Social Justice Guidelines

BCPHR — Social Justice Guidelines

BCPHR prioritizes scholarship that advances social justice. These guidelines describe what we look for and how authors can frame work to align with the journal's mission.

Why This Matters

Social Justice in Public Health Scholarship

Public health is inseparable from social justice. The conditions that produce health inequities—structural racism, economic exploitation, gender-based violence, colonialism, ableism, and homophobia—are the same conditions that public health research must name, study, and challenge. BCPHR publishes scholarship that centers these conditions and the communities most affected by them.

What We Look For

Six Markers of Social Justice Scholarship

Structural Analysis

Community Voice

Intersectional Framing

Critical Reflexivity

Actionable Findings

Power Analysis

Structural Analysis

Scholarship that names and analyzes the structural conditions producing health inequities, rather than treating individual behavior or biology in isolation. Examples include analyses of housing policy effects on respiratory disease, of policing on community trauma, of immigration policy on access to care.

Community Voice

Scholarship that includes the perspectives and expertise of the communities most affected by the issues being studied. Community-based participatory research, photovoice, oral history, and community-driven research priorities are all welcome.

Intersectional Framing

Scholarship that recognizes how multiple systems of power and identity (race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, immigration status, age) interact to shape health experiences. Single-axis analyses are welcome, but intersectional framing strengthens the work.

Critical Reflexivity

Scholarship in which authors examine their own positionality and how it shapes the research. The Required Disclosures positionality statement is one expression of this; explicit reflection within the manuscript is another.

Actionable Findings

Scholarship that translates findings into clear implications for policy, program, or community action. BCPHR publishes research that informs change, not research that exists only for the academic record.

Power Analysis

Scholarship that examines who holds power in the systems being studied, how that power operates, and how power dynamics shape both the research process and the conditions being researched.

What This Does Not Mean

Social Justice Is Not a Litmus Test

Methodological Pluralism

Social justice framing does not exclude particular methods. Quantitative epidemiology, qualitative interviews, mixed methods, randomized trials, policy analysis, and systematic reviews are all welcome. What matters is that the work is conducted with awareness of structural conditions and serves the goal of advancing health equity.

Social justice framing is not about reaching predetermined conclusions. BCPHR publishes findings that challenge popular narratives and findings that support them. The standard is rigorous evidence interpreted with attention to structural context, not ideological alignment.

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.

What is Social Justice?

Social Justice involves the societal creation of fairness whereby individual rights are protected and realized, and all have access to opportunities, services, and resources. The enactment of social justice often involves a mindset of inclusivity and concepts of equity, access, equal privileges, diversity, and the protection and upholding of human rights. Ultimately, social justice aims to ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life.

Consistent with our mission and vision, BCPHR places emphasis on social justice with the expectation that authors address this topic within their manuscripts. To facilitate this, we have provided authors with a checklist (please see below) describing components of social justice for possible incorporation. Not every checklist component is needed, but authors should ensure that some of these criteria are present before submission.

Social Justice Checklist

Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Communities of color, including African Americans, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, often face discrimination, systemic racism, and disparities in education, employment, healthcare, and criminal justice.

Women and Gender Minorities: Women and individuals who identify outside of traditional gender norms may face gender-based discrimination, sexism, and gender inequality. They often experience disparities in areas such as pay, representation in leadership positions, reproductive rights, and access to education.

Religious and Ethnic Minorities: Communities that face religious or ethnic discrimination, such as Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other minority religious groups, may experience prejudice, hate crimes, and limited access to resources and opportunities.

LGBTQ+ Individuals: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning individuals may experience marginalization, discrimination, and unequal treatment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. They often face challenges related to acceptance, access to healthcare, legal rights, and safety.

Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous communities, such as Native Americans, First Nations, and Aboriginal peoples, often face historical and ongoing marginalization, cultural erasure, land dispossession, and inadequate access to education, healthcare, and socioeconomic opportunities.

People with Disabilities: Individuals with physical, sensory, intellectual, or developmental disabilities may face barriers to inclusion, accessibility, employment, and social participation. They often encounter discrimination, lack of accommodations, and limited access to resources.

Individuals with Mental Health Issues: People with mental health conditions may encounter stigma, discrimination, and limited access to appropriate mental health services. They may face challenges in employment, education, and social integration.

Youth and Elderly Populations: Both young and elderly populations may be vulnerable to social injustices. Youth may face challenges related to education, bullying, mental health, and limited agency. The elderly may experience ageism, limited access to healthcare, isolation, and financial insecurity.

Foster Care Youth: Children and young adults in the foster care system may experience instability, trauma, and a lack of support networks. They often face challenges transitioning into adulthood, accessing education, employment, and stable housing.

Single Parents: Single parents, particularly single mothers, may face economic disadvantages, difficulties accessing childcare, and limited support networks. They often experience challenges balancing work, parenting, and personal well-being.

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Communities: Low-income communities, including individuals living in poverty, may face systemic barriers to education, healthcare, housing, and employment. They often experience disparities in access to resources and opportunities.

Immigrants and Refugees: Immigrant and refugee communities often face challenges related to language barriers, cultural adaptation, xenophobia, and limited access to healthcare, education, employment, and legal protections. They may experience marginalization and discrimination based on their immigration status.

Homeless Individuals: People experiencing homelessness often face numerous challenges, including lack of shelter, access to basic amenities, healthcare, employment opportunities, and social stigma. They may also be at higher risk of violence and exploitation.

Incarcerated Individuals: Individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated often face significant barriers to reintegrating into society, such as limited job prospects, housing discrimination, and loss of voting rights. They may also face challenges accessing healthcare and support services.

Rural Communities: Rural areas often face unique challenges, including limited access to healthcare services, educational opportunities, transportation, and economic resources. They may also experience a lack of infrastructure and face isolation.

Language Minority Communities: Immigrant or refugee communities with limited English proficiency may face barriers in accessing education, healthcare, employment, and social services. Language barriers can lead to exclusion and limited opportunities for advancement.

Individuals with Addiction: People struggling with substance abuse disorders often face stigma, limited access to treatment, and barriers to employment and housing. They may lack the necessary support systems to recover and reintegrate into society.

Individuals in Sex Work: Those engaged in sex work often face stigma, criminalization, and limited access to healthcare, legal protections, and support services. They may be vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

Veterans: Military veterans may face challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical disabilities, mental health issues, homelessness, and difficulties transitioning to civilian life. They may also experience limited access to healthcare and employment opportunities.

Social Justice Guidelines

Social Justice Guidelines

Social Justice in Public Health Scholarship

Six Markers of Social Justice Scholarship

Structural Analysis

Community Voice

Intersectional Framing

Critical Reflexivity

Actionable Findings

Power Analysis

Social Justice Is Not a Litmus Test

Methodological Pluralism

What is Social Justice?

Social Justice Checklist

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