilities in such instances (or in the event an author presents reasonable cause for requesting recusal of a particular reviewer).

=>Additional review policy information is provided on the page with Information for Authors(author guidelines) under "Publication and peer review policies".
 

 

Publication Frequency

Publication on acceptance policy: jHASE articles are published as soon as they are ready, by adding them to the ";current"; volume's Table of Contents. Each volume corresponds to a calendar year. As an online journal, jHASE does not have issue numbers. Articles in jHASE should be cited in the same way as articles in a traditional journal, with one exception. Because articles in this journal are not printed, they do not have page numbers. Instead, they have a unique article number.


The following citation:



jHASE 2006, 1:2



refers to article 2 from volume 1 of the journal

 

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.