Types of Articles to Publish in Health Science Journals
Authors can publish at least eight (8) different types of articles through health science journals. These journals provide health science researchers a platform to deliver essential information to a wider audience.
Several guidelines could differ among publishers; however, the bulk of acceptance criteria among journals are usually similar. Getting your articles published in health science journals is no easy feat; you need to follow correct steps to get your research online.
See the major types of articles you can publish in health science journals and other vital information through this guide.
Types of Articles Health Science Journals Publish
1. Original research
Major research studies usually offer information about novel topics. Original research articles are usually products of findings from extensive studies. Many original research articles adopt the IMRaD (Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, and Discussion) format. These articles are the most common among types of manuscripts you can publish in health science journals.
2. Case reports
Case reports usually describe a special case involving a rare medical condition or novel pathologies. These reports can also study a series of rare cases about unusual conditions and advanced intervention methods. Major case reports usually possess similar sections with original research but may adopt a narrative format in extensive studies.
3. Clinical trials
Clinical trials aim to test the efficacy and safety of novel treatment methods. It may also contain information about new intervention techniques as remedies to existing diseases.
Some clinical trials can also encompass broad research to introduce new treatments that are effective against a family of viruses or infections. Clinical trials have a flexible structure and may follow the IMRaD format or not.
4. Case studies
Case studies are reports on comparative analysis, interviews, or experiments about a health science phenomenon like a disease or treatment method. There are five (5) types of case studies namely:
- Randomized control trials,
- Cross-sectional studies,
- Case-control studies,
- Qualitative studies, and
- Cohort studies
These studies operate differently but have the same purpose – to provide information about the best intervention or treatment methods for illnesses or to identify novel pathologies.
5. Review articles
Review articles offer a complete summary of existing research about a specific subject. Two major types of review articles exist, which are:
- Narrative reviews – aim to describe several sections of a research article to make it easy to understand
- Systematic reviews – aim to use a certain method to identify, describe, and provide alternatives to existing research
6. Editorials
These are written by editors or interested readers to provide a brief insight into certain topics or a particular article. Editorials are usually brief and may not follow any defined publishing structure.
7. Short communications
Short communications become necessary to report the findings of a small study or reveal preliminary findings of a much larger research.
8. Commentaries
Commentaries are also known as opinion pieces. These reports provide in-depth information about an author’s perspectives concerning a health science topic.
Commentaries are personal opinions and may not need to go through extensive review or meet stringent acceptance criteria to be published. Most opinion articles become available after an original research is ready for publishing.
Acceptance Criteria for Health Science Journal Articles
Many health science journals have uniform guidelines authors must follow to see their articles published in serials. Some of these criteria include:
- all articles should offer sound technical or scientific knowledge and show deep understanding of the topic being discussed; the research should also provide clarity in attempts to solve existing problems,
- articles must have a concise presentation of all materials and methods used in the research,
- these articles should at least meet ethics standards during the gathering of information, processing of data, results display, and so on
- potential articles for publishing in health science journals should be relevant in a geographical area; international relevance of your topic to health science is an added advantage
- all experiments conducted to support your findings should conform to set standards and align with health science research protocols,
- potential articles for publishing in health science journals should adhere to guidelines of your preferred publisher(s),
- your articles for publishing in a health science journal should have a discussion section founded on research from available data,
- potential articles should be in clear English to accommodate academics and readers from non-native English speaking countries,
- all methods used in the research should be in clear detail to inform readers about all processes used to arrive at results, and
- control measures and sample sizes should conform to predefined health science standards
It’s worth noting that these acceptance criteria usually apply to original research articles, review articles, and a few others. It may not apply to all types of articles you can publish through health science journals.
Your article will be easier to publish after a peer review if you follow basic guidelines of your preferred journal. The relevance of your topic to the journal is a huge boost to see your articles published within a short time.
Many journals ensure the accuracy of published works by mandating all authors to follow these guidelines. The guidelines will provide all the steps you need to follow towards getting your health science journal articles published with ease!
Final Word
The main goal of many health science journals is to provide information and novel techniques to improve existing methods for various healthcare practices. These journals can only provide vital information about health sciences by publishing high-quality articles.
It is easier to get your health science articles better publicity through a reputable journal. The journal articles you choose will determine several elements of your publication from the writing stage down to production of your accepted research.
You need to study the acceptance requirements of your preferred health science journal to give your research the visibility you want. Follow the requirements of the health science journal you want your articles published on and see it get wide research acceptance and citations with ease!