FAQ

Who do I contact if I have a question that is not covered here or in the Information for Authors?

Please email our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au.

Does this journal have an impact factor?

The current impact factor for Rural and Remote Health is 3.5 (Clarivate Journal Citation Reports, 2026).

I'm not sure what category of article my manuscript is

Check the article categories listed in the Information for authors. If you are still unclear, you can use search for examples of different article types among published articles or email our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au for advice.

Which is the correct region for my manuscript?

Rural and Remote Health has taken a geographic, continental approach to world regions, with Regional Editors and Editorial Panels representing Asia, Australasia, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America. The definitions of world regions are available in the Information for Authors.

What does the word count include?

The word count includes all words in the main body text. The abstract, tables and figures and their legends, acknowledgements, reference list and appendices are not included in word count.

Which referencing style should I use?

Please use the Vancouver numbered referencing style. See the detailed 'References' section in our Information for authors. The reference list at the end of the document should be in numerical (not alphabetical) order, and so full detail of the references is given in the order of their citation in the text. For example, the first reference to be cited in the text is labelled '1' in the reference list, the second reference to be cited in the text is labelled '2' in the reference list, etc.

How should I format the reference citations in the text?

Please enclose your reference numbers in the text in curly brackets, with no leading space and within punctuation. For example {1}.

Does Rural and Remote Health accept literature reviews?

Reviews of the literature are only considered if accompanied by analysis or synthesis of the data, with full methodological details and indication of the relevant guidelines (eg PRISMA, JBI) used. Descriptive lists of the literature without analysis are not published in this journal.

Do I have to spell out even commonly used abbreviations and local terms in the text?

Because Rural and Remote Health is an international journal, colloquial terminology and abbreviations commonly used and understood in one particular country may puzzle readers in another. For that reason, most local terms and abbreviations are defined or spelled out at first use (and in figure legends and table footnotes), after which the term or abbreviation can be used freely in the manuscript.

It is, however, journal style that manuscript headings do not contain abbreviations.

The journal does have a list of permitted abbreviations that do not need to be spelled out at all (see our Information for authors for further details).

Why can't I have footnoted material in the main text?

While using footnotes is an accepted way of providing readers with supplementary material on a printed page, footnotes are not as useful in web publication because excessive scrolling is usually required to reach the end of the page. And when publishing in the Vancouver system with superscript numeric reference indicators, including linked superscript footnote indicators can be confusing for readers. For these reasons it is Journal style to include essential footnoted information in brackets in the main text.

Why can't I use endnote references?

You are welcome to use Endnote references as long as you convert the reference list and text citations to plain text at the end of your revision. The web process used for publication does not support linked footnotes or endnotes, so these must be converted to plain text prior to loading the copyedited text for publication. As there is a greater chance of introduced error if this is done by someone other than the author, and because it is very time-consuming for journal staff and prone to error, authors are asked to do this themselves prior to submission.

How should I format tables in my manuscript?

Tables should be formatted in cells using the 'Table' functions in Microsoft Word (or equivalent). Please do not use colour, shading or fancy formatting. Our Information for authors provides further details.

How do I upload my figures and tables?

Figures and tables can be embedded in your manuscript, placed (with their title and any footnotes), where they are cited. If your article is accepted for publication, you may be asked to supply editable or high-resolution figures as separate file to optimise publication quality.

Is ethics approval mandatory for research manuscripts?

Ethics approval from an Institutional Review Board local to the region where your study took place is required for all research manuscripts that describe collection of human data in Rural and Remote Health. Please include the name of the ethics approval board/institutional review board/human research ethics committee and the approval number.

Isn't acknowledging the source of previously published material enough?

The rules of copyright protect individuals' intellectual property. They require that for ANY previously published material used in your manuscript, you must have written permission from the copyright holder (who may or may not be the author/creator of the material). This includes but is not limited to images, diagrams, models, figures, tables and maps. There may be a charge for this, for which the authors are liable.

You may also have to obtain permission to use your own previously published work, depending on who owns the copyright.

If you have a question about copyright, or are having difficulty locating the holder of copyrighted material that you would like to reproduce, please contact our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au.

Do I need to provide an AI disclosure statement?

Yes, it is mandatory to disclose if you used generative AI or AI-assisted technologies for any of the following purposes:

• To formulate questions or hypotheses or to design and conduct experiments;
• To draft parts of the paper, or to summarise, paraphrase and/or significantly revise or synthesise textual content;
• To translate parts or the entirety of your paper;
• To collect, analyse, interpret or visualise data;
• To extract data for review of the literature (in a systematic or any other kind of review) and/or identify knowledge gaps; or
• To generate synthetic data and images reported in the paper or used in research.

When disclosing AI or AI-assisted technology, please include the tool name and version, the specific use of the AI or AI tool and whether the authors have verified accuracy of, and take responsibility for, the content.

If no AI or AI tool has been used during your research or writing of your article, please say this in your statement.

Can I submit a manuscript that has been published: somewhere else/in a different language/in another world region/with a different title/with a different author group?

In order to avoid the academic misconduct of 'duplicate publication', please ensure that the content of any manuscript submitted to Rural and Remote Health is not under consideration by another journal, and has not been previously published in any print or electronic form, in a domestic or international journal or text book or any other print format, in any other language or world region, under any other title or with a slightly or largely different author group. In other words, any submission to Rural and Remote Health must be the first time the content has been used for publication anywhere. Rural and Remote Health vigorously investigates suspected duplicate publication.

What information will I have to provide during the submission of my manuscript?

Your manuscript must be saved as a MS Word document. Non-embedded figures should be ready and prepared as described in the question 'How do I provide my figures and tables?' Be prepared to submit for each author:

• Full name and initials, as used for publication;
• Highest academic qualification (eg MBBS, PhD, BAppSci(Nsg));
• The name (title) of their institution at the time of the research (including department, if any);
• The institutional address (city, state and country) at the time of the research;
• Their position title at the time of the research (eg director, registered nurse, research fellow);
• Their current email address;
• Their current institutional name and address (listed as Present address) if they have moved since completing the study; and
• For first or corresponding authors that are students, proof of current student enrolment (eg photo of student card; for APC waiver – see below).

You will also have to list the contribution of each author to the manuscript and select key words from a list to describe the manuscript. And finally, you also have the option of suggesting three potential reviewers (their title, name, institution and email address) for your manuscript. This is especially worth considering if your research is in a specialist rural health area because it may expedite the review process.

Why is key word (‘alert word’) selection at submission important for my article?

The key words you select for your manuscript at submission will be used to match it with appropriate reviewers, and later to select readers to receive the email alert when your article is published. For readers who browse the abstract first, the key words provide a quick indication of the content of the published article.

What happens after manuscript submission?

• Each new manuscript is assessed by the appropriate regional editorial team for its match with the journal’s aims and scope, and to ensure it is sufficiently developed to consider for review. Due to a limit to the number of annual publications, not all submitted manuscripts that meet the journal’s aims and scope will make it to review. Some manuscripts selected for review may need minor revision first.
• A de-identified review copy (prepared by editorial office staff) is usually sent to two or three anonymous peer reviewers (one international and two local). The process is 'double blinded' so that the identities of the author group and reviewers are concealed from each other (although if reviewers request it, their identity is made known to the authors when their comments are available).
• On the basis of review, a decision is made by the relevant regional editorial team member (accept, accept after revision, consider after revision or reject) and the decision, with reviewers' comments, is provided to the corresponding author.

How long will review take?

The review by peers is a crucial stage and should not be rushed. While every effort is made to keep the manuscript moving, at this stage we depend on our reviewers responding to the request to review in a timely fashion and submitting their review promptly. Obviously, there are many factors that can affect an individual reviewer's responsiveness, and the majority of reviewers will be inactive during December and January.

Occasionally the manuscript will be delayed while we wait for a specific reviewer to be available (they may be on leave or otherwise temporarily unavailable). Sometimes it is difficult to find two or three appropriate reviewers for a specialist topic. And, as the Regional Editors are also busy people, there may be a delay before they are able to assess the reviewer comments and make a decision.

That's the long answer. The short one is, between 3 and 6 months generally. Occasionally a review is completed more quickly - and sometimes it takes a lot longer.

So be patient, we are doing our best. Staff at our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au are always happy to give an update on how review is progressing.

How much time do I have to revise my manuscript?

Six weeks from the date of approval is the expected time for revision and resubmission. If this is not sufficient time, please advise our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au.

What happens if the membership of the author group needs to be changed during the revision?

Once a manuscript has been submitted to the journal, requests to add or remove an author should be made in writing. This is done (by email) to the Senior Editor, outlining the reason for the change. If an author is to be added, the new author's contribution to the manuscript must be stated. Such changes will not be made without the agreement of the entire existing author group, and evidence of each author's approval is required.

If a new author is to be added, complete author information should also be provided, as at manuscript submission for the original authors (ie full name, highest qualification title, institutional address and position, valid email address).

What happens if my contact details change before the article is published?

Please log in to the journal site and change your details. This is especially important for changes to the corresponding author's current email address.

Why must there be a local author my author list?

No matter how enculturated an external researcher might be, subtle cultural barriers can impede the interpretation of data. The voice of the local community is clearest to those within that community, and an outsider's view is always that. For studies in any country, there must be at least one local author.

Why must my article include an Indigenous/First Nations author?

In an era when Indigenous communities in many countries are using the phrase 'research fatigue', studies about any Indigenous population must include appropriate consultation so that research is culturally sensitive and guided by the priorities of the community studied. In addition, at least one of the authors must also be from the Indigenous community of study.

Why was my manuscript rejected?

Rural and Remote Health regional editors currently reject approximately 90% of submissions. There are many reasons why manuscripts are rejected, both before and after review and revision. A rejection does not mean your manuscript is without value. It is often because the submitted manuscript does not fit within the scope of the journal (available from our Information for authors), or due to a high volume of submissions, or that it is too locally focused for an international journal. The manuscript may not be at publication standard (either before or after revision) and requires further development. Or a reviewer may have identified a significant flaw in the research. Whatever the reason, feedback about the reason/s for rejection is generally provided by the regional editorial team.

What if I want to make a complaint?

We take comments seriously and are keen to improve the process where possible, based on user feedback. We also realise that it is not possible to please 100% of people 100% of the time. Please contact our editorial office ejrh@rrh.org.au. We are always interested in your experience as authors and any suggestions you have for improvement. You may also email the relevant Regional Editor. For serious issues or those that have not been resolved at other levels, contact the Editor in Chief.

Do I need to pay an article processing charge (APC)?

Article processing charges apply to some articles for which the first or corresponding author is from a high-income or middle-income country (based on current World Bank classification). Some articles are eligible for an APC waiver.

Full APC waivers are available for:

• Articles in which the first or corresponding author is from a low-income country (based on World Bank classification);
• Articles in which the first or corresponding author is a student (with proof of enrolment at time of article submission);
• Articles in which the first or corresponding author is from a contributing institution; and
• Editorials and Letters to the Editor.

All waiver processes are:

• Simple and confidential;
• Assessed independently of editorial decisions; and
• Designed to ensure no disadvantage or delay.

Why does RRH now require payment of APCs?

RRH remains committed to providing free, immediate and permanent access to all published articles for readers worldwide. To support this, an APC now applies to some submissions. More information here.

RRH’s APCs are not profit-driven. They are used solely to cover the essential costs of publishing, including:

• Peer review management;
• Editorial and production services;
• Online hosting and global accessibility; and
• Long-term archiving and preservation.

This new model allows RRH to:

• Continue as a non-profit, open-access journal;
• Maintain high publishing standards;
• Support a global community of rural and remote health researchers; and
• Ensure long-term financial sustainability without restricting access.

Any revenue raised beyond publishing costs is reinvested directly into the journal.

How much are APCs?

The specific APC due is based on current World Bank classification of the countr(ies) in the first and/or corresponding authors’ affiliation(s).

• First or corresponding author from a high-income country: AUD $4000
• First or corresponding author from an upper- or lower-middle-income country: AUD $2000
• First or corresponding author from a low-income country: no APC.
• If the first and corresponding authors are in different World Bank classification bands, the lower band applies.

How do I apply for an APC waiver?

Based on the information you provide when submitting your manuscript, your APC should automatically be waived if your article meets the waiver requirements as listed above.

If your article is accepted for publication and you have been asked to pay an APC but believe your fee should be waived, please contact the editorial office at ejrh@rrh.org.au

When do I pay the APC?

If your manuscript is accepted for publication, your acceptance letter will include a payment link and instructions. Payment will be required before production commences.

Will APC eligibility influence reviewer comments or editorial decisions?

No. RRH maintains strict editorial integrity and requirement to pay the APC has no influence on editorial or peer-review outcomes. Editorial board members will not include APC eligibility in their consideration of articles and authors and affiliations are blinded during peer review.

If my manuscript was submitted before 1 July 2026, do I still have to pay an APC?

APCs apply to articles that were sent for review after 1 July 2026 and accepted for publication by an editorial board member.

How do I show that I’m a student?

First or corresponding authors that are enrolled as students at the time of article submission should provide a photo/copy of their current enrolment card or record along with submission documents.

How do I show that I am affiliated with an RRH institutional partner?

Please use your official institutional email address (wherever possible) and list your institutional affiliation in your author credentials.

How do I know if I’m affiliated with an RRH institutional partner?

An RRH institutional partner is a current financial contributor to the journal. Current institutional partners include:

• James Cook University
• University of Wollongong
• The University of Adelaide
• Deakin University
• The University of Sydney
• University of Tasmania
• The University of Western Australia
• The University of Newcastle
• University of Queensland
• University of Melbourne
• Monash University
• University of Notre Dame
• University of New South Wales Rural Clinical School