Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Health Sciences Quarterly – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Health Sciences Quarterly (Health Sci. Q.) is an international, peer-reviewed, and gold open-access journal published by Holistence Publications. The journal welcomes high-quality research articles, reviews, and case studies in health sciences and related interdisciplinary fields. The following information is designed to assist prospective authors.

1. General Information

Q1. What is the name of your journal and what fields does it cover?
The name of our journal is Health Sciences Quarterly (Health Sci. Q.). It publishes original theoretical and applied research in the fields of public health, healthcare management, health economics, nursing, medicine, health policy, nutrition, medical technology, and other disciplines related to health sciences.

Q2. In which languages do you accept articles?
Manuscripts are accepted in both English and Turkish.

Q3. What is the publication format?
Starting from Volume 4, the journal follows a continuous publication model—once an article is accepted, it is immediately published online without waiting for the entire issue to be completed.

2. Article Submission and Fees

Q4. Do you have a deadline for article submissions?
No. Submissions are open all year round. Specific deadlines may be announced for special issues on the “Announcements” page.

Q5. Do you charge article review and publication fees?
There is no submission fee. An Article Processing Charge (APC) of 50 USD is applied only after acceptance to cover production and archiving costs. For 2025, APC fees are waived for English-language original research articles.

Q6. What is the copyright and licensing policy?
Authors retain the copyright of their articles. All content is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing others to share and adapt the work, provided the original source is properly cited.

3. Review Process

Q7. How does the review process work?
Health Sciences Quarterly uses a double-blind peer-review process to ensure unbiased and transparent evaluation. The identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential.

The main steps of the process are:

  1. Preliminary editorial check by the Editor-in-Chief (scope, structure, and plagiarism control).
  2. Assignment to a Section Editor according to the article’s field.
  3. Peer review by at least two independent reviewers.
  4. Decision based on reviewers’ reports and editorial evaluation.
  5. Revision process if needed (minor = 3 weeks; major = 8 weeks).
  6. Final approval and publication.

Q8. What is the average decision time?
The average duration for peer review is approximately 30 days. Revisions are expected within 21 days for minor changes and 60 days for major revisions. These timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity.

Q9. Can authors appeal after a decision?
Yes. Authors may appeal an editorial decision by submitting a written explanation to the Editor-in-Chief, specifying the reason (e.g., misinterpretation or overlooked review comments).

4. Information for Authors

Q10. What should I pay attention to in the Author Guidelines?

  • Manuscript structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References).
  • Length, referencing format, and citation style (APA 7th preferred).
  • Accepted file types: MS Word (.docx) or PDF.
  • Ethical statements: originality, conflict of interest, IRB or ethics committee approval (if applicable).
  • Plagiarism check with iThenticate is mandatory before review.
  • All manuscripts must include English titles, abstracts, and keywords.

Q11. Is data sharing or code availability required?
Authors are encouraged to share datasets, supplementary materials, and codes that support their findings. They may also specify that such materials are “available upon request.”

Q12. What happens after acceptance?
Accepted papers undergo professional typesetting and formatting. The corresponding author will receive a galley proof for final review. Only typographical or minor stylistic corrections are permitted at this stage.

5. Publication and Access

Q13. When will my article be published?
Articles are published online immediately after acceptance as part of the journal’s continuous publication model.

Q14. What is the open-access policy?
The journal adopts a Gold Open Access policy, allowing immediate and unrestricted access to all published content without any paywalls or embargoes.

Q15. What should I know about citations, DOI, and indexing?

  • Each article receives a unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier).
  • The journal is indexed in several academic databases; a complete list can be found on the “Index & Databases” page.
  • Authors are encouraged to share their published papers on institutional repositories and academic networks.

6. Ethical Rules and Publication Policy

Q16. What ethical principles does the journal follow?
Health Sciences Quarterly adheres to international standards of publication ethics and integrity, following the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Key principles include:

  • Transparency and accountability in research and publishing.
  • Disclosure of conflicts of interest.
  • Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data and analyses.
  • Avoidance of plagiarism, data fabrication, and duplicate publication.
  • Clear and fair authorship attribution.

Q17. What happens to rejected manuscripts?
Rejected submissions will not be reconsidered in their original form. However, substantially revised versions may be submitted as new manuscripts.

7. Technical Support and Contact

Q18. What should I do if I experience a technical problem with the submission system?
For technical support, please contact the editorial office via email at healthsciq@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +90 530 638 70 17. Please include details of the issue, your browser type, and a screenshot if possible.

Q19. Who can I contact for general inquiries or suggestions?
Editorial Office Contact Information:

  • Address: Namık Kemal Mah. Helvacıoğlu Sok. Han Evleri 19-21/A, D:1, 17000 Çanakkale / Turkey
  • Email: journals@holistence.com
  • WhatsApp: +90 530 638 70 17

Health Sciences Quarterly is published by Holistence Publications. The journal upholds editorial independence, ethical rigor, and scientific excellence as its core publishing principles.