Journal of Veterinary Healthcare · Scope statement
Aims &
Scope
JVHC publishes peer-reviewed research in which animal health is the central scientific question—from clinical diagnosis and treatment to disease prevention, welfare, reproduction and veterinary public health.
Primary remit
Veterinary healthcare Companion animals Livestock and production animals Equids, farmed aquatic species and wildlifeResearch that advances animal health
The journal considers work that improves understanding, prevention, diagnosis, treatment or management of disease and injury in animals. Studies should define a veterinary question, use methods appropriate to that question and explain the relevance of their findings without extending conclusions beyond the evidence.
Infectious disease & parasitology
Veterinary microbiology, virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitic disease, epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, prevention and control.
Medicine, diagnosis & intervention
Clinical medicine, diagnostic pathology, oncology, surgery, anaesthesia, pharmacology, toxicology and evidence-based therapeutic evaluation.
Reproduction, nutrition & physiology
Theriogenology, reproductive health, nutrition, grazing, exercise physiology and other physiological work with a clear animal-health outcome.
Preventive health & veterinary public health
Herd and population health, surveillance linked to animal disease, food safety, zoonotic risk and preventive programmes grounded in veterinary evidence.
Animal welfare & healthcare delivery
Welfare assessment, humane care, owner and practitioner decision-making, and delivery of veterinary services where outcomes for animals are measured.
Veterinary methods & technologies
Diagnostic, laboratory, statistical or digital methods when they are validated on suitable veterinary data and answer a defined animal-health question.
How to read this scope. The categories describe the journal's remit. Examples on this page are informed by JVHC's published archive, but the archive is not a ceiling on future veterinary research.
02 / Species & settings
Across the settings where veterinary care is delivered
JVHC is not restricted to a single species or production system. The scientific question, ethical conduct and veterinary relevance determine fit.
The examples opposite reflect animals and settings represented in the journal's published record; comparable veterinary work in other species may also be considered.
03 / A bounded interface
One Health, with animal health at the centre
JVHC is a veterinary journal. It considers One Health research when the work contains substantive animal-health evidence and the veterinary question remains central to the design, analysis and conclusions.
Zoonotic disease, food safety and public-health studies built on animal, herd, flock or veterinary-practice data.
Human-health, environmental or laboratory work must show how its evidence addresses a defined animal-health question.
A broad One Health label, without substantive veterinary evidence or an animal-health endpoint, does not establish fit.
What a suitable manuscript demonstrates
Editors assess scope from the question, evidence and claimed contribution—not from keywords alone.
Direct fit
- Animal health, disease, injury or welfare is the primary outcome.
- The study population and veterinary setting are clearly described.
- Methods and comparisons are appropriate to the research question.
- Conclusions are proportionate to the design and reported results.
- Required animal ethics, welfare, consent or permit information is present.
Fit depends on veterinary validation
- Laboratory or animal-model studies must state their direct veterinary relevance.
- Diagnostic or digital tools must be tested on appropriate veterinary data.
- Production research must measure a health or welfare outcome, not performance alone.
- Public-health studies must contain substantive animal or veterinary evidence.
- Descriptive reports must add a clear, evidence-based veterinary contribution.
Article types
The formats evidenced in JVHC's publication and submission records are shown below. Authors should select the format that best matches the evidence and follow the current instructions for authors.
| Article type | Editorial purpose |
|---|---|
| Research Article | Original empirical veterinary research with a defined question, transparent methods, results and interpretation. |
| Review Article | A structured synthesis of a veterinary topic that explains its methods and distinguishes evidence from interpretation. |
| Short Communication | A concise report of a focused, complete veterinary finding for which a full-length article is not required. |
Other formats require confirmation from the editorial office before submission. Article-type availability and preparation requirements are confirmed during submission; a format name does not override the journal's scope, ethics or evidence requirements.
06 / Outside scope
When JVHC is not the right journal
- Human-only clinical or biomedical research with no direct animal-health question.
- Pure ecology or environmental monitoring without a veterinary endpoint.
- Animal production or performance studies that do not evaluate health or welfare.
- Methods, devices or algorithms that lack suitable veterinary validation.
- Unsupported opinion, promotional product claims or conclusions that exceed the data.
- Animal studies without adequate ethics, welfare, consent or permit documentation.
07 / Research integrity
Animal welfare and reporting are part of scope
A relevant topic is not enough. A manuscript must also provide the ethical and reporting information needed to evaluate the work responsibly.
Ethics and welfare approvalName the approving body and reference number where approval was required, or explain why formal approval did not apply.
Humane careDescribe welfare monitoring, humane endpoints and steps taken to minimise pain, distress and avoidable animal use.
Consent and permitsReport owner consent where applicable, including written consent for identifiable animals or farms, and provide permits for wildlife work.
Appropriate reportingUse a relevant guideline where applicable, including ARRIVE for animal research and CONSORT, STROBE or PRISMA for the corresponding study designs.
Transparent evidenceInclude a data-availability statement and report limitations, uncertainty and competing interests clearly.
Before submission
Confirm scope, ethics and article format together
Read the preparation requirements and editorial policies before starting the journal's single online submission route.