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Health Education Journal

Health Education Journal


eISSN: 17488176 | ISSN: 00178969 | Current volume: 83 | Current issue: 2 Frequency: 8 Times/Year
Health Education Journal is a world leading international journal in the fields of health education and health promotion.

First published in 1943, the journal is one of the oldest and most respected in the field. Its focus is on health education as it relates to individuals, populations, groups and communities who are vulnerable to, and/or at risk of, health issues and problems. It does not publish on the education and training of health professionals or on public health issues more generally.

Of special concern is the contribution that health education can make to personal and social well-being, to health promotion, and to individual and community health. Also of interest is health education's potential to promote adaptation, development and growth - among children and young people and in adult populations.

All papers are subjected to scientific peer review and authors can expect to receive at least two sets of comments on their work prior to a decision being made concerning publication.

Recently published papers have focused on topics such as life skills education; physical activity; healthy eating and nutrition; mental health; stress management and prevention; suicide prevention; drug and alcohol use; health literacy; health mentoring and coaching; healthy schools; workplace health promotion; smoking and tobacco use; health education for gender and sexual equality; safe schools and colleges; sexual and reproductive health education (including HIV); education to prevent infectious diseases; and education for oral health.

Special issues of the journal allow a focus on particular health education issue or concern. Recent special issues have focused on youth, health and justice; health, education and migration; and critical perspectives in health education.

The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Health Education Journal is a peer reviewed journal publishing high quality papers on health education as it relates to individuals, populations, groups and communities who are vulnerable to, and/or at risk of, health issues and problems.

A strongly educational perspective is adopted with a focus on activities, interventions and programmes that work well in the contexts in which they are applied.

Health Education Journal does not review papers on the education and training of health professionals or on public health issues lacking a clear focus on health education as occurs through programmes, practices and interventions.

The journal is currently published eight times a year.

We accept original papers on health education research, methodology, policy development, and practice - particularly from an international perspective.

Editor in Chief
Peter J Aggleton Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Associate Editors
Deevia Bhana University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Cristina M. Caperchione University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Louise Warwick-Booth Leeds Beckett University, UK
Administrator
Fiona Thirlwell Administrator, UK
Editorial Board
Robert Block The University of Rochester, USA
Paul Branscum Miami University, USA
Eric Walsh-Buhi Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
Lisette Burrows University of Waikato, New Zealand
Chris Colvin Northern Illinois University, USA
Solveig Cunningham Emory University, USA
Angela Dawson University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
Katie Fitzpatrick University of Auckland, New Zealand
Becky Freeman The University of Sydney, Australia
Caroline Fusco University of Toronto, Canada
Justin Guagliano Western Sydney University, Australia
Gurpinder Lalli University of Wolverhampton, UK
Deana Leahy Monash University, Australia
Carolyn Pluim Northern Illinois University, USA
Emma Rich University of Bath, UK
Paul Sharp University of British Columbia, Canada
Jonathan Shepherd University of Southampton, UK
Mamdouh Shubair University of Northern British Columbia, Canada
Morten Skovdal University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Will Small Simon Fraser University, Canada
Kris Southby Leeds Beckett University, UK
Wayne Tony Usher Griffith University, Australia
Patricia Vertinsky University of British Columbia, Canada
Maria Waling Umeå University, Sweden
Ian Warwick UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK
Wendy Wills University of Hertfordshire, UK
  • Australian Education Index
  • British Nursing Index
  • Contents Pages in Education
  • Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature CINAHL
  • Current Contents / Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • EMBASE/Excerpta Medica
  • EMCare
  • Educational Research Abstracts Online - e-Psyche
  • International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
  • Journal Citation Reports Social Sciences
  • Journal Citation Reports/Social Sciences Edition
  • ProQuest Information & Learning
  • SciVal
  • Scopus
  • Social SciSearch
  • Social Sciences Citation Index
  • Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Health Education Journal

    This Journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics

    Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hej to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.

    Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of Health Education Journal will be reviewed.

    There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.

    As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.

    If you have any questions about publishing with Sage, please visit the Sage Journal Solutions Portal

    1. What do we publish?
      1.1 Aims & Scope
      1.2 Article types
      1.3 Writing your paper
    2. Editorial policies
      2.1 Peer review policy
      2.2 Authorship
      2.3 Acknowledgements
      2.4 Funding
      2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests
      2.6 Data
    3. Publishing policies
      3.1 Publication ethics
      3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
      3.3 Open access and author archiving
    4. Preparing your manuscript
      4.1 Formatting
      4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
      4.3 Supplementary material
      4.4 Reference style
      4.5 English language editing services
    5. Submitting your manuscript
      5.1 ORCID
      5.2 Information required for completing your submission
      5.3 Permissions
    6. On acceptance and publication
      6.1 Sage Production
      6.2 Online First publication
      6.3 Access to your published article
      6.4 Promoting your article
    7. Further information

     

    1. What do we publish?

    1.1 Aims & Scope

    Before submitting your manuscript to Health Education Journal, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.

    1.2 Article Types

    Health Education Journal publishes research papers and discussion papers on high quality health education and health promotion research, policy development and practice.

    Please note: Health Education Journal does not review papers on aspects of medical, nurse or paramedical education, nor do we accept papers which focus on knowledge, perceptions, opinions or behaviours (without a health education focus) in relation to specific public health issues.

    1.3 Writing your paper

    The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources. Sage Author Services also offers authors a variety of ways to improve and enhance their article including English language editing, plagiarism detection, and video abstract and infographic preparation.

    1.3.1 Make your article discoverable

    When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online

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    2. Editorial policies

    2.1 Peer review policy

    Health Education Journal operates a strictly anonymized peer review process in which the reviewer’s name is withheld from the author and, the author’s name from the reviewer. The reviewer may at their own discretion opt to reveal their name to the author in their review but our standard policy practice is for both identities to remain concealed.

    As part of the submission process you will be asked to provide the names of peers who could be called upon to review your manuscript. Recommended reviewers should be experts in their fields and should be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript. Please be aware of any conflicts of interest when recommending reviewers. Examples of conflicts of interest include (but are not limited to) the below: 

    •  The reviewer should have no prior knowledge of your submission
    • The reviewer should not have recently collaborated with any of the authors
    • Reviewer nominees from the same institution as any of the authors are not permitted

    Please note that the Editors are not obliged to invite/reject any recommended/opposed reviewers to assess your manuscript.

    2.2 Authorship

    All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.

    Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools.

    2.3 Acknowledgements

    All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.

    2.3.1 Third party submissions
    Where an individual who is not listed as an author submits a manuscript on behalf of the author(s), a statement must be included in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and in the accompanying cover letter. The statements must:

    • Disclose this type of editorial assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input
    • Identify any entities that paid for this assistance
    • Confirm that the listed authors have authorized the submission of their manuscript via third party and approved any statements or declarations, e.g. conflicting interests, funding, etc.

    Where appropriate, Sage reserves the right to deny consideration to manuscripts submitted by a third party rather than by the authors themselves.

    2.4 Funding

    Health Education Journal requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading.  Please visit the Funding Acknowledgements page on the Sage Journal Author Gateway to confirm the format of the acknowledgment text in the event of funding, or state that: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

    2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests

    Health Education Journal encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the Sage Journal Author Gateway.2.6 Research ethics and patient consent

    Medical research involving human subjects must be conducted according to the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki

    Submitted manuscripts should conform to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, and all papers reporting animal and/or human studies must state in the methods section that the relevant Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board provided (or waived) approval. Please ensure that you have provided the full name and institution of the review committee, in addition to the approval number.

    For research articles, authors are also required to state in the methods section whether participants provided informed consent and whether the consent was written or verbal.

    Information on informed consent to report individual cases or case series should be included in the manuscript text. A statement is required regarding whether written informed consent for patient information and images to be published was provided by the patient(s) or a legally authorized representative.

    Please also refer to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Protection of Research Participants

    2.6 Data

    Sage acknowledges the importance of research data availability as an integral part of the research and verification process for academic journal articles.

    Health Eduation Journal requests all authors submitting any primary data used in their research articles alongside their article submissions to be published in the online version of the journal, or provide detailed information in their articles on how the data can be obtained. This information should include links to third-party data repositories or detailed contact information for third-party data sources. Data available only on an author-maintained website will need to be loaded onto either the journal’s platform or a third-party platform to ensure continuing accessibility. Examples of data types include but are not limited to statistical data files, replication code, text files, audio files, images, videos, appendices, and additional charts and graphs necessary to understand the original research. The editor(s) can also grant exceptions for data that cannot legally or ethically be released. All data submitted should comply with Institutional or Ethical Review Board requirements and applicable government regulations. For further information, please contact the editorial office.

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    3. Publishing Policies

    3.1 Publication ethics

    Sage is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the Sage Author Gateway

    3.1.1 Plagiarism

    Health Education Journal and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.

    3.1.2 Prior publication

    If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below.

    3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement

    Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway

    3.3 Open access and author archiving

    Health Education Journal offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.

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    4. Preparing your manuscript for submission

    4.1 Formatting

    Papers should be no longer than 6,000 words, including all references and footnotes. Authors should keep tables and illustrations to an absolute minimum, and may be asked to remove those which the Editor-in-Chief finds excessive.

    Research papers should have an abstract which makes clear the study’s objectives, design, setting, method, results, conclusion. For discussion papers; the author/s should give an summary of what the paper attempts to do, together with its overall findings.  Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Up to 5 keywords should be included.

    Please note the following points:

    • Health Education Journal publishes in UK English,  check spellings carefully, for example:  behaviour, programme, colour, honour,  to practise (the verb), practices (the noun), generalise, utilise, analyse, etc.
    • Ensure the correct tense is used. The most common error is slippage between past and present tenses (papers should adopt the past tense), and there is often a misuse of the simple past tense when the in fact the past perfect is needed.
    • Do not use contractions (e.g. didn’t, don’t) use did not, do not, instead.
    • Do not use the word ‘male’ as a noun (e.g. as in 100 males participated in the study). Male is an adjective (à 100 men instead).
    • Remember, USA is the noun and US is the adjective.  Do not use United States if you mean the USA (there is the United States of Mexico, as well as the USA).
    • Avoid the use of acronyms and contractions (e.g. MSM, SWs) à men who have sex with men, sex workers, instead.
    • Ensure the authors’ first and second names are in the correct order.
    • Do not use pronominal terms such as Professor, Dr, Mr, Ms, etc with authors’ names, corresponding authors’ details, and acknowledgements.
    • There should be no mention of degrees (e.g. BA, MSC, PhD) alongside authors’ details or in acknowledgements.
    • All journal titles should be quoted in full.

    The preferred format for your manuscript is Word. LaTeX files are also accepted. Word and (La)Tex templates are available on the Manuscript Submission Guidelines page of our Author Gateway.

    4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics

    For guidance on the preparation of illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please visit Sage’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines  

    Figures supplied in colour will appear in colour online regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For specifically requested colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Sage after receipt of your accepted article.

    4.3 Supplementary material

    This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, podcasts, videos, images etc) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files

    4.4 Reference style

    Health Education Journal adheres to the Sage Harvard reference style. View the Sage Harvard guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.

    If you use EndNote to manage references, you can download the Sage Harvard EndNote output file.

    4.5 English language editing services

    Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.

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    5. Submitting your manuscript

    Health Education Journal l is hosted on Sage Track, a web based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hej to login and submit your article online.

    IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created.  For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.

    5.1 ORCID

    As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.

    The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.

    If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.

    5.2 Information required for completing your submission

    You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).

    5.3 Permissions

    Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway

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    6. On acceptance and publication

    6.1 Sage Production

    Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly.  Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate.

    6.2 Online First publication

    Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.

    6.3 Access to your published article

    Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.

    6.4 Promoting your article

    Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice.

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    7. Further information

    Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the Health Educational Journal editorial office at healtheducationjournal@gmail.com

     

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