Guidelines for Manuscript Submission

Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal that explores the multiple relationships between nursing and health policy. It serves as a major source of data-based study, policy analysis, and discussion on timely, relevant policy issues for nurses in a broad variety of roles and settings, and for others who are interested in nursing-related policy issues. The journal aims to provide accessible, relevant exploration of public policy and its impact on nursing practice, examine nurses’ roles in health policy and the political process, explore the role of nursing in health care systems and in health policy development, and provide a forum for evidence-based policy analysis, commentary, and discussion.

Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice features a range of articles on policy, politics, and nursing, including research on health services and health policy; analysis and commentary on developments in health policy of concern to nurses in a broad variety of roles and specialties; and discussion and debate on issues facing the nursing profession.

Articles reflect a variety of methods, including quantitative research, case studies, research reviews, evaluation, historical analysis, and commentary.

Format

Manuscripts should conform to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition). All copy should be double spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font, left justification and 1-inch margins. Please include page numbers. All copy should include continuous line numbering, using your word processing software’s line numbering feature. (This greatly facilitates the process of reviewing and revising manuscripts).

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via the journal’s SageTrack website, http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ppnp. (First-time visitors to this site will need to register first; the site includes instructions for registering).

The submitting author will be asked to provide the manuscript name, the names and contact information of each co-author (if applicable), along with an abstract of no more than 150 words and three to six descriptive key words.

Submissions should include:

- A title page, including the full article title; an abbreviated form of the title for a running head; the name and credentials (including academic degrees, licensure and certification if applicable) of each author; the number of pages, illustrations, and tables in the manuscript; and a brief (no more than three sentences) biographical description of each author, including institutional affiliation and title.

- A document of not more than 20 pages containing the text of the article. This document should omit the name and any other identifying information of any of the authors. The approximate placement of each table and figure should be noted in the text. However, tables and figures should be included in a separate document (or documents), not in the text.

The author will asked to identify any sources of funding for the article, to declare any conflict of interests, and to confirm that the manuscript is not published, in press, or under consideration elsewhere.

Review Process

All submitted manuscripts are evaluated by at least two reviewers. Reviewers judge manuscripts for their readability, relevance, originality, accuracy, and clarity. The editors seek to complete the initial peer review of each manuscript and notify the author of a decision within two months of submission.

Editing

Accepted manuscripts will be edited for clarity, length, and adherence to Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice style. The author will receive an edited copy of the manuscript to review for accuracy prior to publication.

Note for authors whose primary language is other than English:

Authors who would like to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider using the services of a professional English-language editing company. We highlight some of these companies at http://www.sagepub.com/journalgateway/engLang.htm.

Please be aware that SAGE has no affiliation with these companies and makes no endorsement of them. An author's use of these services in no way guarantees that his or her submission will ultimately be accepted. Any arrangement an author enters into will be exclusively between the author and the particular company, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.