Health Policy Template
Get your Health Policy paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Health Policy Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 13 August, 2026
Submitting to Health Policy goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Health Policy guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Health Policy Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Health Policy. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Health Policy journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Health Policy submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Health Policy guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Health Policy guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Health Policy Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through Editorial Manager.
Steps to Use This Template with SciSpace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The SciSpace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Health Policy.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Health Policy guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through Editorial Manager.
Health Policy Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Health Policy requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract (max 250 words). For Full-length articles, Review articles, and Cross-country comparison articles: use headings Background; Objective; Methods; Results; Conclusions. For Health Reform Monitor papers: include background, reform content, expected results, and conclusions (including policy implications). For Policy comments: provide brief summary of main argument. Abstracts must be able to stand alone; avoid references and non-standard abbreviations |
| Main text | Full-length articles: max 4,000 words; Review articles: max 6,000 words; Cross-country comparative analyses: max 6,000 words; Health Reform Monitor papers: max 3,000 words; Policy comments: max 1,500 words; Letters to the Editor: max 300 words. Word count includes manuscript text and boxes but excludes references, figures, tables, and abstract |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 1 to 7 keywords required for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Use abbreviations only if firmly established in the field |
| References | Numbered/Vancouver-style applied at proof stage. At submission, references can be in any style or format as long as consistent. Number references in the order they appear in the text using square brackets |
| Peer review | Double-blind / double-anonymized peer review. Author identities are concealed from reviewers and vice versa |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/HEAP/default.aspx |
Quick Tips for Using the Health Policy Template
Read the Health Policy guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Health Policy in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Health Policy papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Health Policy journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Health Policy guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.
