Get Involved

Submission Guidelines and Information for Authors

The UCSC Journal of Social Medicine is an excellent space for first-time authors to gain valuable experience in publishing their work. Students of any year and discipline are encouraged to submit their work on Social Medicine from various perspectives. 

After reading these guidelines, please submit your entries via this Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScF5-hpDRlRIkOgy6b5HfpW-_o-2EkxAKa60A3M55EQQ4tjkg/viewform?usp=header  

For questions, comments, and clarifications, please reach out to the editor-in-chief at mbekele@ucsc.edu (official Journal email to be created soon). 

Submission Deadline for 2025-2026: Sunday, December 14, 2025, 11:59PM

Submissions must be:

1. Relevant to Social Medicine, including but not limited to the fields of public health, sociology, anthropology, epidemiology, psychology, health policy, medical ethics, economics, sociology, and political science. Social Medicine seeks to understand both social determinants of health, including everyday conditions like housing, food access, education, and work environment, and societal determinants of health, which encompasses broader political, economic, and cultural systems, then examine how these factors shape health outcomes and the delivery of healthcare. Social Medicine aims to address health disparities, promote health equity, and advocate for policies and interventions that improve the overall health and well-being of communities and populations.

2. Original work produced from academic coursework, extracurricular research, professional experiences, or personal research. Anything ranging from a class assignment, an independent research project in a lab, and online research from academic articles is welcome. 

AI Policy: To maintain a human connection between authors, readers, reviewers, and the communities submitted research contributes to, AI may not be used to generate text for or write submissions (nor will it be used to write peer-review evaluations). AI may be used as part of described research methodology and to check for grammar. You are welcome to reach out with questions or concerns as you complete your submission. 

Manuscript Preparation and Submission (Original Research, Review Papers, and Interviews):

Please prepare the following components to be submitted by Google Form:

1. The manuscript, containing:

   1. Citations: AMA format using in-text superscript numbered citations, with a corresponding numbered bibliography at the end of the article (note: footnote citations not accepted). More info on AMA format

   2. Double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins

   3. No more than 12 pages (when in the above formatting)

   4. Abstract, Introduction, Methods, etc. clearly labeled

      1. For review papers, the subsection titles may be altered to fit the provided content. All review papers must include an abstract, introduction, discussion, and references section.

   5. Tables and figures embedded in the manuscript or at the end 

   6. Include the author’s full name, co-author or interviewee names if applicable, and article title, written as you would like them to appear in the final publication.

   7. Submitted as a Word document file (.docx)

2. An anonymous manuscript that does not include: acknowledgements, author information, institutional affiliations or contributions, or identification of funding source(s).

3. Any images that were used in the manuscript (including figures) as separate files, to ensure clarity in final printing

Double-Blind Review Process:

The UCSC Journal of Social Medicine employs a Double-Blind review process to ensure the integrity and impartiality of our evaluations. This method involves concealing the identities of both the authors and the reviewers from each other throughout the review process. By maintaining anonymity, we aim to minimize potential biases, allowing for a fair assessment of the submitted manuscripts based solely on their academic merit, originality, and contribution to the field of social medicine, rather than authorship. This approach fosters a transparent and equitable platform for scholarly discourse and advancement.

To join the Outreach, Engagement, or Peer Review teams, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/SR2o6BdbYNDKQY5W6 . Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. For questions, please reach out to: mbekele@ucsc.edu.

Let us know your questions through the Inquiry Button below!