Aims & Scope
Journal of Veterinary Healthcare publishes research advancing the scientific understanding of animal health through epidemiology, genomics, disease mechanisms, and population-level interventions. We focus on veterinary science research that generates knowledge applicable to animal populations, not individual clinical practice.
Veterinary Epidemiology
Animal Genomics
Disease Mechanisms
Zoonotic Research
Herd Health
Veterinary Pathology
Research Scope: Tiered Framework
Tier 1: Core
Primary Research Domains
Veterinary Epidemiology & Population Health
- Disease surveillance systems in animal populations
- Outbreak investigation methodologies
- Herd health management strategies
- Spatial epidemiology of animal diseases
- Risk factor analysis for population-level diseases
- Antimicrobial resistance surveillance
Typical fit: "Spatiotemporal analysis of bovine tuberculosis transmission in dairy herds using whole-genome sequencing"
Animal Genomics & Molecular Biology
- Genetic markers for disease susceptibility
- Comparative genomics across species
- Functional genomics in veterinary contexts
- Epigenetic regulation in animal health
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
- Transcriptomic profiling of disease states
Typical fit: "Identification of genetic variants associated with mastitis resistance in Holstein cattle using GWAS"
Veterinary Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- Pathogen characterization and typing
- Host-pathogen interaction mechanisms
- Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms
- Vaccine development and immunogenicity
- Zoonotic disease transmission dynamics
- Viral evolution and emergence
Typical fit: "Molecular mechanisms of avian influenza virus adaptation to mammalian hosts"
Veterinary Pathology & Disease Mechanisms
- Pathophysiology of animal diseases
- Comparative pathology across species
- Molecular pathogenesis studies
- Toxicological mechanisms in animals
- Immunopathology and autoimmune conditions
- Metabolic disease pathways
Typical fit: "Cellular mechanisms underlying chronic kidney disease progression in feline models"
Tier 2: Secondary
Cross-Disciplinary & Applied Research
Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in animals
- Drug resistance mechanisms
- Toxicological risk assessment
- Residue analysis in food-producing animals
- Comparative drug metabolism
Animal Nutrition & Metabolism
- Nutritional biochemistry and metabolism
- Feed safety and quality assessment
- Nutrigenomics in animal health
- Metabolic profiling of nutritional interventions
- Microbiome-nutrition interactions
Veterinary Immunology & Vaccinology
- Immune response mechanisms in animals
- Vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity studies
- Immunological biomarkers
- Comparative immunology
- Immunomodulation strategies
Animal Behavior & Welfare Science
- Behavioral indicators of health status
- Stress physiology and biomarkers
- Environmental enrichment effects on health
- Pain assessment methodologies
- Human-animal interaction research
Tier 3: Emerging
Frontier Research Areas
Computational Veterinary Science
- Machine learning for disease prediction
- Bioinformatics pipeline development
- Network analysis of disease systems
- AI-driven diagnostic tool validation
One Health & Zoonotic Interfaces
- Wildlife-livestock-human disease interfaces
- Ecosystem health and disease emergence
- Climate change impacts on animal diseases
- Antimicrobial resistance in One Health contexts
Veterinary Biotechnology
- Gene editing applications in animal health
- Regenerative medicine research
- Biomarker discovery and validation
- Novel diagnostic platform development
Note: Emerging area submissions undergo additional editorial review to ensure methodological rigor and alignment with veterinary science research priorities.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Priority 1: Fast-Track
Expedited Review (Target: 21 days to first decision)
Original Research Articles
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Methods & Protocols
Data Descriptor Articles
Priority 2: Standard
Regular Review (Target: 35 days to first decision)
Short Communications
Research Notes
Perspectives & Commentaries
Review Articles
Rarely Considered
By Editorial Invitation Only
Opinion Pieces
Editorials
Letters to the Editor
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- ARRIVE 2.0 for animal research
- STROBE for observational studies
- CONSORT for randomized trials
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- STARD for diagnostic accuracy
Data & Reproducibility
- Raw data deposition required
- Code availability for computational work
- Materials sharing statements
- Protocol registration encouraged
- Replication data transparency
Ethics & Compliance
- IACUC/ethics approval mandatory
- Welfare assessment documentation
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Funding source transparency
- Informed consent where applicable
Preprint & Prior Publication
- Preprints welcomed and encouraged
- Conference abstracts acceptable
- No prior full-text publication
- Preprint DOI must be disclosed
- Thesis chapters considered case-by-case
Decision Metrics & Publication Timeline
28 days
Average Time to First Decision
42%
Acceptance Rate (2024)
4 days
Time to Online Publication
Open
Article Processing Charges
Submission Decision Tool: Unsure if your manuscript fits? Email the editorial office with your title and 150-word abstract for a pre-submission scope assessment (48-hour response time).
