Editorial Policies

Editorial Policy Sections

  • Focus and Scope

  • Peer Review Process

  • Publication Frequency

  • Open Access Policy

  • Archiving

  • Criteria for Acceptance

  • Language, Scientific Writing, and Figures

  • Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Screening

  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure

  • Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

  • Informed Consent

  • Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

Focus and Scope

Health Innovation Reports (HIR) is a quarterly peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to the dissemination of high-quality research in healthcare advancement, nursing science, public health, clinical innovation, medical technologies, and interdisciplinary biomedical sciences. The journal welcomes submissions that propose novel methodologies, contribute to policy and practice, or foster collaboration across disciplines.

Scope includes, but is not limited to:

  • Nursing, midwifery, and allied health innovations

  • Biomedical and translational research

  • Public health policy and health systems research

  • Health informatics and artificial intelligence

  • Digital health, eHealth, and mHealth technologies

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Submissions are initially screened by an editor to ensure basic compliance with journal policies and suitability. Eligible manuscripts are then assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers.

Reviewer Decisions:

Decision Type Description
Accept Publish without modification
Minor Revisions Required Small improvements needed; fast resubmission expected
Major Revisions Required Substantial changes required; new review cycle may apply
Reject Does not meet scientific or ethical standards

Decisions are usually issued within 3–5 weeks, depending on reviewer availability and response time. Revised manuscripts are expected within 2 weeks (minor) or 1–3 months (major).

Publication Frequency

HIR is published four times per year as follows:

  • Issue 1: January – February

  • Issue 2: April – May

  • Issue 3: July – August

  • Issue 4: October – November

Accepted articles are first published online in an “Articles in Press” section before being formally assigned to an issue.

Open Access Policy

HIR provides immediate open access to all published content. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing free use, distribution, and reproduction provided proper citation is given.

Authors retain copyright and are encouraged to deposit their final articles in institutional or subject repositories.

Archiving

HIR ensures the long-term preservation of published content through the following:

  • LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)

  • Full-text content permanently stored on the journal website

Criteria for Acceptance

Manuscripts are evaluated based on:

Criterion Description
Originality Must present new data, perspectives, or methods
Relevance to Scope Should align with the journal’s aims
Scientific Rigor Sound methodology and accurate analysis
Ethical Compliance Must meet ethical standards for research
Language and Formatting Should adhere to academic writing norms

Papers failing to meet baseline quality may be rejected at the editorial review stage without external peer review.

Language, Scientific Writing, and Figure Quality

Submissions must be in clear, fluent English. Authors are expected to:

  • Use scientific writing that is concise and coherent

  • Provide well-labeled, high-resolution figures

  • Avoid spelling or terminology errors in graphical content

Authors may be asked to revise the manuscript for language or figure quality before or after peer review. External editing support is recommended for non-native English speakers.

Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Screening

HIR uses iThenticate to detect text similarity. The journal adheres to COPE guidelines on plagiarism and self-plagiarism. Any manuscript with excessive overlap will be returned to authors or rejected outright. All articles must be original and appropriately referenced.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All authors must disclose potential conflicts, financial or non-financial, including:

  • Employment or consultancy roles

  • Grant funding or sponsorship

  • Advisory or board positions

  • Ownership of patents or shares

Type of Interest Example
Financial Research grants, speaking fees
Institutional Employment, board membership
Personal or Ideological Beliefs Affiliations that could influence objectivity

The corresponding author is responsible for collecting and submitting disclosure forms for all co-authors.

Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

Human Studies: A statement confirming ethical approval from a recognized institutional review board is required. Research must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Retrospective studies must indicate whether formal consent was needed.

Animal Studies: Authors must confirm compliance with national and institutional guidelines for animal welfare. Ethics approval should be stated explicitly.

Example Statements:

  • “Ethical approval: The study protocol was approved by [Name of Committee] under reference [Number].”

  • “This study did not involve human or animal subjects.”

Informed Consent

Informed consent must be obtained from all individuals whose identifiable data are included in the manuscript (e.g., photos, quotes, clinical information). If data anonymity cannot be fully guaranteed, consent for publication must also be obtained.

Scenario Required Statement
Standard human participant study "Informed consent was obtained from all participants."
Images or identifiable information "Consent for publication was obtained from participants."

Post-Publication Updates

HIR maintains transparency and scientific integrity through:

  • Corrections: Issued when minor errors are identified

  • Retractions: For major errors, ethical breaches, or misconduct

  • Expressions of Concern: To alert readers about unresolved issues

All post-publication updates will include a timestamp and remain publicly accessible for transparency.