Clinical Nursing Research
Clinical Governance / Decision Making | Clinical Nurse Specialist | Clinical Skills
Clinical Nursing Research (CNR) is a leading international nursing journal, published eight times a year. CNR aims to publish the best available evidence from multidisciplinary teams, with the goal of reporting clinically applicable nursing science and phenomena of interest to nursing. Part of CNR’s mission is to bring to light clinically applicable solutions to some of the most complex problems important to nursing. This requires the efforts of diverse investigative teams. CNR publishes articles that are of interest to all the following disciplines: nursing, psychology, social work, medicine, exercise science, public health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, engineering, sociology, anthropology, health communication, and computer science. CNR invites submissions of original research, literature reviews, methodologies/methods, applied theoretical papers, and brief reports on a variety of health issues. Editorial and commentary manuscripts are typically invited. However, unsolicited editorial and commentary manuscripts will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Authors should query the Editor-In-Chief prior to submission of editorials and commentaries. Papers on any and all populations and settings in which nurses practice at any level are especially invited.
CNR does not accept papers on the study of nurses, nursing students, or students in the health professions unless clinically relevant patient outcomes are key outcomes and measured accordingly.
Submit your manuscript today at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cnr.
Clinical Nursing Research is a refereed journal publishing research articles that focus on nursing practice. It disseminates research findings of particular interest to practicing nurses, provides an international forum for discussion among clinical nurse researchers and by identifying practical applications of research, enhances practice. Manuscripts of interest to CNR are those that focus on assessment and/or measures of intervention effectiveness for application in practice settings. CNR does not publish research on nurses. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
| Melissa Dawn Pinto, PhD, RN, FAAN | Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA |
| Pamela Z. Cacchione, PhD, CRNP, BC, FGSA, FAAN | University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, USA |
| Marilynn J. Wood, DrPH, RN | University of Alberta, Canada |
| Charles A. Downs, PhD, ACNP-BC, FAAN | University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA |
| Stephanie Gilbertson-White, PhD, APRN-BC | University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA |
| Joachim Voss, PhD, RN, ACRN, FAAN | University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA |
| Jessica Williams, PhD, MPH, PHNA-BC, FAAN | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Candace W. Burton, PhD, RN, AFN-BC, FNAP | University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Jean Edward, PhD, RN | University of Kentucky, School of Nursing, USA |
| Amy M. Greenblatt, PhD, MPH, RN | Research Triangle Institute Health Solutions Research Triangle Park, NC, USA |
| Nakia C. Best, PhD, RN | University of California Irvine, Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, USA |
| Rana Chakraborty, MD, MSc, FAAP, FRCPCH, D.Phil. (Oxon), FPIDS, FIDSA | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL, USA |
| JiYeon Choi, PhD, RN, ATSF | Yonsei University College of Nursing, Seoul, Republic of Korea |
| Samantha Conley, PhD, RN | Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA |
| Shannon Cotton PhD(c), RN | University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA |
| Ralph J. DiClemente, PhD | New York University, School of Global Public Health, USA |
| Jennifer J. Ernst, DNP, APRN, GCNS-BC | Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA |
| Scott Harpin, PhD, MPH, RN, FNAP | The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA |
| Jerrold M. Jackson, PhD, MSW | Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, USA |
| Paule V. Joseph, PhD, RN, FAAN | Natl Inst Of Health Natl Inst Of Nursing Research, Bethesda, MD, USA |
| Adam I. Kaplin, MD, PhD | Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, USA |
| Wendy Miller, PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN, FAAN, FAES | Indiana University, School of Nursing, USA |
| Patrick O'Byrne, NP, PhD, FAAN | University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada |
| Cristobal Padilla F., PhD | Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile |
| Amir M. Rahmani, PhD | University of California, Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, USA |
| Heather Rice, PhD, CPNP-PC, PMHS | Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA |
| Robert Topp, PhD, RN | University of Kentucky, USA |
| Diane Von Ah, PhD, RN, FAAN | The Ohio State University, College of Nursing, USA |
MANUSCRIPT SPECIFICATIONS FOR CLINICAL NURSING RESEARCH
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
General Guidelines
- 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.
- Manuscript Length: The text for a research article should be approximately 6,200 words; the manuscript should not exceed 24 pages, including references. Research briefs and replication studies are limited to 8 manuscript pages.
- 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.
- 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.
- Style: Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Style Manual 6th 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.
- Copyright and Releases: Include a typed cover 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 Journal Contributor Publishing Agreement form when the manuscript is accepted for publication.
- 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 four.
- 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.
- Submission: submit your manuscript to the SAGE Track website at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cnr.
Clinical Nursing Research adheres to a rigorous double-blind reviewing policy in which the identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties.
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.
The Introduction summarizes what the study is about, in one paragraph.
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.
The section documenting the Purpose of the Study will include the research questions, hypotheses, and specific aims or objectives as appropriate.
Label and describe the specific Design used in your study.
Describe the target population, the Sample, and how the subjects were selected for the study. Include the number of subjects in the sample.
In the Methods section, clearly describe procedures, protocols, instruments, and process. Discuss instruments' reliability and validity.
Under Data Analysis, provide sufficient detail to facilitate a clear understanding of your analysis techniques.
Provide a descriptive account of the major Findings, as well as of tests of significance, etc.
In the Discussion, assess the meaning of your findings for the reader. Discuss the study's strengths and weaknesses.
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:
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.
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.
Authorship
Papers should only be submitted for consideration once consent is given by all contributing authors. Those submitting papers should carefully check that all those whose work contributed to the paper are acknowledged as contributing authors.
The list of authors should include all those who can legitimately claim authorship. This is all those who:
(i) Made a substantial contribution to the concept and design, acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data,
(ii) Drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content,
(iii) Approved the version to be published.
Authors should meet the conditions of all of the points above. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.
When a large, multicentre group has conducted the work, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript. These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship.
Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship, although all contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgments section.
Please refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship guidelines for more information on authorship.
Disclosures
Biological Research for Nursing requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading. Please visit the Funding Acknowledgements page on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway to confirm the format of the acknowledgment text in the event of funding, or state that: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. It is the policy of Biological Research for Nursing to require a declaration of conflicting interests from all authors enabling a statement to be carried within the paginated pages of all published articles.
Please ensure that a ‘Declaration of Conflicting Interests’ statement is included at the end of your manuscript, after any acknowledgements and prior to the references. If no conflict exists, please state that ‘The Author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest’.
Research Ethics and Informed Consent
Medical research involving human subjects must be conducted according to the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.
Submitted manuscripts should conform to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, and all papers reporting animal and/or human studies must state in the methods section that the relevant Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board provided (or waived) approval. Please ensure that you have provided the full name and institution of the review committee, in addition to the approval number.
For research articles, authors are also required to state in the methods section whether participants provided informed consent and whether the consent was written or verbal.
SAGE Language Services
Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using SAGE Language Services. Visit SAGE Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.