Your peer review and possible publication journey, in four stages.
Send questions about peer review before you submit. See what else to email us about ↓
BCPHR is an academic, peer-reviewed, open-access public health journal published by the Boston Congress of Public Health. This Author Hub is your single reference for everything related to submitting and publishing with BCPHR — from your first visit to post-publication. You'll find what you need at every step, including our submission and withdrawal policies, open-access and copyright terms, and manuscript pricing.
How to use this page: The hub is organized in the order most authors move through the publishing process. Start with the four-stage journey at the top to orient yourself, then work through each section as it becomes relevant to you. If you are a returning author, jump directly to the section you need.
Questions? Email [email protected]. All questions about the peer review process must be sent before you submit.
The Hub covers:
Most authors move through these four stages in order. Each stage links to the small set of pages you'll actually need at that point. Nothing more, nothing less.
Understand what BCPHR publishes, who reads it, and which article type fits your work. Start here on your first visit.
Everything you need before you upload: templates, reporting standards, required disclosures, and our equity and AI use policies.
How to submit on Scholastica, what it costs, and when our review windows open.
What happens during our rigorous, meaningful peer review, how decisions get made, and what to do if you need to correct, retract, appeal, or respond after publication.
These are the months BCPHR is open for submissions each year. The schedule repeats annually — the same months apply every year, not just for a single year.
Click any card to open the Google Docs template directly. Every template is also downloadable to your own computer — in Google Docs, choose File → Download and save it as a Word document (.docx) or PDF to work offline.
Special-topic editions published by BCPHR. Each title below links directly to where that supplement is published.
Note for the team: replace the entries below with the actual supplement titles and their published URLs.
One round of revise and resubmit is included. Additional rounds cost $150.00 each.
Only use BCPH templates and follow instructions during the upload process. If you do not, you may be contacted by the managing editor to resubmit your article or face a desk rejection.
Incurred if author fails to acknowledge article acceptance or requests withdrawal following submission or peer review.
If you used any acceptable tool above, add a short AI Use Statement in your cover letter and immediately before the reference list. Name the tool, the version if known, the date, and what you used it for.
If you used no AI tools at all, state that: "No generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."
Your institution's rules come first. Whatever this policy permits, authors must also abide by the AI limitations set by their home institution, their funder, and the stipulations of the IRB or ethics committee that approved the project. Where those rules are stricter than ours, follow the stricter rule. This matters most for anything involving participant data, protected health information, or unpublished results: do not enter that material into an external AI tool unless your IRB protocol and data use agreement explicitly allow it.
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of everything submitted, including anything an acceptable tool touched. All submissions are screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content. Undisclosed or prohibited AI use may result in desk rejection, retraction after publication, or notification of the authors' institutions.
Still unsure whether a specific tool is allowed? Ask before you submit — email [email protected]. Full detail is in the Originality, AI Use & Plagiarism policy in the Policies and Standards Library.
Every BCPHR editorial and publishing policy, in one place. Written for editors, peer reviewers, indexing bodies, and authors who need a deep dive on a specific rule. Use the jump links below to go straight to a category.
How manuscripts are reviewed, who reviews them, and what a meaningful, rigorous review involves.
Unbiased evaluation of manuscripts and the separation of editorial decisions from the publisher.
How to become an editor or peer reviewer with BCPHR.
ICMJE authorship criteria, contributor roles, corresponding author duties, name change requests.
Originality expectations and screening at submission for plagiarism, citation manipulation, and AI-generated content.
Reporting standards, data availability and retention, IRB approval, informed consent, and research ethics.
Disclosure requirements for authors, editors, and reviewers, including financial and non-financial interests.
Advisory board investigation process and how concerns may be raised, with a step-by-step process flowchart.
Citation expectations and proper acknowledgment of prior and supporting work.
Copyright, CC BY licensing, the rights authors retain, and BCPH brand and logo usage.
How BCPHR content is archived and preserved for long-term access.
Supplements and themed editions, where they are published, and how to propose one.
Reader commentary, corrections, and updates after an article is published.
How to raise feedback, submit complaints, and appeal an editorial decision.
Publication metrics and transparency data for BCPHR.
Questions may be submitted to [email protected].
One address reaches the whole editorial team. We answer during our open submission months and aim to reply within five business days.
[email protected]BCPHR reserves discretion to answer questions about a manuscript while it is actively under review.