About the Journal
Publisher
Publisher contact person: Dr Novat Twangubumwe
Email: ntwangubumwe@eahealth.org
Phone: +257-22279980
Mailing address: Quartier Kigobe, Avenue des Etats Unis No 71, P.O Box Bujumbura, Burundi
Sources of Support
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and East African Community Partner States.
Peer Review
East African Health Research Journal (EAHRJ) operates a double-blind peer review system, in which the identities of both reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other.
EAHRJ contains peer-reviewed articles, original articles, reviews, book reviews, short communications, surveys, commentaries, opinions on policy or practice, essays, reports, etc., from East Africa. It covers the wide range of subjects and issues in the health sector ranging from medicine, geo-medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmaceutical science, veterinary science, food science, health-related agriculture science, health professionals, etc., that provide evidence for improving health policy and practice.
When manuscripts are submitted for publication consideration to the EAHRJ, manuscripts are first screened by members of the scientific editorial team. If manuscripts meet the minimum standard of the EAHRJ are assigned four peer-reviewers. Submitted manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review. The EAHRJ editorial board has created a pool of twenty-five (25) permanent peer-reviewers from all the five East African Partner States. These permanent pools of reviewers, they meet once a year to discuss challenges and suggest recommendations to improve the review process. Apart from the pool of permanent peer-reviewers, The EAHRJ also use scholars from National Health Research Institutions and teaching hospitals from EAC Partner States who both stakeholders of the EAHRC.
Original Articles, Reviews/Meta-Analyses, Field Action Reports, Technical Notes, and Methodological papers are considered appropriate for publication when are reviewed with at least 2 peer-reviewers. Short communications, commentaries, opinions on policy or practice, essays, reports are considered appropriate for publication when are reviewed with at least one peer-reviewer.
We usually give reviewers fourteen (14) working days to review the manuscripts and submit their comments. The authors also are given fourteen (14) working days to respond to reviewers' comments. This turnaround time can be extended upon request from reviewers/authors. After authors have submitted their responses, Chief-In-Editor go through the authors' responses to make sure that the authors have adequately responded to all comments raised by peer -reviewers. If authors didn’t respond well to comments raised by reviewers, manuscripts are sent back to authors highlighting the discrepancies.
The role of peer reviewers is to recommend acceptance–either with or without revision or resubmission–or rejection of papers. In the case of discordant reviews, the Chief-In-Editor may seek review by an additional experts/reviewer. The Chief-In-Editors make the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection taking into account reviewers’ recommendations.
Publication of articles by East African Health Research Journal is dependent primarily on their rigour, clarity, and potential impact, as judged by peer-reviewers and the editorial team. The main criteria on which peer reviewers assess the manuscripts include:
• Importance and relevance of the topic
• Originality of the work that adds value to the existing body of knowledge
• Substance
• Sound study (or program) design and methodology (or implementation)
• Sound use of evidence
• Compelling conclusions that are actionable and based on the evidence presented
• Presentation and clarity of writing
Manuscripts will be sent to a statistician for additional review if necessary based on recommendations from the reviewers and the Chief-In-Editor.
Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Publication Scheduling
This journal publishes biannually.
