Aims & Scope
The International Journal of Infection Prevention (IJIP) publishes population-level research on infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance systems, antimicrobial resistance patterns, outbreak investigations, and evidence-based prevention strategies that inform public health policy and healthcare system interventions.
Research Scope: Tiered Structure
Primary Research Domains
High-priority areas representing the journal's central mission. Manuscripts in these domains receive expedited editorial review and are prioritized for publication.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Incidence and prevalence studies
- Risk factor identification and analysis
- Spatial and temporal disease patterns
- Population-based cohort studies
- Disease burden quantification
- Transmission dynamics modeling
Surveillance Systems & Outbreak Investigation
- Surveillance system design and evaluation
- Real-time outbreak detection methods
- Contact tracing methodologies
- Genomic epidemiology applications
- Early warning system development
- Cluster investigation protocols
Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology
- Resistance pattern surveillance
- Stewardship program effectiveness
- Population-level resistance trends
- Policy impact on resistance rates
- Economic burden of resistance
- One Health resistance dynamics
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)
- HAI incidence and risk factors
- Infection prevention program evaluation
- Environmental contamination studies
- Hand hygiene compliance research
- Device-associated infection epidemiology
- Surgical site infection surveillance
Cross-Disciplinary & Methodological Research
Research that bridges infection prevention with adjacent fields or advances methodological approaches. Standard review timeline applies.
Public Health Policy & Implementation Science
- Policy effectiveness evaluation
- Pandemic preparedness planning
- Resource allocation modeling
- Health system capacity analysis
- Vaccination program evaluation
- Behavioral intervention studies
Infection Prevention Methodologies
- Disinfection efficacy studies (population impact)
- Sterilization protocol evaluation
- Personal protective equipment effectiveness
- Environmental hygiene assessment
- Decontamination technology evaluation
- Infection control product comparisons
Computational & Statistical Methods
- Machine learning for outbreak prediction
- Epidemiological modeling techniques
- Spatial analysis methods
- Network analysis applications
- Bayesian inference in surveillance
- Time-series forecasting models
Immunization & Vaccine Epidemiology
- Vaccine effectiveness studies
- Coverage and uptake patterns
- Herd immunity modeling
- Vaccine hesitancy research
- Post-licensure surveillance
- Immunization program evaluation
Novel Frontiers & Innovative Approaches
Cutting-edge research areas that represent future directions in infection prevention. Manuscripts undergo additional editorial review to ensure alignment with population health focus.
Artificial Intelligence & Digital Epidemiology
- AI-driven surveillance systems
- Predictive modeling using big data
- Natural language processing for case detection
- Digital contact tracing evaluation
- Syndromic surveillance automation
One Health & Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology
- Animal-human transmission dynamics
- Environmental reservoir surveillance
- Emerging zoonotic threat assessment
- Integrated surveillance systems
- Climate change impact on disease patterns
Global Health & Equity
- Health disparities in infection burden
- Resource-limited setting interventions
- Cross-border disease surveillance
- Social determinants of infection risk
- Equity in prevention program access
Explicit Exclusions
The following topics do not align with our population health and epidemiological focus. Submissions in these areas will be desk-rejected without peer review.
- Individual patient case reports or case series Rationale: Clinical observations without population-level analysis do not contribute to epidemiological knowledge or public health policy.
- Clinical treatment protocols, therapeutic interventions, or drug trials Rationale: Our focus is prevention and surveillance, not clinical management. Consider clinical infectious disease journals.
- Diagnostic test development or laboratory methods (without epidemiological application) Rationale: Pure laboratory science belongs in microbiology or diagnostic journals. We consider diagnostic methods only when integrated into surveillance systems.
- Basic science research on pathogen biology, virulence mechanisms, or molecular pathogenesis Rationale: Mechanistic studies without population health implications are outside our scope. Consider microbiology or molecular biology journals.
- Veterinary medicine or plant pathology without human health connection Rationale: While One Health approaches are welcome, purely veterinary or agricultural studies without demonstrated human health relevance are excluded.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Original Research Articles
- Full-length epidemiological studies
- Multi-center surveillance reports
- Outbreak investigations
- Policy evaluation studies
- Intervention effectiveness trials
Target decision: 21 days
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- PRISMA-compliant reviews
- Meta-analyses of intervention effectiveness
- Scoping reviews of surveillance methods
- Evidence syntheses for policy
Target decision: 28 days
Methods & Innovations
- Novel surveillance methodologies
- Statistical method development
- Modeling framework innovations
- Validation studies of new tools
Target decision: 21 days
Short Communications
- Preliminary findings (max 2,000 words)
- Rapid outbreak reports
- Novel surveillance observations
- Methodological notes
Target decision: 14 days
Data Notes & Surveillance Reports
- Surveillance system descriptions
- Dataset releases with epidemiological value
- Negative results from large studies
- Replication studies
Target decision: 21 days
Perspectives & Policy Analysis
- Evidence-based policy commentary
- Public health practice reflections
- Future directions in surveillance
- Ethical considerations (by invitation)
Target decision: 28 days
Letters & Commentaries
- Responses to published articles
- Brief methodological critiques
- Data interpretation discussions
By invitation or exceptional merit only
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
STROBE for observational studies, CONSORT for trials, PRISMA for reviews, RECORD for routine data, STARD for diagnostic accuracy
Data Transparency
Data sharing required for all quantitative studies. Anonymized datasets must be deposited in public repositories or available upon reasonable request
Ethics Approval
IRB/ethics committee approval required for all human subjects research. Waiver justification required for secondary data analysis
Preprint Policy
Preprints welcome and do not preclude consideration. Authors must disclose preprint posting and update with journal DOI upon acceptance
Statistical Rigor
Appropriate statistical methods required. Complex analyses may require statistical reviewer. P-value thresholds must be pre-specified
Conflict of Interest
Full disclosure of financial and non-financial conflicts required. Industry-funded studies must demonstrate data independence
Decision Metrics & Performance
Ready to Submit?
Ensure your manuscript aligns with our population health focus and epidemiological standards before submission.
Submit Your ResearchQuestions about scope? Contact our editorial team at [email protected]
