Author Guidelines

International • Double-Anonymised Peer-Reviewed • Open Access • English Only

Instructions for Authors

Health Sciences Quarterly (Health Sci. Q.) welcomes high-quality manuscripts in the field of health sciences. The journal publishes manuscripts only in English and applies a double-anonymised peer-review process. All submissions must comply with the journal’s aims and scope, ethical principles, publication policies, technical submission requirements, and manuscript formatting standards.

Authors are strongly encouraged to prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the journal’s Sample Article Template. The sample article demonstrates the recommended order of sections, heading style, author information format, reference style, tables, figures, and declaration sections.

By submitting a manuscript to Health Sciences Quarterly, authors confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, is not under consideration elsewhere, has been approved by all authors, and complies with the journal's publication ethics and malpractice policies.

1. Manuscript Types

The journal considers the following manuscript types, provided that they fall within the journal's aims and scope:

• Original Article
• Review Article
• Case Report
• Study Protocol
• Letter to the Editor

The manuscript type should be clearly indicated at the beginning of the manuscript file, using uppercase formatting where appropriate, for example: ORIGINAL ARTICLE, REVIEW ARTICLE, CASE REPORT, STUDY PROTOCOL, or LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

Errata are published when necessary to correct errors in previously published articles and are handled in accordance with the journal's corrections and publication ethics policies. Errata are not considered standard manuscript submissions.

2. Sample Article Template

Authors should consult and use the journal's Sample Article Template before submission. The template provides the recommended manuscript layout, including manuscript type, title style, author information format, affiliations, ORCID iDs, corresponding author information, main text structure, tables, figures, declaration sections, and Vancouver-style references.

The Sample Article Template is intended to help authors prepare manuscripts consistently and reduce the need for technical corrections during the editorial screening stage.

Download: HSQ Manuscript Submission Template Package

Note: Please replace the link above with the final URL of the uploaded Sample Article Template file in the journal system.

Although authors are strongly encouraged to follow the Sample Article Template, they must ensure that the Blinded Manuscript File does not contain any author-identifying information. Author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, e-mail addresses, acknowledgements, funding details, ethics committee names or approval numbers, project numbers, grant numbers, institutional identifiers, and other identifying details must be provided only in the Title Page / Cover Page.

3. Language and General Requirements

• The journal accepts and publishes manuscripts only in English.
• Manuscripts should be written in clear, concise, grammatically correct academic English.
• Authors are responsible for language quality before submission. Manuscripts with language problems that prevent proper evaluation may be returned to authors before peer review.
• All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online manuscript submission system.
• Manuscripts must be prepared in Microsoft Word format, preferably as a .doc or .docx file.
• The manuscript should follow the structure and formatting principles shown in the Sample Article Template.

4. Required Submission Files

Authors are required to upload the following files during submission:

• 1. Blinded Manuscript File: The main manuscript file must be fully anonymised. It must not include author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, e-mail addresses, acknowledgements, funding details, ethics committee names or approval numbers, institutional identifiers, project numbers, grant numbers, or any other information that may reveal the identity of the authors.
• 2. Title Page / Cover Page: This file must include the manuscript title, author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, e-mail addresses, corresponding author details, author contributions, conflict of interest statement, funding statement, ethics committee approval statement, informed consent statement, animal research ethics statement where applicable, clinical trial registration where applicable, data availability statement, acknowledgements, artificial intelligence use statement, originality and duplicate submission statement, permissions statement, and patient/participant privacy statement.
• 3. Cover Letter: Authors must submit a cover letter addressed to the Editor. The cover letter should confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, is not under consideration elsewhere, complies with the journal’s ethical and publication policies, has been approved by all authors, and falls within the scope of Health Sciences Quarterly.
• 4. Ethics Committee Approval Document: For studies involving human participants, patients, personal data, clinical interventions, biological material, surveys, interviews, observations, experimental procedures, or animal subjects, authors must upload the ethics committee approval document as an additional file when required.

The journal does not require a separate copyright transfer form. Authors retain copyright and publish their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). The journal also does not require a separate Author Declarations Form; all required declarations must be provided in the Title Page / Cover Page.

5. Blinded Manuscript File

The blinded manuscript file is the main document used for double-anonymised peer review. It must not contain any information that identifies the authors, their institutions, funding sources, ethics committee details, acknowledgements, project numbers, grant numbers, or institutional identifiers.

The blinded manuscript file should include the following elements, where applicable:

• Manuscript type, for example, ORIGINAL ARTICLE;
• Manuscript title;
• Abstract;
• Keywords;
• Introduction;
• Materials and Methods / Methods;
• Results;
• Discussion;
• Conclusion;
• References;
• Tables;
• Figure legends;
• Figures;
• Supplementary material, if applicable.

Although the Sample Article Template may show declaration sections such as Acknowledgements, Funding, Conflict of Interest, and Ethical Considerations, authors must ensure that any information that may reveal author identity is removed from the blinded manuscript file. Full declaration details must be provided on the Title Page/Cover Page.

In the blinded manuscript file, authors may use anonymised ethical or funding statements such as:

• Ethics approval was obtained for this study. Details are provided in the Title Page.
• This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethics approval details are provided in the Title Page.
• Funding information is provided on the Title Page.
• Conflict of interest information is provided on the Title Page.

6. Title Page / Cover Page

The Title Page/Cover Page must be uploaded as a separate file and include all identifying author information and required declarations. This file is not sent to reviewers.

The Title Page / Cover Page should follow the author information structure shown in the Sample Article Template and must include:

• Manuscript type;
• Full manuscript title;
• Short running title, if applicable;
• Full names of all authors;
• Author affiliations, including department, faculty or unit, institution, city, and country;
• ORCID iDs of all authors;
• E-mail addresses of all authors;
• Corresponding author’s full name and e-mail address;
• Author contribution statement;
• Conflict of interest statement;
• Funding statement;
• Ethics committee approval statement;
• Informed consent statement;
• Animal research ethics statement, where applicable;
• Clinical trial registration statement, where applicable;
• Data availability statement;
• Acknowledgements;
• Artificial intelligence use statement;
• Originality and duplicate submission statement;
• Permissions statement;
• Patient/participant privacy statement.

7. Author Information Format

Author information must be presented clearly in the Title Page / Cover Page. The following format is recommended:

• Author name: Full first name and surname of each author;
• Affiliation: Department, faculty/unit, institution, city, and country;
• ORCID iD: Full ORCID URL, for example https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000;
• E-mail: Institutional or active e-mail address;
• Corresponding author: Full name and e-mail address of the author responsible for correspondence.

Example:
1 Department of Health Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Name, City, Country. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
Corresponding Author: Author Name, author@example.com

8. Author Contribution Statement

Author contributions must be reported in the Title Page / Cover Page. Where applicable, authors should use the CRediT contributor roles:

• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Software
• Validation
• Formal Analysis
• Investigation
• Resources
• Data Curation
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Visualization
• Supervision
• Project Administration
• Funding Acquisition

Example: Conceptualisation: A.A. and B.B.; Methodology: A.A.; Formal Analysis: C.C.; Writing – Original Draft: A.A.; Writing – Review & Editing: A.A., B.B. and C.C.; Supervision: B.B.

9. Required Declarations

The following declarations must be included on the Title Page/Cover Page. If a declaration is not applicable, authors must state “Not applicable” rather than leaving the section blank.

9.1 Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors must disclose all financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may be perceived to influence the submitted work.

Example: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

9.2 Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support, including grant numbers, project numbers, institutional funding, or sponsor names.

Example: This research received no external funding.

Example: This study was supported by [Funder Name] under grant/project number [XXX].

9.3 Ethics Committee Approval Statement

For studies requiring ethics approval, authors must provide the name of the ethics committee, approval date, and approval/decision number in the Title Page / Cover Page. A copy of the ethics committee approval document must be uploaded as an additional file when required.

Example: This study was approved by [Name of Ethics Committee] on [Date] with decision/approval number [Number].

Example: Ethics committee approval was not required because the study did not involve human participants, animal subjects, identifiable personal data, clinical intervention, biological material, or sensitive health data.

9.4 Human Participants and Informed Consent Statement

For studies involving human participants, patients, surveys, interviews, observations, clinical data, images, or identifiable information, authors must provide an informed consent statement.

Example: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Example: Informed consent was waived by the ethics committee due to the retrospective/anonymised nature of the study.

9.5 Animal Research Ethics Statement

For studies involving animals, authors must provide the name of the approving ethics committee, approval date, approval number, and the relevant institutional, national, or international guidelines followed.

Example: All procedures involving animals were approved by [Name of Ethics Committee] on [Date] with approval number [Number] and were conducted in accordance with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines.

Example: Not applicable. This study did not involve animal subjects.

9.6 Clinical Trial Registration Statement

Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry where applicable. The registry name and registration number must be provided.

Example: This clinical trial was registered at [Registry Name] with registration number [Number].

9.7 Data Availability Statement

Authors must state whether the data supporting the findings of the study are publicly available, available upon reasonable request, restricted due to ethical/privacy reasons, or not applicable.

Example: The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Example: The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions.

9.8 Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements must be provided only in the Title Page / Cover Page and must not appear in the blinded manuscript file.

Example: The authors thank [Name/Institution] for [type of support].

Example: Acknowledgements: None.

9.9 Artificial Intelligence Use Statement

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript preparation, language editing, formatting, coding, data analysis support, image generation, or other technical assistance. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific content of the manuscript.

Example: The authors used [tool name] for language editing and formatting support. The authors reviewed and edited all AI-assisted outputs and take full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

Example: The authors declare that no artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

9.10 Originality and Duplicate Submission Statement

Authors must declare that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Example: The authors declare that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

9.11 Permissions Statement

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for any copyrighted material, figures, tables, images, photographs, scales, questionnaires, instruments, or other third-party content reproduced or adapted in the manuscript.

Example: The authors confirm that permission has been obtained for all copyrighted material, figures, tables, images, scales, or instruments reproduced or adapted in the manuscript.

Example: Permissions: Not applicable.

9.12 Patient/Participant Privacy Statement

Authors must confirm that patient or participant privacy has been protected and that identifying information has been removed or anonymised unless explicit consent for disclosure has been obtained.

Example: The authors confirm that all identifying information has been removed or anonymised and that patient/participant privacy has been protected.

10. Cover Letter

The cover letter must be addressed to the Editor and must include:

• The manuscript title;
• The manuscript type;
• A brief explanation of the importance and contribution of the study;
• A statement that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere;
• Confirmation that all authors have approved the submission;
• Confirmation that the manuscript complies with the journal’s ethical and publication policies;
• Confirmation that all necessary permissions and approvals have been obtained where applicable;
• Corresponding author contact information.

11. Ethics Committee Approval Document

Ethics committee approval is required for studies involving human participants, patients, personal data, clinical interventions, biological material, surveys, interviews, observations, experimental procedures, animal subjects, or sensitive health data where applicable.

If ethics approval is required, the approval document must be uploaded as an additional file. The approval details must be provided in the Title Page / Cover Page, not in the blinded manuscript file if they reveal author or institution identity.

12. Manuscript Structure by Article Type

12.1 Original Article

• Manuscript type: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Tables and Figures, where applicable

12.2 Review Article

• Manuscript type: REVIEW ARTICLE
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Main text sections
• Conclusion
• References
• Tables and Figures, where applicable

12.3 Case Report

• Manuscript type: CASE REPORT
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Case Presentation
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Figures, images, or tables, where applicable

12.4 Study Protocol

• Manuscript type: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Methods / Design
• Ethics and Dissemination
• Discussion
• References
• Tables and Figures, where applicable

12.5 Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should be concise and focused. They may comment on articles published in the journal or address current issues relevant to the journal’s scope. They should include references where appropriate.

13. Formatting Requirements

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s Sample Article Template. The following formatting rules should be followed unless otherwise required by the editorial office:

13.1 Page Format

• Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format, preferably as a .doc or .docx file.
• Page size should be A4.
• Margins should be sufficient for editorial review and copyediting.
• The text should be prepared with 1.5 line spacing.
• Pages should be numbered consecutively.
• Non-repeating line numbers should be added starting from the main text.
• Paragraphs should be clear and consistent. The first line of each paragraph should not be indented unless required by the template.

13.2 Font and Point Size

The preferred font is Times New Roman. Authors should follow the font sizes and styles shown in the Sample Article Template:

• Manuscript type: Times New Roman, bold, uppercase; for example, ORIGINAL ARTICLE, REVIEW ARTICLE, CASE REPORT.
• Article title: Times New Roman, approximately 18 pt, bold, centred.
• Author names: Times New Roman, approximately 11 pt, bold, centred. Author names must appear only on the Title Page / Cover Page, not in the blinded manuscript file.
• Author affiliations: Times New Roman or equivalent academic font, approximately 9 pt, left-aligned. Affiliations must appear only on the Title Page / Cover Page.
• Abstract and keywords: Times New Roman or equivalent academic font, approximately 10 pt.
• Main text: Times New Roman, approximately 11 pt, 1.5 line spacing.
• Main headings: Times New Roman, approximately 12 pt, bold. Headings should be clearly separated from the text.
• Subheadings: Times New Roman, approximately 10–11 pt, bold or italic where appropriate.
• Table titles: Times New Roman, approximately 10 pt, bold, centred.
• Table content: Times New Roman, approximately 10 pt.
• Table notes and abbreviations: Times New Roman, approximately 9 pt.
• Figure legends: Times New Roman, approximately 10 pt.
• References: Times New Roman, approximately 10–11 pt, numbered according to Vancouver style.

13.3 Heading Style and Section Order

Headings and subheadings should follow a clear hierarchical structure. Main section headings should be written in title case, bold, and left-aligned. Subheadings should be left-aligned and formatted consistently throughout the manuscript.

For Original Articles, the recommended section order is:

• Manuscript type: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
• Tables and Figures, where applicable

For other manuscript types, the section structure may vary according to the study design, but authors should follow the structure shown in the Sample Article Template as closely as possible.

13.4 Numbering of Sections

The manuscript text itself does not need to use numbered section headings unless required by the study design or reporting guidelines. Authors may use unnumbered headings such as Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.

Where subsections are necessary, they should be formatted consistently. Examples include:

• Type of research
• Place and time of research
• Population and sample
• Data collection tools
• Data analysis
• Ethical consideration

14. Abstract and Keywords

All manuscripts, except where not applicable for specific article types, should include an abstract. The abstract should be clear, informative, and should briefly present the objective, methods, main findings, and conclusion of the manuscript. The abstract should not exceed 300 words.

Authors should provide 3 to 6 keywords for indexing and information retrieval. Abbreviations should be avoided in the title and abstract where possible. If abbreviations are necessary, they should be defined at first use.

15. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be prepared in accordance with the Sample Article Template. They should be used only when they add meaningful information to the manuscript. The same data should not be repeated in both table and figure form or unnecessarily repeated in the text.

15.1 Table Numbering and Formatting

• Tables must be numbered consecutively in the order they are cited in the text: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.
• Each table must have a clear and concise title.
• The table title should appear above the table.
• The table number should be written as Table 1., followed by the title of the table.
• Table titles should be approximately 10 pt, bold, and centred where possible.
• Table content should be approximately 10 pt.
• Explanatory notes, abbreviations, statistical test explanations, and significance notes should be placed below the table in approximately 9 pt.
• Abbreviations used in tables must be explained below the table.
• Statistical values such as p values should be presented clearly and consistently.
• Tables must be cited in the main text before they appear.

Example:

Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of participants.

Note: U = Mann-Whitney U Test; KW = Kruskal-Wallis Test; SD = Standard Deviation; Q2 = Median; Q1 = 25th percentile; Q3 = 75th percentile; p = significance level.

15.2 Figure Numbering and Formatting

• Figures must be numbered consecutively in the order they are cited in the text: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.
• Figure legends should appear below the figure.
• The figure number should be written as Figure 1, followed by a clear and concise legend.
• Figure legends should be approximately 10 pt.
• Figures should be prepared at sufficient resolution, preferably 300 dpi or higher.
• Figures, diagrams, photographs, charts, and images must be cited in the main text before they appear.
• Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for reproduced or adapted figures, images, photographs, scales, questionnaires, or other third-party material.
• For patient images or identifiable visual material, patient/participant privacy must be protected and consent for publication must be obtained where required.

Example:

Figure 1. Flow diagram of participant selection.

16. References and Citation Style

Health Sciences Quarterly uses the Vancouver Citation Style in accordance with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations. References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text.

16.1 In-Text Citation Numbering

• In-text citations must be indicated by reference numbers in square brackets.
• Use [1] for a single reference.
• Use [1,2] for two references.
• Use [1-4] for three or more consecutive references.
• Use [1,3,5] for non-consecutive references.
• Reference numbers should be placed consistently according to Vancouver style.

Examples:

• Compassion is an important component of nursing care [1].
• Previous studies have reported similar findings [2,3].
• Several studies have examined this relationship [4-7].

16.2 Reference List Numbering

• References must be listed at the end of the manuscript.
• References must be numbered in the order in which they first appear in the text.
• The reference list should not be arranged alphabetically.
• Each reference number should correspond to the relevant in-text citation number.
• Journal title abbreviations should follow the NLM Catalogue where applicable.
• DOIs should be included whenever available.
• For references with more than six authors, list the first six authors followed by “et al.”
• Authors should avoid citing unavailable data, unpublished work, personal communications, or manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted.
• Accepted articles may be cited as “in press” when the title, journal name, and DOI are available.
• Preprints may be cited if they are publicly available and clearly identified as preprints.

16.3 Reference Formatting Examples

Published article:

• 1. Pektas MB, Sadi G, Koca HB, Yuksel Y, Vurmaz A, Koca T, et al. Resveratrol ameliorates the components of hepatic inflammation and apoptosis in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Drug Dev Res. 2016;77(1):12-9. doi: 10.1002/ddr. 21287.

Article in press:

• 2. Głusiec W. Hospital chaplains as ethical consultants in making difficult medical decisions. J Med Ethics. In press. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-107096.

Book:

• 3. Rascati KL. Essentials of Pharmacoeconomics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2014.

Book chapter:

• 4. Fares-Frederickson N, David M. Introduction to immunity and inflammation. In: Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollmann BC, editors. Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2018. p. 621-35.

Website:

• 5. World Health Organisation. Health topics [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organisation; [cited 2026 Jun 18]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics

17. Research Ethics and Informed Consent

Studies involving human participants, patients, personal data, clinical interventions, surveys, interviews, observations, biological material, images, or sensitive health information must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and must have ethics committee or Institutional Review Board approval where required.

Informed consent must be obtained from participants where applicable. If informed consent is waived by an ethics committee due to retrospective, anonymised, or minimal-risk study design, this must be clearly stated in the Title Page / Cover Page.

Animal studies must comply with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines for the care and use of animals in research. Animal research ethics approval details must be provided in the Title Page / Cover Page, and the approval document must be uploaded where required.

18. Artificial Intelligence Use

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript preparation, language editing, formatting, coding, data analysis support, image generation, or other technical assistance. The AI use statement must be included on the Title Page/Cover Page.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors are fully responsible for all AI-assisted outputs, including the accuracy, originality, integrity, ethical compliance, and scientific content of the manuscript.

19. Article Submission Fee

Health Sciences Quarterly charges a one-time article submission fee of 150 USD after preliminary editorial suitability assessment. Apart from this submission fee, the journal does not charge any Article Processing Charge (APC), acceptance fee, publication fee, page fee, colour fee, production fee, archiving fee, or post-acceptance fee.

Payment of the submission fee does not guarantee acceptance, external peer review, expedited review, or influence editorial or peer-review decisions.

Further details are provided on the Article Submission Fee Policy page.

20. Final Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

• The manuscript fits the aims and scope of the journal.
• The manuscript has been prepared in accordance with the Sample Article Template where possible.
• The manuscript type has been selected and indicated correctly.
• The blinded manuscript file contains no author-identifying information.
• The Title Page / Cover Page includes all required author information and declarations.
• The Cover Letter has been prepared and uploaded.
• The ethics committee approval document has been uploaded where required.
• All authors have approved the submitted version.
• The manuscript is original and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• All references are formatted according to Vancouver style.
• Tables and figures are cited in the text and prepared properly.
• Permissions for third-party material have been obtained where necessary.
• Patient/participant privacy has been protected.
• The AI use statement has been provided where applicable.

Privacy Statement

Personal information entered into the Health Sciences Quarterly manuscript management system, including names, affiliations, e-mail addresses, ORCID iDs, correspondence details, and submission-related information, is used only for the scientific, editorial, technical, ethical, administrative, indexing, archiving, and publishing purposes of the journal.

The journal does not sell, rent, or use personal information for commercial marketing purposes. Personal information may be processed or shared only where necessary for legitimate editorial, technical, ethical, legal, indexing, archiving, metadata, DOI registration, publication, or preservation purposes.

Published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.