ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ) is a peer-reviewed, quarterly scholarly publication dedicated to advancing research and knowledge in health sciences, medicine, and public health. The journal serves as a platform for researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to share innovative findings, evidence-based practices, and critical insights into global health challenges.
With a rigorous blind peer-review process, AHSJ ensures the publication of high-quality original research articles, systematic reviews, clinical studies, and policy analyses. The journal covers a broad spectrum of health-related disciplines, including but not limited to:
ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal is committed to fostering an evidence-based approach to healthcare, supporting innovation, and contributing to the improvement of global health outcomes.
ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ) aims to advance knowledge, research, and evidence-based practice across the health sciences by providing a rigorous and inclusive scholarly platform for researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. The journal seeks to promote high-quality research that addresses contemporary health challenges, improves healthcare systems, and supports the development of effective public health strategies at local, national, and global levels.
AHSJ is committed to:
Supporting evidence-based clinical practice and health policy formulation
Facilitating global dialogue on emerging health issues and innovations
Through a transparent blind peer-review process, AHSJ ensures the publication of credible, impactful, and ethically sound research.
AHSJ publishes original research articles, systematic reviews, clinical studies, case reports, short communications, and policy analyses across a broad range of health-related disciplines, including but not limited to:
Public Health and Epidemiology
Community Health and Global Health
Medical and Clinical Research
Healthcare Management, Administration, and Policy
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Lifestyle Medicine
Mental Health, Psychology, and Well-being
Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion
Health Systems Research and Health Economics
Emerging Health Technologies and Digital Health Innovations
Environmental and Occupational Health
Interdisciplinary and Translational Health Research
The journal particularly welcomes studies that integrate clinical practice, public health, policy, technology, and social determinants of health to address complex healthcare challenges.
By fostering innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based scholarship, ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ) seeks to contribute meaningfully to the improvement of healthcare quality, accessibility, and global health outcomes.
The ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal is a fully open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to users and their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. All published articles are immediately and permanently available online without subscription or access barriers.
All content is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.
AHSJ does not impose any embargo period on published content.
Upholding Academic Integrity
ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical research practices. Plagiarism, whether deliberate or inadvertent, undermines scholarly credibility and the reliability of the scientific record. AHSJ enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy against all forms of plagiarism to ensure the originality, authenticity, and credibility of every published article.
What Constitutes Plagiarism
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, direct copying of text from another source without proper citation; paraphrasing another author’s ideas, arguments, or findings without appropriate attribution; improper use of visuals or data, including charts, tables, graphs, images, or datasets without acknowledgment or permission; and self-plagiarism, which involves reusing one’s own previously published or submitted work without disclosure or citation.
Similarity Thresholds
AHSJ applies a maximum similarity limit of 19% for all submitted manuscripts. Although the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan permits similarity levels of up to 19%, AHSJ adopts a stricter threshold to promote originality, research quality, and ethical scholarship.
Plagiarism Detection Process
All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin or equivalent tools. Manuscripts exceeding the allowed similarity threshold are reviewed by the editorial team to assess context and severity. Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring that their submissions are free from plagiarism prior to submission.
Editorial Action on Plagiarism
Minor overlap, such as missing or improper citations, may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for correction and proper attribution. Major plagiarism, including extensive copying, false authorship, or misappropriation of content, will result in immediate rejection or retraction if the article has already been published. Repeated offenses may lead to blacklisting of the author or authors and formal notification of their affiliated institutions.
Author Declaration
All authors are required to submit a Statement of Originality certifying that the manuscript is original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere; that all external sources are properly cited; and that the manuscript complies with ethical, authorship, and publication guidelines.
Appeals Process
Authors who believe that a plagiarism determination was made in error may submit a formal written appeal with a detailed explanation. The Editorial Board of AHSJ will re-evaluate the case and communicate the final decision to the author or authors. Decisions following appeal are final.
AI-Generated Content Policy
AHSJ does not permit the use of generative artificial intelligence tools for writing, analyzing, interpreting, or drafting any part of a manuscript. Submissions containing AI-generated text, analysis, or content produced by tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, or Gemini will be rejected or retracted. All submitted work must reflect original human scholarship and scientific expertise.
Transparency and Retractions
When plagiarism results in retraction, AHSJ will publish a formal retraction notice, notify relevant indexing and abstracting services, and maintain transparency to preserve academic accountability and trust in the scholarly record.
This policy is aligned with the ethical standards and guidelines of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), ensuring responsible and ethical research publication.
AHSJ is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published scholarly content.
The journal utilizes the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and other preservation mechanisms available through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to ensure permanent accessibility of published articles.
Regular backups of journal data, articles, metadata, and system files are maintained to safeguard against accidental loss.
Published content remains freely available and permanently accessible through the journal website.
If the journal ceases publication, all published content will remain accessible through preservation services and institutional archives whenever possible.
AHSJ is dedicated to publishing original, high-quality, and socially impactful research. Peer review is the cornerstone of our scholarly integrity, ensuring that every manuscript is evaluated rigorously, fairly, and ethically. We employ a double-blind peer review model to eliminate bias and promote objective evaluation.
Author Anonymity: Reviewers do not know the identity of the authors.
Reviewer Anonymity: Authors do not know who reviewed their work.
✅ This model guarantees impartiality by assessing submissions solely on academic merit, free from institutional, geographic, or personal biases.
Upon submission through our online portal, all manuscripts undergo a preliminary editorial check for:
Alignment with the journal’s social sciences scope
Adherence to formatting and submission guidelines
Ethical approvals for human/animal studies (if applicable)
Plagiarism screening via Turnitin or equivalent tools
Desk Rejection occurs if the manuscript fails to meet these basic criteria.
Manuscripts passing initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers selected based on:
Subject-area expertise
Peer-reviewed publication record
No conflicts of interest
Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript for:
Originality and research contribution
Theoretical grounding and methodological rigor
Data validity and result interpretation
Relevance to policy, society, or academia
Organization, writing quality, and citation ethics
Ethical standards and compliance
Reviewer recommendations:
✅ Accept
✏️ Minor Revisions
Major Revisions
❌ Reject
The editorial team synthesizes reviewer comments and issues a decision. Authors receive:
A decision letter (with clear status: Accept, Revise, Reject)
Consolidated reviewer comments
Revision guidelines (if applicable)
A specific revision deadline (typically 2–4 weeks)
The average review process spans 4 to 6 weeks, depending on:
Reviewer availability
Manuscript complexity
Number of revision cycles
⏳ Timely revisions by authors are encouraged to expedite publication.
Reviewers must:
Maintain strict confidentiality
Provide objective, professional, and evidence-based feedback
Declare any potential conflicts of interest
Refrain from discriminatory, biased, or disrespectful comments
Reviewers must not:
Use manuscript content for personal gain
Share or discuss content externally
Contact authors directly
If authors dispute a decision:
Submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief
Provide evidence-based justification
The editorial board may consult an independent reviewer
The final decision lies with the Editor-in-Chief
AHSJ adheres strictly to:
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines
HEC Pakistan journal quality criteria
International publishing standards for double-blind peer review
We value our reviewers and recognize their contributions by:
Publishing an annual reviewer acknowledgment list (with consent)
Issuing certificates of appreciation upon request
Offering editorial board invitations to exceptional reviewers
The peer review process at AHSJ is designed to uphold our core values: academic excellence, ethical publishing, and global relevance. Through double-blind evaluation, ethical governance, and scholarly collaboration, we ensure that each publication contributes meaningfully to the advancement of social sciences.
The copyright policy of AHSJ is based on a non-exclusive publishing agreement, according to which the journal retains the right of first publication, but the author(s) are free to publish their work subsequently. The copyright of all work rests with the author(s).
All articles published by AHSJ are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.
Repository & Self-Archiving Policy
AHSJ permits authors to deposit all versions of their work in institutional or other repositories like Research Gate, ORCID, Academia, ArXiv, etc. without embargo, including:
Preprint (submitted version)
Author’s Accepted Manuscript (AAM)
Published Version (Version of Record)
Proper citation to the original published article is required.
Publisher: ACADEMIA (PRIVATE) LIMITED | Address: H. No. N.E 2210, Zafar-ul-Haq Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan | Email: jawad@academia.edu.pk
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s) distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License - CC BY- 4.0 
Note: All our journals are using Open Journal Systems (OJS) originally developed and released by PKP.
