Policies
Privacy and editorial policies
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement(COPE)
JAEP Health Sciences adheres to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics.
Responsibilities of Authors
Submit original work that has not been published elsewhere.
Properly cite all sources and acknowledge contributions.
Disclose conflicts of interest.
Ensure ethical approval where required.
Responsibilities of Editors
Ensure fair and unbiased decision-making.
Maintain confidentiality.
Avoid conflicts of interest.
Uphold editorial independence.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Provide objective and constructive feedback.
Maintain confidentiality.
Declare conflicts of interest.
Handling Misconduct
Cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or unethical research will be investigated and may result in rejection or retraction.
JAEP Health Sciences follows COPE guidelines in handling ethical issues.
Plagiarism Policy
JAEP Health Sciences maintains a strict policy against plagiarism.
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software.
Policy Rules:
Similarity above acceptable limits may result in rejection.
Proper citation is mandatory.
Self-plagiarism must be disclosed.
Actions in Case of Plagiarism:
Immediate rejection of manuscript
Notification to authors’ institutions (if severe)
Retraction of published articles where necessary
Open Access Policy
Journal of African Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences (JAEP Health Sciences) is a fully open access journal. All content is made freely and permanently available online immediately upon publication without any subscription or access fees.
Open Access Principles
JAEP Health Sciences is committed to the global dissemination of scientific knowledge and supports unrestricted access to scholarly research. Readers may:
- Read, download, and share articles without charge
- Print and distribute content for academic and non-commercial purposes
- Link to full-text articles without requesting permission
Accessibility and Visibility
By adopting an open access model, JAEP Health Sciences enhances the visibility, accessibility, and impact of research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and regions with limited access to subscription-based journals.
The journal does not impose any barriers to accessing published content, in alignment with international open access standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.
Open Access Policy
All articles published in the Journal of African Epidemiology and Public Health (JAEP Health Sciences) are immediately and permanently available online at no cost to readers. JAEP Health Sciences is committed to the principles of open access publishing, there are no subscription or registration barriers.
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant JAEP Health Sciences the non-exclusive right to publish the article. By submitting to JAEP Health Sciences, authors also grant third parties the perpetual right to use, reproduce, and distribute the article under the terms of the applicable Creative Commons license.
For authors who are unable to hold copyright, JAEP Health Sciences accommodates alternative copyright lines. Authors in this category should contact the editorial office in advance.
Publication Frequency
JAEP Health Sciences operates under a continuous publication model. Articles are published online immediately after peer review and final acceptance and are later organized into annual volumes.
Data Availability Policy
JAEP Health Sciences supports open science and transparent research. Authors are expected to make all data underlying their findings publicly accessible unless legal or ethical restrictions apply.
1. Public Data Repositories
When relevant, datasets should be deposited in publicly available, community-endorsed repositories. A list of recognized repositories is provided in our (Data Sharing Guidelines).
If no suitable repository exists, data should be included as supplementary materials or provided in the main article.
2. Data Availability Statement
All submissions must include an “Availability of Data and Materials” statement that clearly describes:
Where the data can be accessed (with links or DOIs),
Any restrictions on availability and the reasons for those restrictions.
3. Legal and Ethical Considerations
If data sharing is limited due to privacy, ethical, or legal issues, authors must provide a clear justification in the data availability section.
Data and Software Citation
JAEP Health Sciences endorsing the FORCE11 Data Citation Principles means that the journal supports and promotes the proper citation of data used in research, just like traditional scholarly references. The FORCE11 (Future of Research Communications and e-Scholarship) initiative developed these principles to improve the recognition, accessibility, and reproducibility of research data.
By endorsing these principles, JAEP Health Sciences commits to:
Encouraging authors to cite datasets clearly and consistently.
Promoting data transparency and reusability in research.
Supporting practices that give proper credit to data creators.
Ensuring that cited data is accessible and persistent through reliable repositories.
In essence, this endorsement reflects the journal's dedication to responsible research practices and the advancement of open science.
Datasets used in the research, especially those that are publicly available must be formally cited in the reference list.
Each citation should include:
Author(s) of the dataset (if applicable),
Dataset title,
Repository name,
DOI or unique identifier,
Year of availability.
Examples:
· Kalimba SM et al. Whole genome sequences of invasive Salmonella enterica isolates from Kenya. figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12345678.v1 (2020).
· EBI ENA. https://identifiers.org/ena.embl:PRJEB31353 (2019).
Availability of Research Materials
Authors are expected to make biological materials, reagents, and other research tools described in the manuscript available for non-commercial use. Reasonable costs for distribution may be requested. Any restrictions on availability must be clearly stated.
The corresponding author is primarily responsible for ensuring materials availability.
Study Pre-registration
JAEP Health Sciences encourages the pre-registration of study protocols and statistical analysis plans in public registries. Pre-registration details should be included in the manuscript.
Replication Studies
JAEP Health Sciences welcomes well-designed replication studies that provide insight into previously published work. These submissions will be assessed with the same editorial rigor as original research.
Reporting Standards
To promote transparency and reproducibility, JAEP Health Sciences adheres to internationally recognized reporting standards. Authors should consult our submission guidelines for details.
Support for Data Sharing
JAEP Health Sciences is committed to guide authors in responsible data sharing and encourages the use of the following resources:
Our Data Help Desk (for advice on data management),
Recommended data repositories,
Companion journals for publishing datasets (where appropriate).
Indexing and Archiving
JAEP Health Sciences is actively working toward inclusion in major indexing and abstracting services to increase visibility and citation of published work. Once indexed, articles will be searchable through platforms such as:
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
Google Scholar
PubMed Central (pending)
Scopus and Web of Science (application in progress)
EBSCO, ProQuest, and other global databases
All articles are archived in trusted digital repositories to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility. Full-text versions will also be available through our publishing platform.
Peer-Review Policy
JAEP Health Sciences is committed to maintaining high standards of scientific integrity and quality. To ensure the credibility of published work, all manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer-review process prior to acceptance.
Review Process
JAEP Health Sciences follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, integrity, and scientific validity of published articles.
1. Initial Screening: The editorial office evaluates submissions for scope, format, and compliance with author guidelines.
2. Double-Blind Review: Manuscripts are reviewed by at least two independent experts in the field, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Manuscripts may undergo multiple rounds of revision before acceptance.
3. Editorial Decision: Based on reviewers’ comments, the editor makes a decision (accept, revise, or reject).
4. Revision Stage: Authors are required to respond to reviewers’ comments and submit a revised manuscript if requested.
5. Final Decision: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on publication.
Submitted manuscripts are evaluated by two independent experts in the relevant field, who assess:
Review Criteria
Scientic rigor, validity and methodolgy of the study
Originaly and relevance of the work
Ethical compliance
Clarity and structure
Confidentiality
All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or used by reviewers for personal advantage.
Timeline
The average review process takes 2–6 weeks depending on reviewer availability.
Reviewer Selection and Transparency
JAEP Health Sciences may engage recognized external partners to help identify qualified reviewers, especially when delays occur. In such cases, reviewers may receive a modest honorarium for timely, objective evaluations.
JAEP Health Sciences supports transparent peer review: if a manuscript is published, anonymized reviewer comments may be made publicly available alongside the article to promote openness and serve as an educational resource. Reviewers may choose whether or not to sign their reviews.
Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made solely based on scientific merit, not on potential impact or novelty. Manuscripts must present a sound research question, appropriate methodology, and analysis consistent with accepted standards in the field.
The Editor-in-Chief has ultimate responsibility for all editorial decisions, while members of the Editorial Board may act as handling editors. If a board member has a conflict of interest with a submission, another editor will be assigned to manage the review process.
Article Collections
JAEP Health Sciences periodically publishes themed article collections that focus on specific topics or emerging issues in the fields of epidemiology, public health, and clinical sciences. These collections aim to bring together high-quality research that contributes to scientific knowledge and informs policy and practice. Researchers are encouraged to submit to active collections relevant to their area of expertise. Calls for papers and submission guidelines for upcoming collections are regularly updated on the journal’s website.
Submissions to special issues or thematic collections
Submissions to special issues or thematic collections are subject to the same peer-review standards as regular articles. All editorial and ethical policies, including those on competing interests, apply.
Editorial and Ethical Policies
Authors must adhere to JAEP Health Sciences’ editorial guidelines, including those related to:
Authorship and contributions,
Ethical approvals,
Data sharing,
Conflicts of interest.
JAEP Health Sciences and its publisher(airpd.org) maintain neutrality in jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations presented in submitted work.
Appeals and Complaints
Authors who wish to appeal a decision or raise concerns about the editorial or review process may submit a formal request. Appeals will be reviewed impartially by an independent editor not involved in the original decision.
Citation Format
Articles published in JAEP Health Sciences are assigned unique article identifiers rather than page numbers. A typical citation should follow this format:
Author(s). Title of the article. JAEP Health Sciences: Journal of African Epidemiology and Public Health. Year; Volume: Article number.
Example:
Lethabo E, Melokuhle J. Socioeconomic determinants of malaria prevalence in Northern Rwanda. JAEP Health Sciences. 2025; 1:102.
Why Publish with JAEP Health Sciences?
High Visibility
As an open access journal, all articles published in JAEP Health Sciences are freely accessible worldwide, enhancing readership and citation.
Timely Publication
JAEP Health Sciences ensures a fast, fully electronic submission and peer-review process. Final articles are published promptly online upon acceptance.
Multimedia Flexibility
Authors can include large datasets, interactive graphics, and media files to support their findings and enhance reader engagement.
Global Promotion
Selected articles may be featured in press releases, newsletters, and online highlights, expanding reach beyond the academic community.
Crossmark and Post-Publication Updates Policy
The Journal of African Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences (JAEP Health Sciences) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When necessary, corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, and other updates will be published promptly and linked to the original article. Updated versions of articles will be clearly identified and readers will be able to access the current status of published content through Crossmark.
Author Rights
Copyright and Licensing
Authors retain copyright of their work.
By submitting to JAEP Health Sciences, authors grant the journal the right to publish and distribute the article.
Licensing
All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), allowing users to:
Share and distribute the work
Adapt the material with proper citation
Author Agreement
Authors confirm:
The work is original
All co-authors approve submission
Ethical standards were followed
Authors retain full copyright of their work published in JAEP Health Sciences, under the terms of a Creative Commons license, allowing for broad dissemination and reuse.
When an author submits a manuscript for publication, they are required to sign a licensing agreement with JAEP Health Sciences, granting permission to publish their work. Under this agreement:
Authors retain full copyright of their articles published in JAEP Health Sciences.
Authors provide JAEP Health Sciences with publishing rights and acknowledge JAEP Health Sciences as the original publisher.
Authors maintain extensive rights to reuse their content in future publications.
Upon publication, JAEP Health Sciences applies a Creative Commons license that permits certain third-party reuse.
JAEP Health Sciences publishes articles as open access under either a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International) or CC BY (Attribution 4.0 International) license:
CC BY-NC-ND: Allows sharing for non-commercial use with author credit; commercial use or modification requires permission.
CC BY: Allows reuse and adaptation for any purpose, including commercial, provided authors are properly credited.
Authors may also explore license options that comply with specific funder or institutional open access (OA) policies. Learn more in our guide to licensing copyright and author rights for journal articles.