Submissions

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Author Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in publishing with Health Innovation Reports (HIR). The following guidelines outline essential requirements for manuscript preparation, submission, peer review, and publication. Please read all sections carefully before submitting your manuscript.

SECTIONS

  1. Online Submission

  2. Cover Letter

  3. Preprint Policy

  4. Article Categories

  5. Manuscript Description and Requirements by Article Category

  6. Manuscript Preparation: General Instructions

  7. Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations

  8. Authorship Criteria and Contributions

  9. Research Standards, Reporting, and Data Availability

  10. Plagiarism and Misconduct Screening

  11. Author-Suggested Reviewers

  12. Peer Review Process

  13. Response to Reviews

  14. Article Processing Fees and Author Licensing

  15. Withdrawal and Retraction Policy

  16. Publication Process After Acceptance

  17. Post-Publication Corrections and Updates

  18. Archiving and Indexing Policy

1. ONLINE SUBMISSION

All manuscripts must be submitted through our online system:
https://healthinnovationpress.com/index.php/hir/about/submissions

Authors must register (or log in if already registered) and select the “Author” role.
Follow the guided submission process, including file upload, metadata entry, and final confirmation.

The system supports multiple file uploads (main text, figures, supplementary data).
Ensure that all files follow the formatting requirements outlined below to facilitate a smooth review process.

2. COVER LETTER

Each submission must include a brief cover letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief.
The cover letter should:

  • Highlight the novelty, significance, and main findings of the work.

  • Confirm that the manuscript is original, not under review elsewhere, and that all authors have approved the submission.

  • Declare any conflicts of interest or ethical approvals obtained.

3. PREPRINT POLICY

HIR supports transparent research dissemination through preprints.
Authors may submit manuscripts previously posted on non-commercial preprint servers (e.g., medRxiv, bioRxiv), provided the work has not been formally published elsewhere.

Authors must:

  • Cite the preprint version clearly in the manuscript.

  • Declare preprint details during submission.

  • Upon acceptance, update the preprint record with a link to the published article on HIR.

4. ARTICLE CATEGORIES

Article Type Description Word Count Number of References
Original Research Empirical studies reporting new or replicated data, including clinical, laboratory, or field research. 2,500–4,500 words 20–40 references
Systematic Review Structured synthesis of published studies following PRISMA guidelines, including a flow diagram and checklist. 3,500–6,000 words 40–80 references
Narrative Review Comprehensive and interpretive discussion of a topic without systematic search criteria. 3,000–6,000 words 30–60 references
Short Communication Concise report of focused or preliminary findings of scientific or clinical relevance. Up to 2,500 words 10–25 references
Commentary Expert perspectives or viewpoints addressing current trends, issues, or published works. Up to 1,500 words 5–20 references
Letter to the Editor Short commentary or critique on published articles or communication of brief findings. 500–1,000 words Up to 10 references
Case Insight Short clinical case presentation highlighting diagnostic, therapeutic, or ethical implications. 700–1,150 words 10–20 references
Editorial Opinion or perspective piece written by the Editor-in-Chief, guest editor, or invited expert on a current issue or theme. 800–1,500 words 0–5 references

Authors must select the correct category during submission.
Manuscripts will be evaluated based on their relevance, quality, and adherence to the journal’s standards and word limits.

5. MANUSCRIPT DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS BY ARTICLE CATEGORY

All manuscripts should follow the appropriate structure for their article type.

  • Original Research: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD).

  • Systematic Reviews: Follow PRISMA guidelines, including the flow diagram and checklist.

  • Narrative Reviews: Provide an interpretive synthesis highlighting major themes and research gaps.

  • Case Insights: Follow Introduction, Case Description, Discussion, and Conclusion.

  • Commentaries, Letters, and Editorials: Flexible structure but must be concise and focused.

Each manuscript must include:

  • Title Page: Title, author names, affiliations, ORCID IDs, and corresponding author email.

  • Abstract: Structured or unstructured (max 300 words).

  • Keywords: 4–6 MeSH-indexed terms.

  • Main Text: Organized per article type.

  • Acknowledgements and Funding: List grants or institutional support.

  • Conflict of Interest: Declare all potential conflicts.

  • Author Contributions: Defined using the CRediT taxonomy.

  • References: Use Harvard style with DOIs where available.

  • Tables and Figures: Sequentially numbered, cited in the text, with legends.

  • Supplementary Materials: Uploaded separately if necessary.

6. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

  • All manuscripts must be in English, typed in Times New Roman (12 pt), double-spaced, and page-numbered.

  • Use consistent spelling (British or American).

  • Define abbreviations at first mention.

  • Figures must be in TIFF, JPEG, or PNG (minimum 300 dpi).

  • Use SI units consistently.

  • Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to use professional language-editing services prior to submission.

7. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

8. AUTHORSHIP CRITERIA AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Authorship is limited to those who made substantial intellectual contributions to the study design, data analysis, or interpretation.
All authors must approve the final version before submission.

Changes in authorship (addition, removal, or order changes) require:

  • A written request from the corresponding author,

  • Approval from all co-authors, and

  • Editorial board consent.

9. RESEARCH STANDARDS, REPORTING, AND DATA AVAILABILITY

HIR endorses the EQUATOR Network for transparent and reproducible reporting.
Authors must use the appropriate reporting guideline:

Guideline Study Type
CONSORT Randomized controlled trials
STROBE Observational studies
PRISMA / PRISMA-P Systematic reviews & protocols
SPIRIT Study protocols
STREGA Genetic association studies
SRQR Qualitative research
STARD Diagnostic accuracy studies
AGREE Clinical guidelines
ARRIVE Animal research
MOOSE Meta-analyses of observational studies
CHEERS Health economic evaluations
TRIPOD Prediction model studies

Data Availability Statement:
All manuscripts must include a statement specifying where the underlying data can be accessed (e.g., in the article, supplementary files, or repositories such as Zenodo or Dryad).
If sharing is restricted for ethical or legal reasons, authors must clearly justify it.

10. PLAGIARISM AND MISCONDUCT SCREENING

All submissions are screened using iThenticate.
Manuscripts with significant overlap, duplicate publication, or data manipulation will be rejected.
HIR follows COPE procedures for addressing publication misconduct.

11. AUTHOR-SUGGESTED REVIEWERS

Authors may recommend 2–4 independent reviewers with relevant expertise who are not affiliated or recently collaborated with any of the authors.
The editorial board reserves the right to make final reviewer selections.

12. PEER REVIEW PROCESS

HIR operates a double-blind peer review system:

  • Each submission is evaluated by at least two qualified reviewers.

  • Reviewers assess originality, validity, significance, and clarity.

  • The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision (accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject).
    The average review duration is 3–5 weeks.

13. RESPONSE TO REVIEWS

Revised manuscripts must be accompanied by a point-by-point response document addressing all reviewer comments.
Submit both a tracked-changes version and a clean final version for editorial evaluation.

14. ARTICLE PROCESSING FEES AND AUTHOR LICENSING

There are currently no Article Processing Charges (APCs).
All publications are open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Authors retain copyright and grant HIR permission to publish the article.

This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided proper credit is given.

15. WITHDRAWAL AND RETRACTION POLICY

  • Authors may withdraw their submission before peer review completion by submitting a written request.

  • Published papers may be retracted, corrected, or updated in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines.
    All retractions remain publicly accessible for transparency.

16. PUBLICATION PROCESS AFTER ACCEPTANCE

Accepted manuscripts undergo professional copyediting, typesetting, and proofing.
Authors receive proofs and must return corrections within 48–72 hours.
Final articles are published in the next available issue.

Publication Schedule

  • Issue 1: January – February

  • Issue 2: April – May

  • Issue 3: July – August

  • Issue 4: October – November

Each published article is assigned a Crossref DOI and indexed shortly after release.

17. POST-PUBLICATION CORRECTIONS AND UPDATES

  • Minor errors are corrected as corrigenda; major scientific issues lead to retractions.

  • All updates include timestamps and links to the original article.

  • Readers may report post-publication issues via the contact page or editorial email.

18. ARCHIVING AND INDEXING POLICY

HIR ensures long-term preservation through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP-PN).
All published content is indexed in Google Scholar, Crossref, and additional databases as the journal expands its indexing coverage.

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
  • All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
  • All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled.
  • Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.

Original Research

Submissions to this section must present original, unpublished findings based on scientifically sound research methods. All manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. Articles should include a structured abstract, detailed methodology, results, and discussion, and must comply with ethical research guidelines. Authors are required to follow appropriate reporting standards (e.g., CONSORT, STROBE) where applicable.

Review Article

This section accepts high-quality narrative or systematic reviews that summarize, analyze, and interpret the current state of research on a specific topic relevant to healthcare, medicine, nursing, or public health. Articles in this section must be comprehensive, evidence-based, and should clearly outline the scope, methodology (especially for systematic reviews), and implications of findings. All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review by at least two subject experts. Authors are encouraged to follow PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.

Short Communication

This section is intended for concise reports of original research, preliminary findings, or novel ideas that provide significant contributions to the fields of healthcare, medical science, nursing, or public health. Submissions should be focused, well-structured, and limited in length. Short communications must include an abstract and follow a simplified format (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion). All manuscripts will be subject to double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers. The word limit for this section is typically up to 2,500 words (excluding references and tables/figures).

Commentary

This section features brief, opinion-based articles that provide expert insights or critical perspectives on recently published research, emerging issues, or evolving concepts in healthcare, medicine, public health, or related disciplines. Commentaries should be evidence-informed, clearly written, and aim to stimulate discussion or highlight practical implications. Submissions are typically invited or submitted in response to specific topics and must include a short abstract. All commentaries undergo double-blind peer review, and the typical length is up to 1,500 words.

Editorial

Editorials in this journal offer insightful commentary on current issues in healthcare, policy, research, or ethics that are relevant to our readership. These contributions are typically written by members of the editorial board or invited experts and aim to provide perspective, stimulate discussion, or highlight significant developments in the field. Editorials are clear, focused, and authoritative, and may include references to support key points. Submissions generally do not require an abstract, and the word count should typically range between 800 to 1,200 words. All editorials are subject to editorial review and may be peer-reviewed at the discretion of the editors

Case Insight

This section includes brief, informative case-based articles that highlight unique clinical cases, diagnostic challenges, treatment responses, or rare presentations relevant to medicine, nursing, or public health. Submissions should offer educational value and insights into clinical practice, without extensive literature reviews. Each case insight should include an abstract, patient background, case description, discussion, and conclusion. Submissions are limited to 700–1,150 words, with up to 2 tables or figures. All case insights undergo double-blind peer review, and authors must confirm ethical approval and informed patient consent for publication where applicable.

Letter to the Editor

This section welcomes concise letters that respond to previously published articles, raise important scientific or ethical issues, or provide brief reports of interest to the journal’s readership. Letters should be clear, focused, and respectful, with supporting references where applicable. Submissions do not require an abstract, and the word count should typically range between 500 to 1,000 words. All letters are subject to editorial review and may be sent for peer review at the editors’ discretion. Replies from the original authors may be invited and published alongside the letter.

Privacy Statement

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  • Managing user accounts (authors, reviewers, editors).
  • Communicating with authors about submissions and publication processes.
  • Providing access to journal content and related updates.

This information will not be shared, sold, or used for any other purpose outside of the journal's operations. We comply with applicable data protection regulations to ensure user privacy and security.

For any inquiries regarding data privacy, please contact:
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