Focus and Scope

Croatian Nursing Journal is a peer-reviewed nursing journal that publishes original articles that advance and improve nursing science and practice and that serve the purpose of transfer of original and valuable information to journal readers. Croatian Nursing Journal is published biannualy in the English language. Authors are invited to submit original papers in the form of research findings, systematic and methodological review and literature review related to nursing.

 

Section Policies

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AUTHORSHIP
 All persons designated as authors should qualify for authorship, and all those who qualify should be listed. Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content. All others who contributed to the work who are not authors should be named in the Acknowledgments. All authors should take responsibility for the integrity of the whole work, from inception to published article. Each manuscript is checked for plagiarism detection system. By submitting your manuscript to this journal you accept that it will be screened for plagiarism against previous published works.

 

Ethics
Papers dealing with experiments on human subjects should clearly indicate that the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional or regional responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration and Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical journals. This must be stated at an appropriate point in the article.

 

Acknowledgments
List all contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship, such as a person who provided purely technical help, writing assistance, or a department chair who provided only general support. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged.


References
References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text. Identify references in the text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in superscript.

References style should follow the NLM standards summarized in the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals: Sample References, available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html

References to papers accepted but not yet published should be designated as “in press” and in case of e-publication ahead of print, the author should provide DOI. The author should obtain written permission to cite such papers as well as verification that they have been accepted for publication.

List of references should include only those references that are important to the text. Long list of references is not desirable because they consume too much space. We kindly ask that authors limit their references to 50 in total. All citations in the text must be listed in the references, and all references should be cited in the text. References should be the most current available on the topic.

 

EDITORIAL PROCESS
After submission of the manuscript, the author will receive a letter confirming manuscript receipt. All manuscripts received are anonymously sent to two reviewers. Croatian Nursing Journal is committed to promote peer review quality and fairness. The reviewers are asked to treat the manuscript with confidentiality. Authors are welcome to suggest up to five potential reviewers for their manuscript (excluding co-authors or collaborators for the last three years), or to ask for exclusion of reviewer(s) and the reasons for it. The Editorial Board may or may not accept authors’ suggestions regarding reviewers. Usually four to six months after submission, the authors will receive the reviews. Generally, the instructions, objections and requests made by the reviewers should be closely followed. The authors are invited to revise their manuscript in accordance with the reviewers’ suggestions, and to explain amendments made in accordance with the reviewers’ requests. The articles that receive more than one reviewer’s recommendations for “major review” are sent after revision to the same reviewer, who makes final recommendation about the revised article. Based on the reviewers’ suggestions and recommendations, the Editorial Board makes final decision about the acceptance of the submitted article.

Authors will receive a letter confirming acceptance of the paper submitted for publication. Corresponding author will receive page-proof version of the article to make final corrections of possible printing errors.

The Croatian Nursing Journal adheres to the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (2016) of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) general guidelines for ethical conduct in publishing.

 

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT FOR CROATIAN NURSING JOURNAL

 

The Croatian Nursing Journal, a biannual publication implementing a double-blind peer review, is dedicated to the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal embraces ethical guidelines that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in all publication aspects. These guidelines, based on principles of integrity in research, fairness in peer review, and addressing ethical concerns, are crucial in maintaining the trust of our readers and contributors and enhancing the journal's overall quality. Embracing responsibilities for all involved—authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—these standards support the advancement of nursing knowledge. Importantly, the Croatian Nursing Journal adheres to the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (2016) of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) general guidelines for ethical conduct in publishing, ensuring that our editorial processes and decisions meet the highest international standards.

 

Editorial Policy: Each submission to the Croatian Nursing Journal is rigorously assessed for scientific merit, originality, and nursing relevance. Authors must comply with the journal's guidelines and adhere to ethical standards, especially in research involving human or animal subjects.

 

The editor is dedicated to the journal's continuous improvement, actively seeking feedback from the journal community and promoting initiatives to educate about publication ethics and reduce academic misconduct, ensuring our practices align with the latest in publishing. Editorial decisions prioritize the quality and importance of each article. The editor consults with reviewers and advisory boards, ensuring diverse expert opinions shape these decisions. The journal diligently addresses any ethical complaints about submissions or published works, involving communication with relevant parties and, if necessary, issuing corrections, retractions, or other notes.

 

The editorial board, pivotal to the journal's management, actively participates in pre-reviewing submissions and shaping the journal's direction and policies through regular meetings.

 

Authors are responsible for presenting their research accurately and objectively, ensuring data integrity, originality, and proper citation while avoiding plagiarism and properly acknowledging sources.

 

When authors identify significant errors in their published work, they must promptly inform the editor or publisher. The journal is equally committed to rectifying such issues, and maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the published content.

 

Peer Review Process: The Croatian Nursing Journal's peer review process, anchored in ensuring quality and integrity, begins with an initial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief and proceeds to a detailed review by at least two independent field experts. This double-blind review ensures unbiased evaluation, focusing solely on the manuscript's intellectual content without regard to the authors' attributes.

 

In line with COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, the journal upholds the highest ethical standards in its review process. Fair play and impartiality are key, with the editor and reviewers avoiding any conflicts of interest and ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated solely based on their academic merit.

 

The process also emphasizes the importance of promptness and responsibility from reviewers. Reviewers are expected to notify the editor if unable to review a manuscript on time and to treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.

 

The peer review process at the Croatian Nursing Journal is integral to the journal's commitment to academic excellence, combining rigorous evaluation, ethical standards, and confidentiality to ensure the publication of high-quality research in the field of nursing.

 

Confidentiality: Confidentiality is a fundamental principle in academic publishing and is strictly observed in the Croatian Nursing Journal, influenced by various guidelines. The editorial team, including the Editor-In-Chief, Assistant Editor-In-Chief, and editorial staff, uphold the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts. Information about these manuscripts is shared only with relevant parties such as corresponding authors, reviewers, and the publisher.

 

Manuscripts under review are treated as confidential, with their details not disclosed except by the Editor-In-Chief or Assistant Editor-In-Chief, safeguarding the integrity of the review process and authors' intellectual property. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines in cases of suspected misconduct to ensure a fair and confidential investigation.

 

Reviewers, crucial in manuscript evaluation, must keep the information confidential and not share it without authorization. They should follow the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Publishers, and confidentially report any suspected misconduct to the editor, who then decides based on these inputs within ethical frameworks.

 

Correction and Retraction of Papers: Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their published work. Before final printing, the corresponding author receives the galley proof of the paper and is required to correct it carefully and promptly. Corrections to published papers should be made promptly. If major mistakes or errors are found in the published version, an Erratum will be published in the first available issue and posted online.

 

In cases of significant errors, honest mistakes, or ethical issues, papers may be retracted. Authors can retract their paper if they discover major flaws, and the online version will be marked as 'retracted by authors' with a retraction notice added to the CrossRef database. If editors, reviewers, or readers notice issues like duplicate publication, fraudulent data use, plagiarism, or unethical research, the paper will be retracted after an internal review by the editor. This retraction will be marked as 'retracted by editor' online, and a notice will be added to the CrossRef database. All links to the retracted article will be maintained. The retractions are conducted in accordance with COPE guidelines and the journal maintains transparency in these processes and provides clear notifications in cases of retraction.

 

Ethical Considerations: Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence their work's interpretation, analysis, or publication. This includes financial or other substantive conflicts, such as employment, consultancies, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors should declare any conflict of interest in the cover letter and the paper, and at a later stage in the statement of Conflict of Interest. Reviewers are also required to notify the editors of any conflicts that prevent them from reviewing a paper.

 

Research involving human or animal subjects must adhere to ethical standards. Authors are advised to follow the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Informed consent is required from all human subjects, and for those under 18, consent must be obtained from parents or guardians. If the participant has passed away, consent for publication should be sought from their next of kin. Authors must include a statement in the manuscript detailing compliance with relevant guidelines and/or appropriate permissions or licenses.

 

Publication Misconduct: The Croatian Nursing Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Acts of plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publication, self-plagiarism, text recycling, or any other forms of unethical behavior are strictly prohibited. When such misconduct is identified, it is dealt with following the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommendations.

 

Authors are responsible for ensuring their work is entirely original, properly citing or quoting used works, and not publishing the same research in more than one journal. Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin PlagScan software to verify originality and maintain quality. There is a strict threshold for overlapping content, with a maximum of 20% overlap allowed. Violations of these terms result in the rejection and notification of all parties involved in accordance with COPE guidelines.

 

Reviewers also play a role in identifying plagiarism or academic misconduct during the review process, and they must notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap with other published data. The journal adopts procedures for detecting plagiarism both routinely and in cases where suspicions are raised. Authors are required to sign a cover letter declaring that they have not violated any internal rules or regulations of their institutions related to the content of their contributions and that they have not submitted the paper elsewhere.

 

Copyright and Licensing: The journal follows a clear copyright policy. Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal rights for publication and distribution. The content, upon publication, is made accessible under a specific licensing agreement that ensures proper citation and usage of the work.

For questions about the editorial process (including the status of manuscript under review) please contact the editorial office info@cnj.hr.

Checked Open Submissions Unchecked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed
 

Open Access Policy

The Croatian Nursing Journal uses the Diamond Open Access model.

The articles go through the processes of peer review, and there are NO author charges. All articles are freely available at our website to all users immediately upon publication.