Author Submission Guidelines

As the first fully online nursing journal created in 1996, the dynamic publishing structure of OJIN has always enabled us to add updated content to any OJIN topic. We seek research, thinking, and/or experiences that further the discussion of a topic important to nursing and healthcare and encourage authors to submit manuscripts related to any previously published OJIN topic. The list of OJIN topics can be accessed on this site.

Manuscripts can be submitted indefinitely after the first articles on the topic have been posted. The OJIN online dynamic publishing structure will post newly accepted manuscripts directly adjacent to the existing articles within a given topic. This groups similar articles related to nursing and healthcare together, showing the evolution of collective thinking over time.

Journal Focus

OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal that presents a variety of perspectives on leading edge topics important to nursing and healthcare, giving readers a chance to consider the full complexity of the topic. The journal editorial team recognizes that individuals have differing views on these topics, and on the issues inherent in them. OJIN provides a forum in which readers can both express their views and understand others' views on the topic. This is achieved via submission of a scholarly article for consideration or a Letter to the Editor in response to a specific article or an entire OJIN topic.

Call for Manuscripts

The editorial team encourages authors to submit manuscripts that complement any previously posted OJIN topic. We encourage authors to share research, thinking and/or experiences related to the issues and question(s) addressed in the initial topic articles and add new information and a new perspective. In this way, the voluntary manuscripts further develop and enhance the discussion within.

The list of OJIN topics can be accessed in Journal Topics. Manuscripts can be submitted for consideration at any point after the first group of introductory articles on the topic has been posted, even if the topic was initially introduced many years previously. When submitting a voluntary manuscript, please include in your email cover letter an explanation of how your manuscript specifically furthers a given OJIN topic.

We do not accept: Op-Ed or opinion pieces; school papers (publication ready manuscripts based on school projects may be submitted for consideration); and non-scholarly reports of current information written by professional writers for blogs and other online media. We do not pay authors for content, nor do we charge fees for publication.

The OJIN editorial team is dedicated to integrity in scholarly publishing and follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) principles of publication ethics as outlined in their Core Practices. Queries to the Editor-in-Chief are encouraged; however, these are not required before manuscript submission. For manuscript queries contact Jackie Owens, EIC, at ojin_jackie_owens@sbcglobal.net.

Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts are submitted for the exclusive consideration and use of the OJIN: Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. All submitted articles must be original, not previously published, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

OJIN readers are diverse in both education and practice. The scope of the journal is international. Authors should write in a scholarly tone that is easily read and understood by nurses with varying levels of education and in a variety of practice settings

Title Page

Each manuscript should be prefaced with a title page that includes the title and name, affiliation, and e-mail address for each author. Please also indicate for each author whether ANA member or nonmember. ANA membership is not required for submission and has no bearing on publication decisions; however, ANA occasionally features member authors in their related publications and requests this information for contact purposes. Healthcare providers who are not nurses are welcome to submit manuscripts for consideration.

Place an asterisk before the author with whom the editor should correspond. Be sure to include the corresponding author's mailing address and telephone number.

Co-Authorship

Co-authors are permitted and encouraged. There is no limit to the number of authors; however, we retain the right to ask the first (or corresponding) author of a manuscript with many authors to provide detail related to individual author contributions. We recommend consideration (and are happy to include) of an acknowledgment for persons who may have contributed to the work, but not the actual scholarly article. Ethical decisions related to authorship are informed using the flowcharts provided by COPE.

Authorship, and the order of authors, are established in your initial manuscript submission. Changes after that submission will require a formal detailed request that includes a rationale and evidence of consent/agreement by all authors initially listed.

Required Author Information

For each author, include a 3-5 sentence biosketch that includes earned educational degrees, certifications, and a brief description of past experiences and/or current position(s) relevant to the manuscript topic. We will include your ORCID ID if you have one, although this is not required.

Abstract and Title

Include a concise, 200 to 300 word narrative abstract that identifies the issue(s) addressed and describes the general content of the article. Do not use headings in the abstract.

Please try to keep manuscript titles between 10-12 words if possible. This increases the searchability of your scholarly work in database indexes, and thus the access and visibility of your work.

Key Words

Identify 8-12 key words and/or phrases that can be used to index the article, listing the key words in order of importance for indexing. Include key words that may be used by lay persons.

Article Text

The length of most articles is between 12 and 18 pages (approximately 3000-4500 words) typed and double spaced, exclusive of tables, figures, and references. The latest edition of the APA Publication Manual should be followed.

Please do not include appendices. Lengthy data may be submitted in a separate document for consideration as linked Supplemental Materials. Acknowledgments are permitted.

Funding and/or any Conflict of Interest by authors should be disclosed in a separate statement. If guidelines are required by a funding agency, please refer to the relevant reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT, PRISMA, SQUIRE) within the manuscript.

All articles will be edited as necessary for content, style, clarity, grammar, and spelling. National spellings from all nations are recognized as authentic and will be accepted.

Protection of Human Subjects

Manuscripts containing reports of research conducted with animals or humans as participants must contain a statement that the project was approved (or deemed exempt) by an institutional review board. Authors should cite methods employed for protection of participants, including informed consent and assurances of confidentiality or anonymity.

References

Include reference page(s) at the end of the document using the most current APA style format. References need to be complete and accurate. We prefer that you do not use reference management software. References to online materials are encouraged. When electronic references are used, follow APA guidelines for citing information. DOI links must be included whenever possible.

Please try to avoid long URLs in the text (see example below). For readability purposes, the journal lists full information on the reference list and cites just author last name or (most often) the first 2-4 words of the webpage name and year in the text citation. When the article is published, links to the reference information and URL will be used.

Here is an example from an OJIN article:

TEXT:

The city council decision infuriated Richmond residents; the papers published their concerns. “Nurses Withdrawn from City Schools: Patrons Protest Against Abandonment of Precautionary Measures” reported “Richmond is at the mercy of a measles epidemic which is being diligently fought by the Board of Health. Nevertheless, the most valuable combative power in the schools has been withdrawn” and assured “[a] vigorous effort will be made to have the Council rescind its action and replace the nurses in the schools” (Nurses withdrawn, 1910).

REFERENCE LIST:

Nurses withdrawn from city schools. (1910). The Times Dispatch. Retrieved from: https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=TD19100724.1.21&srpos=8&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-nurses+withdrawn+1910

Review references carefully to identify and avoid works published in predatory journals. If these are identified, we will request a different reference to support your work and/or revision as needed. References should be current, preferably within the past five years. Seminal references may be appropriate to your narrative depending upon the topic of the article; if these are included, help readers to understand why they are important to the current discussion on this topic in your narrative.

Formatting

Keep specialized formatting to a minimum. Use left justification only and avoid changing margins, fonts, and tabs within the manuscript unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

Tables

Please configure tables according to most recent APA format. Longer tables are preferred as a separate word processed document file; shorter tables can be included within the manuscript.

Artwork and Figures

Authors are requested to submit all artwork, images, and figures that accompany the article in web-ready format, either JPEG or GIF.

Permissions

The author(s) is/are responsible for obtaining permission to use any copyrighted material. When specific persons are mentioned in the article (beyond cited references), or institutions named, permission from the individual or in the case of an institution, the administrator, must be obtained in writing before publication. If special stipulations are mentioned by either the individual or administrator, they must be followed.

Transfer of Copyright

All authors are asked to sign the OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Transfer of Copyright upon submission of a manuscript. Please download and print out the Transfer of Copyright Form and scan the signed copy via email to:

Jackie Owens, PhD, RN, CNE
Editor-in-Chief
OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing
ojin_jackie_owens@sbcglobal.net

Manuscript Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically. Please use either Word or rich text format (no Mac formats). Manuscripts should be submitted as two attachments: one containing the cover page and author biography information, the other containing the title, abstract, keywords, and manuscript without author identification.

Please do not submit manuscripts in PDF format; the editor may need to revise to remove identifying information prior to peer review. If your manuscript contains identifying information, please consider submitting a separate file where identifying information is removed.

Manuscripts should be sent to ojin_jackie_owens@sbcglobal.net

Peer Review and Publication Process

Manuscripts are first evaluated by the editorial team for suitability; this evaluation typically takes 4-6 weeks. Manuscripts that are selected for peer review are evaluated by the editorial team and 2–3 external peer reviewers who serve on the OJIN Editorial Review Board. Members of the editorial review board are listed in the journal. The external peer review process may take 6-8 weeks or longer, depending upon volume of manuscripts and reviewer availability. After manuscript review and revision, decisions about publication will be made by the Editorial Team and author(s) will be notified.

Author(s) will be asked to review copy-edited manuscripts (galley proofs) online. OJIN does not publish article preprints. Accepted manuscripts become the property of the OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Authors to wish to distribute their published works can access Copyright Clearance Center to request permission to do so; there is no fee to distribute your own work, but we do require you to seek this permission.

Letters to The Editor

The purpose of OJIN is to foster exchange of opinions and information related to issues in nursing practice, research, and education. We thus strongly encourage readers to submit letters to the editor concerning any published OJIN topic and/or specific information addressed in OJIN articles and/or columns. Please note that letters must address a published topic, article, or content for consideration. Letters are reviewed by the editorial team but do not undergo external peer review.

Please limit letters to no more than 500 words. All letters that are accepted for publication will be edited as needed and, before publication, the edited letter will be returned to the author for approval. Authors of the article(s) discussed in these letters are encouraged to reply to the letter(s).

Please submit a letter via email to our letters editor Dr. Kim Stanislo at: kjstanislo@gmail.com