Original Research Articles
Reports of original research in HIV clinical care, prevention, treatment, epidemiology, public health or related fields. There is no strict word limit; use a structured abstract and an IMRAD format.
JCRHAP author guidance
Instructions for Authors
Guidance for preparing clear, ethical and clinically relevant HIV/AIDS research for submission to JCRHAP.
Before you prepare the manuscript
Choose the article type that best fits the work, then use the applicable structure and reporting expectations below.
JCRHAP welcomes rigorous scholarship addressing HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, clinical care, epidemiology and public health. Authors should submit original work, report methods and findings transparently, and meet the ethical requirements relevant to their study.
Article types
Select the format that reflects the purpose and maturity of your HIV/AIDS research.
Review Articles
Critical, comprehensive reviews of the HIV/AIDS literature. Reviews should generally be 5,000–10,000 words, with an unstructured abstract, a clear search strategy and a balanced synthesis of the evidence.
Case Reports
Clinically significant cases relevant to HIV/AIDS care. Include an introduction, detailed case presentation, discussion, informed consent confirmation and relevant images or laboratory findings.
Short Communications
Brief reports of preliminary findings, novel methods or important observations. Limit the manuscript to 3,000 words and use a structured abstract of up to 200 words.
Manuscript structure
Provide the elements below so editors and reviewers can assess the submission efficiently and fairly.
Title page
A concise title of no more than 20 words; author names, affiliations and corresponding-author contact details.
Abstract
A structured abstract of up to 300 words for original research, case reports and short communications. Review-article abstracts may be unstructured.
Keywords
Provide 5–8 keywords or phrases to improve discoverability.
Main text
Use Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion sections for original research. Adapt the structure appropriately for reviews, case reports and short communications.
Acknowledgements
Recognise contributors who do not meet authorship criteria, with their permission.
References
Use Vancouver style and number references consecutively in the order cited. Include DOI links where available.
Formatting and files
Submit an editable manuscript file and figures that are ready for peer review and production.
Manuscript file
Submit Word documents in 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, double-spaced, with page numbers and one-inch margins.
Figures & images
Provide figures as separate TIFF, PNG or JPEG files at a minimum resolution of 300 DPI. Number figures consecutively and supply descriptive legends.
Tables
Create tables using the Word table function. Number tables consecutively and provide a concise title for each table.
Ethics, consent and data
HIV research often involves sensitive clinical and community information. Make the safeguards supporting the work visible in the manuscript.
Human research
State the ethics-committee approval, approval number and informed-consent process. Protect participant confidentiality; do not include identifying details without explicit written permission.
Animal research
State institutional animal-care approval and follow ARRIVE guidelines where applicable.
Data availability
Include a data-availability statement. Authors are encouraged to deposit relevant datasets in appropriate repositories, such as GenBank or SRA, and include accession numbers where applicable.
Submission and editorial review
Use the JCRHAP submission route to provide the manuscript and the supporting declarations editors need.
Submit your manuscript through ManuscriptZone, selecting JCRHAP and the appropriate article type.
Cover letter. Explain the significance and originality of the work, disclose competing interests, and suggest 3–5 potential reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflict of interest.
Peer review. All manuscripts undergo initial editorial assessment followed by Single-blind (double-blind on request) peer review by HIV experts. Reviewers are selected for relevant subject expertise, and the editorial team communicates any required revisions.
After acceptance. Authors receive page proofs for review. Return corrections promptly; after final approval, the article is prepared for online publication and authors receive links for sharing.
Related author information
The standard APC, when it is charged, waiver eligibility and payment options.
Peer review, ethics, authorship, competing interests and corrections.
The journal’s clinical HIV/AIDS research focus.
Current opportunities and journal announcements.
Ready to submit your HIV/AIDS research?
Check the relevant author requirements, assemble the required declarations and begin the submission process.