Policies

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.

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

Submitted manuscripts are evaluated by independent experts in the relevant field, who assess:

• Originality of the work,

• Scientific validity of the research,

• Relevance and contribution to the fields of epidemiology and public health.

The journal aims to obtain two or more peer review reports for each manuscript presenting original or secondary research.

JAEP Health Sciences operates a rigorous double-blind peer review process in which all submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening followed by evaluation by at least two independent expert reviewers. Reviewers and authors remain anonymous throughout the process to ensure fairness and objectivity. Editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal’s scope, and ethical compliance, and manuscripts may undergo multiple rounds of revision before acceptance. The journal follows a continuous publication model, whereby articles are published online immediately after successful peer review, editorial acceptance, and production, ensuring rapid dissemination of high-quality research without waiting for issue compilation.

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.

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.

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.

Author Rights

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.