International Journal of Health Policy and Management (IJHPM): A Decade of Advancing Knowledge and Influencing Global Health Policy (2013-2023)

Introduction The International Journal of Health Policy and Management (IJHPM) is a peer-reviewed, gold open access, and scientific multidisciplinary journal, with a specific focus on health policy and management research. It serves as a platform that brings together specialists from various fields, including health policy, health management, health economics, epidemiology, public health, global health, and social and public policy into a dynamic academic environment. The journal aims to foster effective communication among policy-makers, health system researchers, decision-makers, legislators, practitioners, educators, administrators, students, and allied health professionals, facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing within the research and healthcare delivery systems. The IJHPM was founded by Dr. Akram KhayatzadehMahani (Former Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. She is currently an assistant professor at the University of Regina) in early 2013. Its first issue was published on June 25, 2013, marking its entry into the competitive international landscape. Approaching its 10th anniversary in June 2023, IJHPM has achieved notable milestones. Over this period, IJHPM published 12 volumes and 112 issues, including four special issues[1]. From 2013 to 2023, there has been a consistent growth in the number of monthly manuscripts submitted to IJHPM, with an average of 16 submissions in 2013 to 71 in 2023. Out of a total of 7107 submissions received, 1698 peer-reviewed articles were published in IJHPM, representing approximately 24% of the total submissions[2]. The journal’s papers are indexed in several abstracting and indexing databases, and they are highly regarded by scientists. *Correspondence to: Mina Moradzadeh, Email: minamoradzadeh.medlis@ gmail.com Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Citation: Moradzadeh M, Karamouzian M, Najafizadeh S, Yazdi-Feyzabadi V, Haghdoost AA. International Journal of Health Policy and Management (IJHPM): a decade of advancing knowledge and influencing global health policy (20132023). Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:8124. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2023.8124 Received: 11 May 2023; Accepted: 23 May 2023; ePublished: 24 May 2023 IJHPM is currently indexed in various prestigious databases, including the Web of Science Journal Citation Reports (WoS JCR) (Social Sciences Edition), WoS Science Citation Index Expanded (SciSearch®), WoS Journal Citation Reports (Science Edition), WoS Social Sciences Citation Index®, WoS Current

IJHPM was free of charge for eight years, from June 2013 to June 2021. However, in order to cover the expenses associated with editorial tasks, administrative support, technical tasks, and indexing services, we transitioned from the Green Open Access publishing model to the Gold Open Access. To facilitate publishing, we have taken into account discounts and waivers for authors from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), students, and IJHPM reviewers.

An Overview of IJHPM's Advances
Indexing and Abstracting Databases In the beginning, the five-year vision was to be indexed in PMC, Medline, Scopus, and WoS by 2018. Therefore, we designed the journal's processes and workflow, such as the peer review process, technical standards, and the website, based on the four abstracting and indexing evaluation criteria and also followed international and reputable guidelines like the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Furthermore, the IJHPM's editorial office continually evaluates the quality of processes and implemented some innovative actions to advance its rank among leading scientific journals. For instance, in order to standardize sex and gender reporting in research publications, we began incorporating the Sex and Gender in Research (SAGER) guideline 1 into our author guide in May 2021 and encouraged our authors to follow it. In April 2023, we switched to the CRediT format in accordance with the updated technical requirements in PubMed for reporting the authors' contributions.
The first goal of IJHPM was achieved remarkably quickly, within six months, as the journal gained visibility in PMC in 2014. The second goal was to secure indexing in MEDLINE, the largest and oldest biomedical database in the world, 2 with more complex inclusion criteria compared to PMC, Scopus, and even WoS. 3 To accomplish this, we followed specific policies to highlight the distinctive nature of our publication and set IJHPM apart from other journals in the same field. To accomplish our next set of goals, which included indexing in WoS and Scopus, we maintained a continuous effort to monitor and adhere to the evaluation criteria of these two databases. Additionally, we closely monitored the citation status of our journal in Google Scholar. Recognizing that citation metrics play a crucial role in the evaluation process of WoS and Scopus, 4,5 we implemented new strategies to enhance the visibility and promotion of our published papers. In pursuit of this objective, we utilized various academic social networks, such as Academia, ResearchGate, LinkedIn, and Mendeley [3] to promote our published papers. Furthermore, IJHPM actively engaged with the wider public through popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, ensuring that all papers were promptly shared on these platforms following their online publication. Moreover, we encouraged authors to actively disseminate their papers among their own academic networks, expanding the reach and impact of our publications.
In 2016, the journal gained visibility in WoS Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), marking a notable achievement. Subsequently, by 2017, IJHPM was accepted for inclusion in Scopus, further solidifying its position in the academic community. One of the primary objectives outlined in IJHPM's five-year vision was to attain an official IF. This goal was successfully realized by the end of 2018, with the first IF of IJHPM being released by JCR 2019, garnering an impressive IF of 4.485. This achievement underscored the growing influence and impact of IJHPM within its field. The progress of IJHPM's citation database has continued to thrive, culminating in its current ranking of 10th position in the field, as reported by JCR 2021. The persistent growth and recognition of IJHPM's scholarly contributions are evident in its citation database progress. A graphical representation of the timeline progress of IJHPM is presented in Figure 1, offering a visual demonstration of the journal's remarkable trajectory.
IJHPM Editorial Board Members and Staff IJHPM has successfully attracted the collaboration of renowned scholars from around the world, who have established themselves as leading experts in their respective fields. Currently, our editorial board consists of 24 esteemed members, comprising eight women and 16 men, representing 12 countries across five continents. All members actively contribute to reviewing papers, writing editorial papers, and the exchange of ideas aimed at enhancing the overall quality of the journal. Over the past decade, these dedicated board members have played an instrumental role in publishing 69 editorial papers.  Furthermore, IJHPM has published four special issue editorials, 9,12,35,64 three guest editorials, and two joint global editorials on the climate change movement. 7,8 Over the past decade, IJHPM has experienced several modifications in its editorial board and office members. However, the most notable change occurred in September 2021 when Dr. Akram Khayatzadeh-Mahani resigned from her position as the Editor-in-Chief after dedicating eight years (January 2013 to September 2021) to establishing and enhancing IJHPM's reputation. Although her absence is deeply felt, IJHPM is grateful to have her ongoing support as the founding editor (October 2021-current).
In October 2021, Professor Ali-Akbar Haghdoost, the former director-in-charge of IJHPM, assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief at IJHPM. Alongside him, three new associate editors joined the IJHPM team to assist with daily editorial duties and work closely with the editorial office members. Currently, IJHPM has a team of five in-house editors, six staff members, and one consultant. The detailed information of editorial board members, in-house editors, and staff is presented in Table S1 (Supplementary file 1).

IJHPM Peer-Review and Publication Processes
Over the course of 10 years, IJHPM has contributed significantly to academic discourse by publishing a total of 1698 peer-reviewed articles. Throughout its publication history, IJHPM has featured a diverse range of scientific article types, with a total of 14 distinct categories. However, over time, six of these article types have been discontinued, resulting in the current selection of eight types that are presently published: editorial, viewpoint, review articles, original article, short communication, commentary, correspondence, and letter to editor. For a comprehensive overview of the distribution of each article type published by IJHPM over the past decade, refer to Figure 2.
On average, IJHPM receives approximately 690 manuscript submissions annually with a 9% acceptance rate. Over the years, there has been a noticeable upward trend in the number of submissions, particularly since 2018 when the submission rate accelerated even further. Notably, the highest number of submissions was recorded in 2020, with a total of 1471 manuscripts received. This upward trend in submissions could potentially be attributed to the journal's commendable IF score and increased visibility within the academic community. However, since 2021, there has been a decrease in the number of submissions, which may be linked to changes in the journal's business model, including the implementation of article processing charges (APC) for authors. The submission trend of IJHPM is shown in Figure 3.
To ensure the high quality of published articles, the editorin-chief and section editors of IJHPM conduct a thorough pre-screening of all submissions. This pre-screening process involves assessing the manuscripts for their methodological rigor, originality, contribution to knowledge and practice, as well as the use of English language. Based on the outcome of this pre-screening, manuscripts will be either fast rejected, sent back to authors for revision and resubmit, or sent for external peer review. Manuscripts that meet the IJHPM's  priority and quality criteria will undergo a double-blind peerreview process to evaluate the content quality. In the prescreening stage, approximately 80% of IJHPM submissions are rejected, and only 20% proceed to the external peer review. This stringent selection process guarantees that only the highest quality and most relevant articles are considered for publication in IJHPM. The IJHPM upholds a rigorous double-blind peerreview process that prioritizes speed, fairness, and the publication of high-quality articles. Reviewers, selected based on their scientific background, expertise, and authors' recommendations, are required to disclose conflicts of interest and maintain strict confidentiality. The IJHPM strives to obtain at least two strong and comprehensive reviews for each manuscript. The Editor-in-Chief and section editors carefully consider reviewers' comments and prepare decision letters, which undergo multiple rounds of review before final acceptance or rejection. Once accepted, the technical team will publish the author-accepted version of the manuscript (AAM) while producing the PDF proof. Publishing the AAM version expedites the dissemination of accepted manuscripts, making them available on the IJHPM website within three days of acceptance.
The journal currently follows an annual publication schedule, with any changes in publication frequency are shown in Figure 1. This meticulous process, combined with the commitment to transparency and prompt dissemination, ensures that IJHPM maintains its reputation as a premier platform for scholarly discourse in health policy and management.

Diversity of IJHPM Authors and Reviewers
The IJHPM has published articles from 5794 authors across 105 countries. The majority of authors are affiliated with the United Kingdom (n = 651), the United States (n = 649), Iran (n = 621), Canada (n = 590), and Australia (n = 543). Table 1 highlights the top 10 most productive authors.
Since its inception in July 2013, the journal has established a dynamic platform that fosters global collaboration and facilitates discussions on contemporary issues through its commentary and correspondence line. This initiative invites scholars to contribute commentaries following the publication of various article types, such as original research, reviews, and editorials. The commentaries received are then compiled and   shared with the main authors, who provide responses that are subsequently published as correspondence papers. These collections of commentaries and correspondence papers create a special compendium, enabling in-depth exploration of specific topics with contributions from scholars worldwide. From July 2013 to May 2023, a total of 136 collections have been published, encompassing 589 commentaries and 93 correspondence papers. Since its establishment, the IJHPM has garnered the collaboration of 4339 reviewers from 108 countries. Notable, the majority of reviewers are from Australia (n = 280), Canada (n = 272), the United States (n = 260), the United Kingdom (n = 159), and China (n = 151). The selection process for reviewers employed by IJHPM is characterized by its unique approach, which involves comprehensive database searches to identify individuals with expertise relevant to the manuscripts under consideration. Invitations to serve as reviewers are then sent via the journal's management system, with the goal of securing at least five agreements for research manuscripts and three agreements for short manuscripts. To achieve this goal, up to 50 reviewers may be invited per manuscript. The IJHPM's global reach is reflected in the diverse backgrounds of its reviewers, as highlighted in Table 2, which showcases the top 20 reviewers.

IJHPM Status in Citation Databases
Based on data from the WoS database, the IJHPM has received a notable total of 12 210 citations. The JHPM H-index in WoS is 41, and the average number of citations per article is 8.3. In the "Health Policy & Services" (SSCI) category, the IJHPM holds an impressive 10th position out of 88 journals, and in the "Health Care Sciences & Services" (SCIE) category, it ranks 20th out of 109 journals. Furthermore, the IJHPM has achieved a Q1 ranking in both categories, highlighting its prominence and impact in the field. The journal reached its highest IF of 5.007 based on the JCR 2020. Table 3 provides a comprehensive overview of the IJHPM's IF trend and ranking data in WoS.
From 2013, the IJHPM amassed a significant total of 13 877 citations in Scopus. The IJHPM H-index in Scopus is 45, and the journal's current CiteScore is 6.5, securing the top position among 36 journals in the "leadership and management" category. The IJHPM is listed in five subject categories in Scopus and is classified as a Q1 journal in all of them. Table  4 presents a detailed record of the IJHPM's metrics in Scopus over time. Figure 4 shows the upward trend in citation rates for the IJHPM in both WoS and Scopus.

Conclusion
This editorial aimed to provide an assessment of the progress and evolution of the IJHPM over the past decade. Despite being a relatively new journal in the health policy and management field based in a resource-limited LMIC, the IJHPM has demonstrated remarkable growth in both quality and quantity measures. With its emphasis on timely high-quality publication and a commitment to fostering scholarly discourse, the IJHPM has become one of the leading and reputable journals for researchers in the health policy and management field. By implementing a culture that values quality, respect, fairness, inclusiveness, teamwork and collaboration, innovation, and speed, the journal has established itself as a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, and practitioners. These values permeate all IJHPM activities and we will keep them in focus while continuing to expand our capacity to meet the growing demands for high-quality publications. Moving forward, the IJHPM is poised to continue its upward trajectory and contribute to the advancement of health policy and management research. These achievements would have been impossible without the continuous and hard efforts of highly dedicated and committed IJHPM editorial office members, active and supportive editorial board members, dedicated reviewers, respected authors, and supportive loyal readers.