Public Health Research & Practice (PHRP), Australia’s leading peer-reviewed public health journal, is making significant changes to its publishing model to enhance its reach and impact within the public health research, practice and policy community. PHRP is a publication of the Sax Institute.

As part of plans to bring significant research into the public arena more swiftly, from 1 January 2025, PHRP will adopt a continuous publication model, streamlining the publication process and replacing the previous model that sometimes necessitated long delays between article submission and publication. This change comes as the journal moves its publishing operations under the management of CSIRO Publishing, a globally respected name in scientific publishing known for its commitment to quality and innovation. In line with all other journals of its type, PHRP is also introducing a modest Author Processing Charge (APC) to maintain full open access and support the sustainability of its operations.  

The Sax Institute will retain full financial ownership of PHRP, while the current Editor-in-Chief, Professor Don Nutbeam, along with the current PHRP Editorial Board, will continue to maintain editorial control – ensuring that the journal’s content remains independently peer-reviewed, relevant, and reflective of contemporary public health research and practice. 

“Through our experience with COVID, we learned a great deal about the importance of speeding up processes to make high-quality, peer-reviewed articles on public health research and contemporary practice as accessible as possible. The transition to a continuous publication model allows us to do this in a sustainable way” said Professor Nutbeam about the change.

“While the introduction of an Author Processing Charge is a new step for us, it guarantees open access and our editorial independence will remain unchanged, ensuring that our focus on impactful public health research continues.”

The Sax Institute and CSIRO Publishing both expressed confidence that this partnership will bolster PHRP’s mission of advancing public health through accessible, high-quality research. By maintaining editorial independence and strengthening the journal’s operational model, PHRP is poised to continue being a vital resource for public health professionals and researchers worldwide. 

For more information on the new publication model please contact Hugo Wilcken – Media and Editorial Manager, Sax Institute [email protected]  

Public Health Research & Practice is an open-access, peer-reviewed online journal published by the Sax Institute. It is independently ranked by Scimago as Australia’s leading health policy journal. Click here to receive PHRP’s newsletter.

The Sax Institute is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that improves health and wellbeing by driving better use of evidence in policies, programs and services.

CSIRO Publishing is Australia’s leading not-for-profit science publisher communicating the outcomes of research that inform decision making for a better future. They operate as an editorially independent business unit within the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s National Science Agency.