What type of submissions do we accept?
Op-eds: Op-eds are pieces of prose which convey the opinion of the author on a particular topic. We accept op-eds about any public health-related topic, including (but not limited to) health policy, clinical guidelines, and health ethics. Op-ed submissions can be 600-800 words. We will not consider op-eds that exceed 800 words– these will be desk rejected. New to op-eds? See this link as a starting point.
Personal essays: Personal essays are works of nonfiction writing that draw on the author’s life experiences. They convey a theme or a message through the use of a narrative story, anecdotes, and sensory descriptors. The Public Health Corner accepts personal essay submissions up to 1500 words in length.
Educational articles: The Public Health Corner accepts educational articles that describe concepts (e.g., physiological, drug-related, biases, research methods, etc.), policies, and other important topics that fall under the domain of “public health.” Articles should be focused in scope and describe the concept or issue using language and in ways that lay audiences (i.e., the general public) can understand. Enough background should be provided that individuals with little to no subject area knowledge will gain insight from reading the article. Scientific jargon should be used sparingly, and all terms need to be defined so that anyone with basic education (i.e., high school level) can enjoy the piece. It is important that these articles clearly answer the “so what?” question so they are engaging and relevant for lay audiences. For first time writers trying to brainstorm ideas for an educational article, we suggest that writers start off by thinking about “wow!” moments that they experienced early on in their research on a topic they consider themselves to be highly knowledgeable about. The Public Health Corner accepts submissions for educational articles that are up to 1250 words in length.
Other: Have an idea for an engaging piece? Please contact melina.albanese@mail.utoronto.ca (cc: utjph.phc@gmail.com) to discuss your idea. This may include a podcast, series of stories, or other type of creative media or prose that does not fit into the aforementioned categories.
Does your submission pertain to an upcoming or current public health issue or event (e.g., policy change)? If you would like your piece to be published in time for a specific date of relevance, please email melina.albanese@mail.utoronto.ca (please cc: utjph.phc@gmail.com) to discuss options.
Submission Checklist
Before submitting to The Public Health Corner, please ensure the following:
- The text portion of my article meets the criteria described for the relevant article type (or I am submitting a different type of media for which these limits do not apply and about which I have contacted melina.albanese@mail.utoronto.ca and cc’ed utjph.phc@gmail.com)
- The article is relevant to public health or public health policy
- The article is an original work and has not previously been posted or published elsewhere
- References/citations are embedded in the article as hyperlinks
- I have written in a format accessible to the general population (i.e., plain English), including avoiding the use of jargon (where possible) and explaining terminology, where unavoidable
- I have considered images, figures, tables, videos, and other media to enhance engagement with my article, and they are in the creative commons/open access
- I have received permission from all parties involved to share the material
- My submission is not a formal research paper (if it is, you are welcome to submit it to the UTJPH)
- The article is informal, captivating, and relevant!
Ready to submit?
The Public Health Corner 