Calls for Submissions

BCPHR — Calls for Special Editions

BCPHR publishes both general editions and special-topic editions led by deputy editors. Special editions invite submissions on focused public health questions.

Why Special Editions

The Power of Themed Collections

Special editions allow BCPHR to bring together multiple perspectives on a single public health question, creating a coherent body of work that has more impact than scattered individual articles. Special editions are led by deputy editors who serve as guest editors, recruiting subject matter experts and managing peer review for the collection.

How Special Editions Work

From Call to Publication

Topic Identified

A deputy editor or editor-in-chief identifies a topic of public health importance. Topics may be timely (responding to current events) or sustained (addressing ongoing equity issues).

Call Issued

The call for submissions is published on the BCPHR website with deadline, scope, accepted article types, and contact information for the deputy editor leading the edition.

Direct Outreach

The deputy editor reaches out to subject matter experts to invite contributions. This is supplemented by open submissions through Scholastica.

Peer Review

All submissions to the special edition undergo the standard BCPHR peer review process. The deputy editor manages associate editor assignment.

Editors-in-Chief Approval

Final acceptance decisions are made by the Editors-in-Chief based on deputy editor recommendations. The same standards apply as for general edition articles.

Publication

The special edition is published as a collection with an introduction by the deputy editor and a curated table of contents.

Current Calls

Open Calls for Submissions

Current calls for special editions are listed on the BCPHR Calls page. Each call includes the topic, deadline, scope, and contact information for the deputy editor leading the edition. Authors are welcome to submit to any open call that matches their work.

How to Submit to a Special Edition

Submit through Scholastica using the standard submission process. In the cover letter, indicate which special edition you are submitting to. The editorial team will route your manuscript to the deputy editor leading that edition. The standard APC and submission fees apply.

Topics of Interest to BCPHR

BCPHR welcomes submissions on any public health topic examined through the lenses of social justice and health equity. The following topics are of particular interest:

HIV Care, Prevention, and Aging with HIV

LGBTQ Health and Gender-Affirming Care

Harm Reduction and Substance Use

Maternal, Child, and Reproductive Health

Global, Migrant, and Refugee Health

Mental and Behavioral Health

Health Policy and Health Systems

Environmental and Climate Health

Chronic Disease and Aging

Social and Structural Determinants of Health

Community-Based Participatory Research

Reproductive Justice and Disability Justice

BCPHR Aligns with the Following International Publishing Standards. (Click to Open)

COPE Core Practices ICMJE Recommendations WAME Policies Declaration of Helsinki Foundation for Biomedical Research EQUATOR Network 16 Principles of Transparency PIE-J (NISO RP-16-2013)

What is PIE-J? PIE-J stands for Presentation & Identification of E-Journals, a National Information Standards Organization Recommended Practice (NISO RP-16-2013). It defines how online journals should present title history, ISSN, publication dates, and edition numbering so that librarians, indexing services, and citation databases can unambiguously identify and cite content. BCPHR follows PIE-J for its edition-to-year crosswalk and article-level identifier consistency, as recommended by PubMed Central.