All research articles submitted to Populace undergo double-anonymous peer review: reviewers do not know the identity of the authors, and authors do not know the identity of the reviewers.

Technical check and editorial screening

Each submission first undergoes a technical check by the Editorial Office, using a technical verification checklist: completeness of files, formatting, anonymisation and similarity check. This is an administrative check, not a scientific assessment; incomplete submissions are returned to the authors for correction, which is not a rejection.

The manuscript then undergoes an editorial screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a Deputy Editor-in-Chief, who assesses its fit with the Journal's scope, its originality and its basic scientific quality. Manuscripts that do not meet these criteria may be declined without external review (desk rejection). We aim to communicate the outcome of the technical check and editorial screening within 10 days of submission.

External peer review

Manuscripts that pass the editorial screening are assigned to a handling editor, who invites at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflict of interest. Manuscripts with substantial quantitative analysis are also assessed by a Statistical Editor. Reviewers evaluate the originality of the work, the methodological rigour and validity of the analysis, the relevance to public health, and the clarity of the reporting, using the Journal's structured review form.

Decisions

Based on the reviewers' reports, the handling editor recommends one of the following: accept, minor revision, major revision or reject. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief, or by a Deputy Editor-in-Chief in case of absence or conflict of interest. Revised manuscripts may be sent back to the original reviewers. We aim to reach a first decision within 6 to 8 weeks of submission. These timelines are never pursued at the expense of the quality and rigour of the evaluation.

Authors may appeal a decision; see our Appeals and Complaints policy.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers and editors must not share, discuss or use any part of a manuscript outside the review process, including by uploading it to external tools such as generative AI services.

Submissions from editors

As a rule, the Editor-in-Chief does not submit research articles to Populace. Any manuscript submitted by an editor or an editorial board member follows the same peer review process as all other submissions: the author is excluded from all stages of the evaluation of their own manuscript, which is handled by an independent editor, and has no access to the review process or to the identity of the reviewers. Such articles are clearly identified at publication. The proportion of articles authored by editorial board members is monitored and kept limited. See our Publication Ethics policy.

Reporting standards

Authors must follow the relevant reporting guideline from the EQUATOR Network (for example STROBE for observational studies, CONSORT for randomised trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, CARE for case reports and SPIRIT for study protocols) and upload the completed checklist with their submission. See our Author Guidelines.