Article Types

TPHJ accepts a range of article types relevant to public health. Original research articles report empirical findings from quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods studies and usually include a structured abstract, followed by Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should follow PRISMA 2020 guidelines and present a reproducible search strategy, clear eligibility criteria, explicit methods for data extraction and risk of bias assessment and transparent synthesis of evidence. Narrative reviews and scoping reviews provide a broader overview of a topic and should still describe how the literature was identified and selected.

Short communications or brief reports present concise findings of high interest that may not require a full-length article but have clear methodology and implications. Case reports and case series highlight unusual or instructive public health events, outbreaks, interventions or clinical cases with clear relevance to public health policy or practice. Editorials and commentaries provide perspectives on current public health issues, newly published research or policy developments, usually by invitation or at the discretion of the editorial team. Letters to the editor allow brief scholarly communication, discussion of previously published articles in TPHJ or comments on emerging public health topics.

Each of these article types has recommended word limits for the main text and abstract, and typical expectations for the number of tables, figures and references. These limits are flexible at the editor’s discretion but are intended to encourage concise, clear writing. Detailed limits and templates may be further specified on the journal website if needed.