Croatian Nursing Journal

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Author Guidelines

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 transferring original and valuable information to journal readers. Croatian Nursing Journal is published biannually in the English language. Authors are invited to submit original papers in the form of research findings, systematic and methodological reviews and literature reviews related to nursing.

EDITORIAL PROCESS

Upon manuscript submission, authors will receive an acknowledgment confirming receipt. The Croatian Nursing Journal upholds rigorous standards in peer review to ensure quality and fairness. All submissions undergo a double-anonymized review process, with each manuscript being reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Reviewers are expected to handle manuscripts with the utmost confidentiality, safeguarding the integrity of the review process.

Authors may suggest up to five potential reviewers, which were not co-authors, collaborators, or colleagues within the last three years. Authors may also request the exclusion of certain reviewers, with explanations provided for each request. The final selection of reviewers, however, remains at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Authors are expected to address each reviewer comment individually in a separate Word document, detailing how and where each suggestion has been incorporated or, if necessary, explaining any deviations. Additionally, all changes in the manuscript must be highlighted in yellow to facilitate the re-evaluation process. For manuscripts requiring major revisions, as recommended by multiple reviewers, the revised version will typically be sent back to the original reviewers for final assessment.

The Editorial Board makes the ultimate decision regarding manuscript acceptance based on the reviewers' comprehensive recommendations. If the article is accepted for publication, authors will receive formal confirmation. Prior to final publication, the corresponding author will receive a page-proof version of the article to review and make any last corrections related to typographical or formatting errors.

The Croatian Nursing Journal adheres to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (2016) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring ethical integrity throughout the publication process.

CROATIAN NURSING JOURNAL: GUIDE FOR AUTHORS

1. Research Papers

• Length: 2000–7000 words, excluding references, tables, and figures.
• Abstract: Structured, up to 400 words, detailing the study's objective, methodology, results (key findings), and conclusions.
• Content Requirements: Original research should significantly advance nursing knowledge or practice. Studies must align with the journal's scope and utilize standardized reporting guidelines, such as CONSORT for clinical trials or STROBE for observational studies (for further details on reporting standards, see the section on checklists below). New measurement instruments must be validated, and all materials related to instrument development should be included as supplementary files for transparency and reproducibility. Submissions should address limitations and implications for future research.

2. Review and Discussion Papers

• Length: 2000–7000 words.
• Abstract: Structured, up to 400 words, summarizing the review's scope, methodology, main findings, and relevance to nursing.
• Content Requirements: Suitable reviews include systematic, scoping, or narrative types. Systematic reviews must strictly adhere to standards like PRISMA, with detailed methodologies, databases searched, and criteria for study inclusion/exclusion. Scoping reviews should provide a broad overview and highlight research gaps. Discussion papers should present a critical perspective, assessing existing literature and theories in nursing. These papers should foster professional debate or introduce innovative research methodologies, addressing their impact on nursing science.

3. Letters to the Editor

• Length: Up to 1000 words, with a maximum of 10 references.
• Abstract: Not required.
• Purpose and Requirements: Letters provide a platform for discussing recent journal articles, offering brief data findings, or presenting succinct commentary on emerging topics in nursing. They may be authored by up to five contributors and should focus on advancing scholarly dialogue. Letters should avoid duplicative content from other submissions, focusing instead on novel perspectives or supplementary insights on the subject matter. The editorial team reserves the right to request revisions to ensure brevity and relevance.

4. Editorials

• Length: Up to 1000 words.
• Abstract: Not required.
• Purpose and Submission Guidelines: Editorials aim to address significant issues, current developments, or ethical considerations in nursing, often by invitation. Authors interested in proposing editorials should contact the Editor-in-Chief to discuss topic suitability. Editorials should present a clear argument, supported by relevant evidence or citations, and aim to stimulate thought or debate within the nursing community. Proposals should outline the editorial’s focus and relevance to the journal's readership.

Authors are strongly encouraged to follow the appropriate reporting guidelines according to the type of study. It is recommended that authors use the relevant checklists and tools available on the EQUATOR Network platform to ensure comprehensive and high-quality reporting. Additionally, authors should include the corresponding checklist with their submission to the Croatian Nursing Journal editorial office. The following table lists relevant guidelines and links for specific types of research:

General Submission Guidelines

1. Language
   Manuscripts must be written in clear, academic English. If English is not the author's first language, it is highly recommended to use a language editing service to ensure clarity and readability. Professional editing services can be useful to enhance the language quality, thus increasing the chances of acceptance.
2. Format and Structure

Manuscripts must include sections as the title page, abstract, keywords, and the main manuscript (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion). Additional considerations for formatting include:

• Title Page: Should contain the full title, author names, affiliations, and a corresponding author’s contact information. Keywords (5–6) are essential for searchability.
• References and Citations: Follow a Vancouver referencing style, to maintain uniformity and prevent citation errors.
• Abbreviations: Define abbreviations upon their first use in the text and avoid excessive use to maintain readability.
2. Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system, in compliance with the journal's formatting and referencing guidelines as outlined in the Guide for Authors. The use of plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) is recommended to ensure the originality of the manuscript.

4. Keywords
   Authors should select 5–6 specific, relevant keywords using the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) vocabulary to improve discoverability. Avoid overly broad terms, and ensure keywords precisely represent the manuscript’s content to facilitate accurate indexing and search results.
5. Technical Specifications for Figures and Tables
• Figures: All figures should be high-resolution (300 dpi) and numbered sequentially. Each figure requires a caption for clarity, such as “Figure 1: Example of measurement results.” Additionally, ensure all images are either original works by the author or used with explicit permission from the copyright holder.
• Tables: Tables should be created using the table function in word processing software rather than spaces or tabs to ensure proper formatting. Each table should have a title and be referenced in the text in numerical order.
6. Editing and Proofreading

Authors should carefully proofread their manuscripts to eliminate grammatical, typographical, and formatting errors before submission. A well-prepared manuscript reflects professionalism and increases the likelihood of acceptance. If the manuscript is accepted, authors may receive proofs for final review before publication.

Peer Review and Selection Process

• Review Type: Double-anonymized to ensure impartial evaluation.
• Selection Criteria: Based on scientific contribution, originality, and relevance to topic. Practical significance is prioritized over statistical significance
• Replication Studies: Considered if they address substantial uncertainty or replicate critical findings.

Ethical Requirements

Ethical Standards

Human Research: All studies involving human participants must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Manuscripts must include statements of ethical approval from relevant institutional review boards, documented informed consent from participants, and assurance of privacy protections.

Informed Consent and Patient Privacy: Authors must document ethics committee approval and confirm that informed consent has been obtained for studies involving patients or volunteers, including organ or tissue donors. Specific guidelines include:

Exclusion of identifiable patient information (e.g., names, initials, social security numbers) in the manuscript, even with consent, to maintain confidentiality.

Personal details should appear in supplementary material only when explicit permission is granted by the patient or their next of kin.

Animal Research: Research involving animals must comply with ARRIVE guidelines and any relevant national or international standards. Manuscripts should provide details on the ethical treatment of animals and adherence to appropriate regulatory standards.

Clinical Trials Registration

For clinical trials, registration in a public registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) is mandatory as per International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines. Trials must be registered prior to participant enrollment, and the trial registration number should appear at the end of the article’s abstract.

Definition of Clinical Trials: This includes any research that prospectively assigns human participants to health-related interventions (e.g., drugs, surgeries, behavioral treatments) to evaluate outcomes. Observational studies where interventions are not investigator-assigned do not require registration.

Reporting Standards: Authors should follow CONSORT guidelines for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including a CONSORT checklist and a flow diagram detailing patient progress (recruitment, enrollment, randomization, withdrawal, completion). The Equator Network provides detailed guidelines on reporting standards for various study types.

Authorship and Changes to 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.

• Authorship Criteria: Significant contributions to study design, data acquisition, analysis, drafting, and revision.
• Changes to Authorship: Requests for changes post-submission are permitted only before acceptance, contingent upon approval from all authors involved. Unauthorized changes post-acceptance may result in retraction.

Author Contributions

Each author’s contributions should be specified using CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) roles to ensure transparency in author responsibilities. Authors should be credited for substantive contributions only. Roles may include but are not limited to:

• Conceptualization
• Data Curation
• Formal Analysis
• Funding Acquisition
• Investigation
• Methodology
• Project Administration
• Resources
• Software
• Supervision
• Validation
• Visualization
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing

Authors can be identified by their initials for each role, e.g., Conceptualization (AB, MR), Data Curation (MR, IP, LH), and Writing – Original Draft (AB). Not all roles apply to every manuscript, and individual authors may contribute in multiple capacities. This section should be included at the end of the manuscript, before the references.

Conflict of Interest

All authors are required to disclose any financial or personal relationships with individuals or organizations that may have influenced their work. These disclosures should be listed at the end of the manuscript under the heading Conflict of Interest. Potential conflicts include, but are not limited to, employment, consultancy roles, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications, and funding sources. Providing this information ensures transparency and allows readers to assess any potential biases in the research. If no conflicts exist, authors should include the statement, “I have nothing to declare.”

Acknowledgments

Authors should acknowledge all funding sources relevant to the research. This acknowledgment should be precise and list any organizations, institutions, or individuals that provided support, either financial or otherwise, to facilitate the research and manuscript preparation. This section should be included at the end of the manuscript, before the references.

Funding

List all funding sources, including specific grants and institutional support, using the standard format. Where no funding is provided, include the statement: “This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.” This section should be included at the end of the manuscript, before the references.

Copyright

The Croatian Nursing Journal follows a Diamond Open Access model. Authors retain copyright over their work while granting the journal non-exclusive rights for publication and distribution. Upon publication, the content is made accessible under a licensing agreement that ensures appropriate citation and responsible usage. This policy allows for broad accessibility while safeguarding authors' rights, and any commercial use of the content requires explicit permission from the authors. All articles are freely available at our website to all users immediately upon publication and are published under a CC BY-NC license.

Use of Generative AI

Generative AI may only be used for language refinement and must not generate content. Use must be disclosed with a clear statement at the end of the manuscript, before the references, e.g.:

• Section Title: Declaration of Generative AI in Writing
• Statement: "During preparation, the author(s) used [Tool/Service Name] for language enhancement."

Writing and Formatting

File Format

Authors should provide editable source files for all components of their submission, including text, tables, and figures. Guidelines for file preparation include:

• Editable Format: Submit text files in .doc or .docx for Word or .tex for LaTeX. PDFs are not acceptable as source files.
• Text Layout: Use a single-column format for text layout.
• Error Checking: Use spell-check and grammar-check tools to minimize language errors.

Double-Anonymized Peer Review

The Croatian Nursing Journal employs a double-anonymized peer review process, whereby author and reviewer identities are concealed. To facilitate this, please upload two separate files:

• Title Page (with identifying information): Should include the article title, author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, conflict of interest statement, and contact details of the corresponding author.
• Anonymized Manuscript: Should contain the main body, references, figures, and tables, without any identifying information (e.g., author names or affiliations).

Title Page

The title page should include the following details:

• Article Title: Concise and informative; avoid abbreviations.
• Author Names: List each author's full name. Provide the correct sequence and spelling.

• Affiliations: Include the complete institutional address for each author, including country and email. If authors belong to several different institutions, superscript digits should be used to relate authors’ names to respective institution. Identical number(s) should follow the authors’ name and precede the institution names.

• Corresponding Author: Clearly indicate the author responsible for all correspondence and ensure contact details are up to date.

Abstract

Authors are required to provide a clear, structured abstract of no more than 400 words, written exclusively in English. The abstract should summarize the research’s purpose, main findings, and conclusions. Key guidelines:

• Stand-alone Quality: Avoid references and non-standard abbreviations. If essential, define abbreviations upon first use.
• Structure: The abstract should include objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions, highlighting the study's novel or significant aspects.

Keywords

Authors must include 1 to 7 keywords to enhance article discoverability. Keywords should be in English, avoiding lengthy phrases or multi-word terms. Abbreviations should be used only if well-recognized within the field.

Units, Classification Codes, and Nomenclature

All measurements should follow the International System of Units (SI). If non-SI units are used, provide the equivalent in SI units.

Introduction

Clearly state the objective of the article, providing a concise summary of the study’s rationale and relevance. Critically review pertinent literature to contextualize the research and highlight gaps that the study aims to address.

Methods

Provide a detailed description of participant selection and outline the defining characteristics of the sample. Describe data collection procedures and specify any instruments used, including the manufacturer’s name and location. For established methods, cite relevant references; for new or significantly modified methods, include a thorough explanation and evaluation of limitations. Describe all drugs and chemicals by their generic names and express measurements in International System (SI) units to ensure reproducibility of the research.

Ethics

Manuscripts reporting experiments involving human subjects must affirm adherence to ethical standards as per the institutional or regional ethics committee and align with the Helsinki Declaration. Include an ethics statement at an appropriate location within the text.

Statistics

Outline statistical methods in sufficient detail to enable verification of results by readers with access to the original data. Quantify findings wherever feasible and accompany them with suitable measures of error or uncertainty. Specify the statistical software used, including its version.

Results

Present results logically, using text, tables, and illustrations. Avoid duplicating detailed data from tables or figures within the text; instead, highlight and summarize key findings. Tables and figures should support, rather than duplicate, information in the text.

Discussion

Focus on the study’s new and significant findings, linking conclusions to the data without repeating content from the Introduction or Results. Discuss the implications of findings, acknowledging limitations and suggesting directions for future research. When relevant, compare findings with existing studies, clearly labeling any new hypotheses presented.

Conclusion

Summarize the primary insights of the study, offering practical recommendations for clinical practice, further research, education, or management where appropriate. Ensure recommendations are consistent with study limitations and supported by the data.

Tables

It is recommended to limit the number of tables and figures to a maximum of ten per manuscript, where possible. All tables and figures must be contained in the same file as the main text, numbered and titled. Each table and figure must be referred to in the manuscript text. A table should not exceed one page.

Tables should be submitted in editable text format, not as images, with the following guidelines:

• Placement: Insert tables next to relevant text.
• Numbering: Number tables in sequence and cite them in the manuscript.
• Formatting: Use captions, avoid vertical rules, and place notes below the table body.

Figures and Artwork

Submit figures and other graphical elements as separate files. Essential guidelines include:

• File Naming: Name files logically, such as “Figure_1” or “Table_2.”
• Resolution Requirements: For quality reproduction, use 300 dpi for photos, 1000 dpi for line drawings, and 500 dpi for combination images.
• File Types: Save vector drawings as EPS or PDF, and photos or bitmaps as TIFF, JPEG, or PNG.
• Captions: Provide a brief title and explanation for each figure.

Color Artwork

Color images will appear in color online.

Generative AI and Artwork

Generative AI tools are not permitted for creating or altering figures or images, unless part of the research method, in which case the AI’s use must be transparently documented in the methods section.

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 brackets. Use of the DOI is highly encouraged.

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 the DOI. The author should obtain written permission to cite such papers as well as verification that they have been accepted for publication.

The list of references should include only those references that are important to the text. A long list of references is not desirable. 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.

Cover Letter

Each manuscript submission must be accompanied by a detailed cover letter, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief. This cover letter serves as a formal introduction to the submitted work and provides context on its relevance, originality, and alignment with the journal's focus. Please ensure the letter is clear, concise, and covers the following elements:

1. Statement of Originality: Confirm that the manuscript is original, has not been published previously, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Explicitly state that all authors approve of the submission to the Croatian Nursing Journal and affirm their agreement with the manuscript's content.
2. Conflict of Interest: Disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including financial interests, affiliations, or personal relationships that might influence the work. If no conflicts exist, include the statement, “I have nothing to declare.”
3. Copyright Transfer: Confirm that upon acceptance, authors agree to transfer copyright to the Croatian Nursing Journal to facilitate publication and distribution under the journal’s open-access policy.
4. Research Significance: Provide a brief summary of the manuscript's key contributions, including its primary objectives, main findings, and potential impact on the field. Highlight any novel approaches, methodologies, or findings that distinguish the study from existing literature.
5. Fit with Journal’s Scope: Briefly explain why this work is a suitable fit for the Croatian Nursing Journal, considering its scope and target readership. Emphasize how the research contributes to advancing nursing knowledge and practice.
6. Contact Information: Include the corresponding author’s full name, institutional affiliation, email address, and contact number for further communication.

Please keep the cover letter to a single page, avoid duplicating content from the manuscript abstract, and maintain a professional tone. Each point helps the editorial team understand the relevance and rigor of your submission, which can aid in progressing through the review process smoothly.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

1. The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).

2. The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or WordPerfect document file format.

3. Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.

4. The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.

5. The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines, which is found in About the Journal.

Privacy Statement

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