Title: A Narrative Review of Tribal Epidemiology Center’s Published Research: The case for AIAN community voice
Target Journal and Type: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/abstract/2025/09000/disability_inclusion_in_local_public_health.36.aspx
Systematic Review/Narrative Review: <3500 words (not including abstract, Implications for Policy & Practice, tables, figures, or references), no more than one table or figure, although additional tables/figures as supplemental digital content may be included.
Authors
Patrick, Alicia, Marie, Lowrie, Kristen, Others, AK
Abstract
Introduction
AIAN health info/need
TEC overview
Publications in peer-reviewed journals (why they matter), need for AIAN authors represented in literature, and how publications inform prevention, programs, and policy.
The purpose of this review is to document publications by TECs and outline policy and practice recommendations for future research.
Methods
Indigenous-centered, Narrative Review
Inclusion criteria: last 5 years (2019-2025), TEC publication or parent Tribal organization author affiliations, peer-reviewed journals only.
Search Strategy
Pubmed search using the terms "Tribal Epidemiology Center" under affiliation
Validate list with feedback from TEC staff and directors.
Results
TEC publication types, topics, journals, authors, Native authors, region, academic/non, community/non.
Discussion
What did we find, what was similar to or different from what we expected?
Echo other research that calls attention to AIANs and AIAN orgs being underrepresented in peer-reviewed journals.
Continued need for translation of research/journal publications into practice (graphical abstracts, NPAIHB, BRAVE example).
Strengths and Limitations
Includes only articles published in peer-reviewed journals by TECs/Tribal orgs. Does not represent research or publications written by other organizations (for example, a university publishing in the region, but not including TEC). Subject to human/validation errors. Does not include manuscripts in review that will be published from Sept-Dec 2025. TECs are not funded to do research, and many TEC staff have limited opportunities to publish in peer-reviewed journals. This does not mean TEC staff are not qualified; it is simply not a priority. At the same time, research and evaluation in AIAN communities are often never published. This does not mean it does not happen; it just means that it is not traceable in the peer-reviewed literature.
Implications for Policy and Practice
AIANs are underrepresented in research, underfunded in healthcare, and underserved overall. AIAN communities have been harmed by research. Consistent underfunding of healthcare services and general housing, education, safety, and environmental programs means that AIAN communities and Tribal leaders have shifting priorities regarding public health research. In short, AIAN communities and TECs have not been given the opportunities to publish their work because they work in a constant state of need and crisis. Addressing the root causes of health inequities and disparities in AIAN communities requires research to understand what is working and what is not. When research is not published in peer-reviewed journals, it is limited in its reach and validity from a Western scientific perspective. Federal funding, agencies, and future policies hinge on evidence published and accepted in Western scientific peer-reviewed journals.
TECs have the trust of AIAN communities they serve, and many TEC staff are AIAN themselves. Increasing the output of peer-reviewed journals by TECs is a critical step for increasing visibility of the strengths and needs of AIAN communities in the future.
Conclusion
References
References must be cited in text and styled in the reference list according to the AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (11th edition). References should not be created using Microsoft Word's automatic footnote/endnote feature. Using bibliographic software (eg, Endnote, ProCite, RefWorks) is acceptable. In short:
In-text citations should be presented as superscript numbers (eg, "It is well known1").
Numbers should be placed after periods, exclamation, and question marks but before colons and semicolons.
Page numbers should appear with the text citation following a specific quote.
References should be included on a separate page at the end of the article and should be double spaced.
References should be numbered consecutively in the order they are cited; reference numbers can be used more than once throughout an article.