Objective  To explore the theoretical framework of social control on emerging (major) infectious diseases.

  Methods  With the key words such as ‘social regulation/control’ and ‘formal/informal control’, we searched PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-Text Database (Wanfang) and other academic databases for related literatures published from 1900 through 2020. Relevant elements of social regulation were analyzed and mined using content analysis and expert argumentation. Test-retest reliability was adopted to assess the analytic reliability of each element.

  Results  Through logical analysis on the 45 full-text Chinese or English literatures retrieved, totally 11 elements were elaborated and the elements included the purpose, principle, scope of control, subject of control, means of control, process of control, object of control, value orientation and result. The indexes of test-retest reliability were between 0.800 – 1.000, indicating good reliability of the analyses. Two other elements – control time and control intensity were added to the element list based on expert argumentation and logical analysis. The relationship among the elements of social regulation were expounded in the light of the logical framework of global governance and the ‘structure-process-result’ model. Through the study and judgment on three dimensions (transmission route, infectivity and severity) of an infectious disease, a three-dimensional decision-making theoretical framework for social control on emerging (major) infectious diseases was constructed.

  Conclusion  The theoretical framework, as an important basis for scientifically determining the region, intensity and time of different social control on a major infectious disease, will play a guiding role in effectively and timely controlling on an infectious disease epidemic.