MANUSCRIPT SPECIFICATIONS FOR CLINICAL NURSING RESEARCH
General Guidelines
1. General Instructions: All portions of the manuscript, including the abstract, notes, quotations, appendixes, tables, and reference list, must be typed double-spaced and left-justified (ragged right margins), with minimum one-inch margins. Number all pages, including the title page and reference list. Include the title on the first page of the text. As this is a refereed journal, authors' names must not appear anywhere in the manuscript other than on the title page. Treat acknowledgements as footnotes and include them on a separate page entitled "Notes" at the end of the manuscript.
2. Manuscript Length: The text for a research article should be approximately 6,200 words; the manuscript should not exceed 20 pages, including references. Research briefs and replication studies are limited to 8 manuscript pages.
3. Title Page: A separate title page must include the title (in not more than eight words), the authors' names, titles, current addresses (including postal or zip code) and telephone and FAX numbers, and their affiliations as they should appear in print. Provide three to five key words for indexing purposes.
4. Abstract: The abstract should be a single paragraph summary of the manuscript typed on a separate page. It should be concise (not more than 150 words) and complete in itself. Include the study's purpose, methodology, major results, and application if appropriate.
5. Style: Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Style Manual), 5th Edition, and pay particular attention to the sections on sexist language and reference style. All references documented in the reference section must be cited in the text; similarly, all text citations must appear in the reference list.
6. Copyright and Releases: Include a typed covering letter with your submission, which states that the author(s) is submitting the manuscript to Clinical Nursing Research exclusively. Authors submitting manuscripts do so with the understanding that, if the paper is accepted for publication, copyright belongs to the publisher. The senior author will be required to sign a Transfer of Copyright form when the manuscript is accepted for publication.
7. Tables and Figures: All figures and those tables with 17 or more columns must be camera-ready. Submit black and white photographs of your figures, or original line drawings. Group tables and figures at the end of the manuscript; do not embed them within the text itself, and do not include more than one table on each page. Limit the total number of tables and figures to three.
8. Permissions: Include proof of written permission for all quotations which require permission or exceed 300 words in length, and for all tables and figures from sources for which the author does not hold the copyright.
9. Submission: submit your manuscript to the SAGEtrack website at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cnr.
Presentation Formats for Clinical Nursing Research
Research Reports and Briefs
Research reports submitted to Clinical Nursing Research should follow the following format. The Journal's audience includes clinical practitioners as well as researchers, so please ensure that your writing style is simple and understandable. (Refer to Tornquist, E. M., Funk, S. G., & Champagne, M. T. (1989). Writing research reports for clinical audiences. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 11(5), 576-582.) You will not necessarily use the following headings in your manuscript; choose subtitles which are appropriate for your study.
1. The Introduction summarizes what the study is about, in one paragraph.
2. The Problem includes the background and rationale for the study, the conceptual framework, and a summary of the literature on which the study was based. Choose a subtitle appropriate to this section's content.
3. The section documenting the Purpose of the Study will include the research questions, hypotheses, and specific aims or objectives as appropriate.
4. Label and describe the specific Design used in your study.
5. Describe the target population, the Sample, and how the subjects were selected for the study. Include the number of subjects in the sample.
6. In the Methods section, clearly describe procedures, protocols, instruments, and process. Discuss instruments' reliability and validity.
7. Under Data Analysis, provide sufficient detail to facilitate a clear understanding of your analysis techniques.
8. Provide a descriptive account of the major Findings, as well as of tests of significance, etc.
9. In the Discussion, assess the meaning of your findings for the reader. Discuss the study's strengths and weaknesses.
10. The Application section is of critical importance to the Journal. Discuss how the findings apply to nursing practice, and outline their immediate or potential use in the clinical setting. Advise the reader of how much confidence can be placed in the results, and include recommendations for replication of parts or all of the study before application. Emphasize the ways in which your study validates previous work.
Replication Studies. . .
Follow the same guidelines, including the following:
1. Clearly identify the study under replication; include a detailed reference to the original publication, the number of replications reported, and the modifications made. Report changes of location that could have cultural and environmental influences on the study. Record consultation(s) with the author(s) of the original study in the Notes section.
2. The literature review can be limited to an update of the original work. Identify differences from the original study that could affect the findings, and indicate the extent of the replication without repeating the original work.
Authors who want to refine the use of English in their manuscripts might consider utilizing the services of SPi, a non-affiliated company that offers Professional Editing Services to authors of journal articles in the areas of science, technology, medicine or the social sciences. SPi specializes in editing and correcting English-language manuscripts written by authors with a primary language other than English. Visit http://www.prof-editing.com for more information about SPi’s Professional Editing Services, pricing, and turn-around times, or to obtain a free quote or submit a manuscript for language polishing.
Please be aware that SAGE has no affiliation with SPi and makes no endorsement of the company. An author’s use of SPi’s 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 SPi, and any costs incurred are the sole responsibility of the author.
