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Strengthening Regional Voices in Global Health: Reflections from the Editor-in-Chief of the Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health
Scholarly publishing is undergoing a profound transformation. The growth of digital platforms, open access models, artificial intelligence, evolving research evaluation systems, and increasing emphasis on transparency have reshaped the way knowledge is created, shared, and consumed.
As the Editor-in-Chief of the Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health (GJMEDPH), my journey has been centred around one core objective: creating a credible platform where meaningful research, especially from diverse and emerging regions, receives recognition and contributes to global public health knowledge.
Building and sustaining a journal is not only about publishing articles; it is about developing a trusted ecosystem of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers committed to scientific excellence and research integrity. International recommendations such as the ICMJE Recommendations and the COPE Core Practices provide important guidance for maintaining responsible and ethical publishing practices.
A Challenge That Deserves More Attention: Visibility
of Regional Research
One of the most significant challenges faced by
regional and emerging journals is visibility. Many journals publish
high-quality, relevant research addressing local and regional health
priorities, yet their work often receives limited global recognition.
Public health challenges are frequently context-specific. Issues related to disease patterns, healthcare delivery, health inequalities, and policy implementation require evidence generated from different regions. However, the global scholarly ecosystem continues to face barriers where research from certain geographies is less visible despite its relevance.
The challenge is not only publication; it is ensuring that valuable research reaches policymakers, practitioners, and the international scientific community.
Regional researchers and institutions should also have meaningful opportunities to contribute to global scientific discussions. Greater recognition of local expertise can improve the contextual relevance, equity, and impact of health research.
Lessons Learned from Building and Managing a Journal
Launching and managing a journal has taught us that
sustainability requires patience, consistency, and a strong commitment to
quality.
Some important lessons include:
- Editorial credibility must be built over time through transparent processes.
- A strong peer-review system is the foundation of a respected journal.
- Engaging committed reviewers and editors is essential for maintaining standards.
- Technology can improve efficiency, but editorial judgement remains central.
- A journal grows when it builds a community, not just a publication record.
The growth of a journal is a continuous process involving learning, adaptation, and collaboration.
Open Access Realities
Open access has created tremendous opportunities by
allowing knowledge to reach readers without subscription barriers. For public
health, where evidence needs to inform communities, professionals, and
decision-makers, open access has particular importance.
Open science and open access also support broader principles of accessibility, inclusivity, transparency, and equitable participation in research. The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science provides an important framework in this area.
However, open access also presents challenges. Many journals operate within limited financial and institutional resources while trying to maintain professional publishing standards, invest in technology, support editorial workflows, and ensure ethical publishing practices.
The future of open access requires sustainable models that balance accessibility with quality.
Why Some Regional Journals Remain Invisible Despite
Being Indexed
Indexing is an important milestone, but indexing alone
does not guarantee visibility or impact.
Some regional journals remain under-recognized due to:
- Limited international collaboration
- Lower citation networks
- Insufficient promotion and discoverability strategies
- Lack of engagement with global research communities
- Resource constraints affecting publishing infrastructure
Improving visibility requires strategic efforts in metadata quality, digital presence, ethical publishing practices, collaborations, and international engagement.
Technology and Workflows Transforming Editorial
Operations
Technology has significantly improved our editorial
processes.
The adoption of digital workflows has helped with better manuscript tracking, improved communication with authors and reviewers, organized editorial documentation, faster decision-making processes, and enhanced accessibility of journal content.
Cloud-based collaboration tools, structured databases, plagiarism screening systems, and emerging AI-assisted technologies are becoming valuable components of modern editorial management.
However, technology should support, not replace, the expertise and responsibility of editors. The responsible use of artificial intelligence in scholarly publishing also requires transparency, confidentiality, accountability, and human oversight. The updated ICMJE guidance on artificial intelligence in publishing provides useful guidance for authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers.
Building Editorial Capacity with Limited Resources
Developing a strong editorial team requires investment
in people.
Many emerging journals work with limited resources, making capacity building essential. Training editors, reviewers, and editorial assistants in areas such as peer review, publication ethics, research reporting standards, and digital publishing practices is critical.
A journal becomes stronger when its editorial community grows together.
Research Integrity Challenges in Practice
Research integrity remains one of the most important
responsibilities of scholarly publishing.
Editors increasingly encounter challenges including plagiarism and similarity issues, questionable authorship practices, data integrity concerns, duplicate submissions, and artificial manipulation of research output.
Addressing these issues requires clear policies, ethical awareness, reviewer engagement, and collaboration with authors. Established publication ethics frameworks, including the COPE Core Practices, can support journals in developing transparent policies and procedures for handling such concerns.
Maintaining trust in science must remain the highest priority of every journal.
Emerging Trends Shaping Scholarly Publishing
The coming years will bring significant changes in
scholarly communication.
Key trends include:
- Responsible use of artificial intelligence in publishing
- Greater transparency in peer review
- Open research practices
- Improved research data sharing
- Alternative approaches to research assessment
- Increased focus on equity and inclusivity in knowledge dissemination
Artificial intelligence will become an important support tool, but human oversight, editorial responsibility, and scientific judgement will remain essential. Current ICMJE recommendations emphasise transparency in the use of AI and the continuing responsibility of humans for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of scholarly work.
Looking Forward
The future of scholarly publishing depends on
collaboration. Regional journals have an important role in ensuring that
diverse voices contribute to global scientific discussions.
At GJMEDPH, our vision is to continue strengthening a platform that promotes ethical publishing, supports researchers, and contributes meaningful evidence to medicine and public health.
A journal is not defined only by the number of articles it publishes, but by the trust it builds and the impact its knowledge creates.
Keywords
Scholarly publishing Regional journals Global health Public health Open access Research integrity Peer review Editorial leadership Artificial intelligence Research visibility Open science Knowledge dissemination Publication ethics
Dr. S. M. Kadri, MBBS, MPH/ICHD, is a Public Health Consultant, Epidemiologist, Research Coordinator, and Health Content Writer with expertise in communicable and non-communicable disease control, health policy, medical affairs, and programme implementation. He currently serves as the Head of Climate Change and Human Health and Nodal Officer for the National Programme for Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH). His professional interests include public health research, disease prevention and control, climate change and health, health systems strengthening, and evidence-based programme implementation.
View All Posts by SM KadriDisclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their affiliated institutions, the Asian Council of Science Editors (ACSE), or the Editor’s Café editorial team.
