Get your Health Research Policy and Systems 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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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 13 August, 2026
Submitting to Health Research Policy and Systems goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Health Research Policy and Systems 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.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Health Research Policy and Systems. 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 Research Policy and Systems journal page before you draft.
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 Research Policy and Systems guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
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 Research Policy and Systems guide for authors before you submit.
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 the journal's submission system.
| Element | Health Res Policy Syst requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract for Research articles: maximum 350 words with mandatory sections: Background (context and purpose), Methods (study performance and statistical tests), Results (main findings), Conclusions (brief summary and potential implications), and Trial registration (if applicable for health care interventions). For RCTs, must follow CONSORT extension. Reviews and Opinions: structured (background, main body, conclusion), 350 words max. Commentary: unstructured, 350 words max. All abstracts: minimize abbreviations, no reference citations |
| Main text | No word or page limits specified for main text. The guidelines explicitly state: 'As the length and quantity of data is not restricted for many article types, authors can provide datasets, tables, movies, or other information as additional files.' |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Three to ten keywords representing the main content of the article. No specific requirement for MeSH terms mentioned |
| References | Numbered citation system following Index Medicus/MEDLINE journal abbreviations (Vancouver-style). References formatted as: Author. Title. Journal abbreviation. Year;Volume:Pages. Web links and URLs must be numbered in the reference list with full URL and access date provided |
| Peer review | Transparent peer review (also called open peer review). The journal operates a single-blind review process during peer review (reviewers know author identities, but authors do not know reviewer identities). If the article is published, the reviewer reports are published online alongside the article under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, but the reviewer is not named |
| Submission | submission.springernature.com/new-submission/12961/3 |
Read the Health Research Policy and Systems 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 Research Policy and Systems in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Health Res Policy Syst 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 Research Policy and Systems journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Health Research Policy and Systems guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.