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Reviewing a Journal Manuscript – It’s a privilege!
Many of you have been, or may soon be invited to review a submitted manuscript for a peer reviewed journal. This is an honour. If you receive an invitation to review someone’s work, we encourage you to take this opportunity!
Here is why:
- You will refresh your knowledge on the topic,
- You will be the first to read a unique piece of work,
- You can add it to your CV,
- Your comments and suggestions will go towards improving the manuscript,
- You get an inside look at the unpublished ideas of authors, techniques and new insights in the topic area,
- You will be assisting the Journal and its Editors to get manuscripts out in a timely fashion.
PHAIWA reviews many manuscripts and our own Dr Mel Stoneham is an Editor on the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
It can, understandably be a bit daunting. If you are invited to review a manuscript rest assured that there will generally be 1-2 additional reviewers, so your comments and feedback will remain anonymous and be read alongside others.
Here are two links to articles that provide a step by step guide to critiquing research. The first focuses on quantitative research, and Part 2 deals with qualitative research.
Part 1 – Quantitative research – read the step by step guide to critiquing research here.
Part 2 – Qualitative research – read the step by step guide to critiquing research here.
Volunteering Opportunities at PHAIWA
Interested in Public Health or Health Promotion? Come and volunteer with us!
Send your details and CV through to PHAIWA@curtin.edu.au and a short blurb about your area of interest.
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Track And Trail Competition
Bike Rack Competition
Healthyselfie
Track and Trail Competition
Our Track and Trail competition is complete and we have a winner! Congratulations to Isabel Ross for her entry of the excellent walking and cycling paths along the Geraldton coastline.
Winner: Isabel Ross
“Geraldton in Midwest WA has done a fantastic job in developing great walking and cycling paths all along the coastline. You can almost get from one end of the city to the other on off-road paths. It is pretty special to have this quiet, car-free space with gorgeous wildflowers growing on the sand alongside the track, and the sun lighting up the deep blue ocean just beyond the dunes. It also makes a great spot to check out the surf conditions for the post-ride activity. And just in case that isn’t enough to bring a smile to your face, some motivational phrases have been painted along the path to remind us just how lucky we are. There really is no place like this place.”

Entry 1: Hannah Pierce – Information and Research Officer, McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth
“The roads at Rottnest are pretty amazing to cycle. My selfie on a bike gives a good indication of the view.”
Entry 2: Scarlett Duncan
“Vlamingh Parklands along the river to Garungup Park. The trail goes along the River in Mosman Park, connecting to North Fremantle. It is a great trail for walking, running or cycling and avoids busy car traffic.”
Entry 3: Lia Williams – Health Promotion Officer, Public Health and Ambulatory Care
“Neil Hawkins Park is my favourite trail for walking or bike riding close to home. It’s great because it brings you away from suburbia without having to drive for hours. There’s so much wildlife, most of which is accustomed to human foot traffic, like these confident cheeky birds. To go around the whole lake it’s a 16km walk, which took us about 3 and a half hours. On the Wanneroo side after the pine plantation there are also some fruit trees (loquat and mulberry) which you can pick from if they are in season. There’s 2 public toilets over the 16 km loop so that’s convenient too.”
Entry 4: Andrea McGill
“Photo 1 & 2 are the Esperance Esplanade which is the trail I use to cycle to work and photo 3 is the Esperance Jetty which is a track I use for recreational walking.”
Thank you to everyone who entered, we loved all the photos taken from around the state showing the many wonderful places to exercise and enjoy nature.
Watch this space for the next Track & Trail Comp!
Bike Rack Competition
PHAIWA has been holding a bike rack competition asking community members from around WA to send images of innovative, unusual, or practical bike racks which they encounter on their daily travels. The competition was open to everyone in Western Australia, with metropolitan and regional categories, and prizes of $200 bike store gift vouchers for the winners of each category.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Bike Rack competition!
Congratulations to Jill Darby who has won the Metropolitan category for submitting the Leederville based ‘car’ bike rack, situated within the City of Vincent. This was chosen as the metropolitan winner as it fulfils its purpose well, clears the footpath of parked bikes, all while reminding people about the benefits that cycling provides to health, traffic congestion and parking woes.
And congratulations to our regional winner Murray Gomm of Albany, who entered his innovative and recycled ‘tractor’ bike rack, based on the property of his business, Oranje Tractor.
Thank you to everyone who entered – keep an eye out for our next competition coming soon!
Here are some of competition entries, including the winning bike racks:
Functional & arty rack in Mandurah, designed by local artist Gary Aitken and installed as part of the City of Mandurah’s Healthy Communities Project
Healthyselfie Competition
PHAIWA ran a HealthySelfie Competition from August to November 2014 to showcase people from all over WA engaging in healthy activities that brought a smile to their faces and made their insides glow. Thank you to everyone who sent in their entries, it made the judging process very difficult. After much debate from our panel of public health professionals, two winners of a $100 voucher from their local independent grocery store are:
Year 1 students from Immaculate Heart College in Lower Chittering, WA “Playing games and sports together helps us to stay healthy and we love doing it too! Skipping is one of our favourite activites!”
Kate Williams from Perth won our metro prize for her creative entry. “Ahoy! Eating well on land and sea, that’s the only way for me. I feel great, my energy is high, change your diet, it’s worth a try!”
Bonnie Hook sent us this great shot of her and her colleagues during their work lunch break. “On Tuesday’s and Thursday’s we take our lunch break in the form of a 1km swim at the Busselton outdoor pool-it’s great for an afternoon of energised “blue mind” productivity as well as our health and well being!”
Samantha Bradder, a participant from our ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course, sent us this photo of her with a group of workmates who signed up for the MS 2,750 Patterson stadium stair climb. “Getting fit for a good cause , makes you feel even better!”
Marissa Yeo sent us this pic while she was working out. “I have been lifting weights all year and I am very pleasantly surprised at the positive impact it has had on my confidence, mental health and clearly my guns!”
Past PHAIWA team member James Stevens-Cutler sent us this pic of him enjoying the seaside in San Sebastian, Spain.
Christina Pollard, a participant from our ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course, sent us this healthy selfie during a break from riding along the Munda Biddi bike path. “Love getting out in nature!”
Amelia Hanbury, a participant from our ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course, sent us this pic from her veggie garden. “Drowning in fresh dark leafy greens from my garden! Spinach pie here we come!”
Rachael sent us a photo of her enjoying a long weekend in Cape Le Grand with healthy snacks & a walk on the beach. “I choose to be healthy so my body is able to continue exploring and experiencing the wonderful world we live in – I don’t have time for chronic disease to slow me down!
PHAIWA ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course participant Melissa shows us her creative idea to be active after work. “Although it doesn’t seem to be to healthy watching TV, after travelling home and finishing up any study it’s the only time for physical activity I have left! I like healthy changes to life that are manageable and sustainable!”
Kelly sent us this colourful pic of her working onsite near Wickham. “Eating right, exercising right, sleeping right helps to keep me feeling amazing inside and out.”
Jo-Anne Parker sent us this great selfie of her and her work colleagues. “Trachoma road trips always brings a smile to the Goldfields Public Health Team.” Another great entry from Jo-Anne Parker, “Downtime after a run.”
Jo-Anne Parker sent us this great selfie of her and her work colleagues. “Trachoma road trips always brings a smile to the Goldfields Public Health Team.” Another great entry from Jo-Anne Parker, “Downtime after a run.”
Advocacy in Action’ short course participant Jo couldn’t decide on just one picture so sent us an entire collection: “Ok, so whilst I’m not always a self confessed selfie taker my phone (camera) is always with me and I like to capture the moment… Luckily lots of my moments are healthy so instead of choosing one I put together a compilation, some photos may not officially be a selfie but they were taken whilst exercising or eating.”
PHAIWA ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course participant Grant shows us how much fun you can have outdoors in Albany!
Anne sent us this photo of her family before their local Parkrun, starting at the 500yr old King Jarrah Tree. “As family, we enjoy running and walking in beautiful bushland around Manjimup, in the Southwest.”
Liz Bradshaw sent us her selfie while running in Mullewa. “I really enjoy “running the red road” on the outskirts of Mullewa – it’s a great way to de-stress and clear my head after a long day. The flies are certainly friendly, but the colours across the land as the sun sets are really beautiful and well worth the effort.”
PHAIWA ‘Advocacy in Action’ short course participant Pam Foulkes-Taylor sent us this great photo of her welcoming one of the 150 women who participated in this year’s Women’s Tri in Kalgoorlie (now in its 11th year!). “They provide a six week, fully coached training program for all levels (with the help of the lovely Kalgoorlie tri club members) with six sessions per week, 2 x Pilates sessions, a motivational and educational seminar plus a goodie bag with swim cap, towel, t-shirt – all for only $100! “It is such a fantastic, happy, joy-filled event and has improved the lives of many women.”
Amy Lynn – “As an adult I spend all day typing and staring at a screen, sometimes it’s good to go back an act like a kid again. Spending time outdoors is not only good for you physically but also mentally!
Andrea, a previous mentee in our 2013/14 mentoring program, & Laura sent us this selfie of them pre & post a 5km Sunday morning run. “Sometimes it’s hard to get and stay motivated, but doing it together and getting to the end, is what keeps us going every week.”
Erica and Holly sent us this great mother/daughter ‘matching’ workout photo after they did a 3km run together. “I enjoy running with a partner, and what better person to do that with, than my daughter!”
Lia Williams sent us this great selfie of her early morning walk up at work near Tom Price & Paraburdoo. She was enjoying a healthy apple to give her fuel & chose to go for the walk despite the flies (hence the fly net) and the heat. “I choose to make a healthy choice because it gives me energy to keep going and going and going…”
Guy sent us this photo after an outdoor bootcamp. “Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, laziness and fat.”
Sarah sent us this great selfie of her swimming. “Living a healthy life not only keeps me fit and strong physically but also mentally.”
Valerie’s office started to have healthy breaks instead of coffee and cakes to boost employee productivity and have a team goal to lose weight – it worked! “Office breaks are no longer coffee and cake; but natural ones that keep you awake!!!”
Cindy and Rateh snap a healthyselfie together in Nepal’s Upper Mustang region (August 2014) “In my original trip planning, I was eating coconuts under a palm tree in the Cook Islands. But when the flights fell through, I chose to go horse trekking in the Himalayas instead. Instead of getting fat & lazy on tourist food, I came home in better condition than when I left!”
Activelife coaches at Cape Lambert: “We believe that keeping active in our daily lives is a very important way to keep healthy. We hope to encourage and motivate people to live an active life.”
Activelife coaches at Cape Lambert: “We believe that keeping active in our daily lives is a very important way to keep healthy. We hope to encourage and motivate people to live an active life.”
Sam Hillhorst: “I choose to make the healthy choice of making my own planter box stands and growing my own veggies. This keeps me active on the weekends learning new skills in carpentry and gardening.”
Catherine Giles: “Looking back at my life, if I did not make the healthy choice back when I was 20, to change my eating habits and begin exercising, I never would be in this amazing job and experiencing this whole new exciting lifestyle! I feel blessed that I had support from my friends, family & trainer to help me. I now have more confidence in myself and believe I can help others find their passion for health & fitness, as I have found mine!
Deanne Brescacin submitted this photo of the Inglewood United soccer under 7’s team. “The team trains once a week and play their game early on Sunday mornings, for most of them its their first experience participating in a team sport. They love it, are having so much fun, and will be disappointed when the season finishes. The boys said they, “eat fruit at their Sunday morning game to make them run faster and kick harder.”
Emily O’Hara, a mentee in our 2013/14 mentoring program, showing off her healthy pregnancy glow at home in regional Victoria.
Jillian Woolmer: “Bike parking close to the door – great when you ride to meetings rather than using a car.” Jillian Woolmer: “Being a Nutcase – getting up at 6.00am and riding with international colleagues through the city before a full days conference proceedings in Adelaide – but had so much fun!”
Jillian Woolmer: “Bike parking close to the door – great when you ride to meetings rather than using a car.” Jillian Woolmer: “Being a Nutcase – getting up at 6.00am and riding with international colleagues through the city before a full days conference proceedings in Adelaide – but had so much fun!”
Paramjit Kaur in her ancestral village in rural India where her family still uses woodfire and dried out cow-dung cakes to cook meals. “This is such an economical way of cooking and recycling cow manure and keeps us away from relying on expensive electricity and gas for our cooking. On top of that you preserve environment and contribute to natural ecosystem and feels integral part of this great system that we live in. It promotes other healthy behaviours as women of the household make cow-dung cakes in their free time which helps with social & emotional wellbeing as well physical activity and then stick them out in the sun for days for drying, children are usually involved in collecting dried cakes and pile them up under shelter which again promotes socialising and outdoor activities. You can also see the back wall being rendered in cow-dung cake mix which keeps the house clean on cheap budget instead of using cement or plaster.”
Jodie Hurd sent us this great photo taken by her son Noah (8) while climbing his favourite backyard tree with his little brother Lucas (5). “Climbing trees is lots of fun, I can climb higher than our house and Mum can’t see where I am!”
PHAIWA team member Liz makes the healthy choice of,“getting up the sand dunes to boost our physical activity.”
Katherine Young sent us this photo of her holding her most favourite fruit: “I love to add pineapple to a super green mid-morning smoothie to add a little natural sweetness and to get my daily fruit intake.”
Kenny MacDonald sent us this photo of him doing the hills overlooking the mine site at the back of the mining camp in Cape Lambert where he works in the gym. “It’s no longer a matter of why I do it, it’s a way of life and a habit I’m going to keep for a long time.”