Author Guidelines
The primary purpose of Clinical Nurse Specialist® is to publish original manuscripts that consider issues, trends, research, and clinical innovations related to the multiple roles of the clinical nurse specialist. Specifically, the objectives of this journal are to promote cohesion and interaction between practicing clinical nurse specialists and other nurses in advanced practice and to communicate innovative perspectives on advanced nursing practice.		   
   Policies

Manuscripts are accepted for exclusive publication in the Clinical Nurse Specialist® journal. The Editors reserve the right to accept or reject all submitted manuscripts. All accepted manuscripts become the sole property of the Clinical Nurse Specialist®. Upon acceptance of each manuscript it will be necessary for the editorial office to receive assignment of copyright from all authors of the manuscript. Authors are not reimbursed for published articles. Extensive rewriting and editorial changes made by the corresponding author after the article is typeset will be charged to the respective author.

Cover Letter

Please include a cover letter with the name, address, telephone numbers (home and work), and fax number/e-mail address (if available) of the author to whom all correspondence should be sent.

Peer Review

All submitted manuscripts are reviewed by the Editors and then forwarded to a minimum of 2 anonymous referees for blind review. Acceptance of manuscripts is based on the reviews and is the decision of the Editors. All accepted manuscripts may undergo editorial revision to conform to the standards of the journal and/or improve clarity.

Preparation of the Manuscript

All manuscripts must be typed or computer printed on white bond paper 8½ x 11 inch, with margins of at least 1 inch, doublespacing throughout, including separate pages for title page, abstract, text, acknowledgments, references, tables, and legends for illustrations. Type the page numbers consecutively in the upper right hand corner of each page beginning with the title page.

Organization of Manuscripts

All manuscripts should contain the following sections in the order listed:
  1. Identification Page: The name, home address, phone number, fax number, and/or e-mail address (if available), position and title, and institutional affiliation, work phone number, work fax number, and/or e-mail address (if available) of each author and indicate to which author the proofs should be sent. Do not number this page.
  2. Author Biographies: A biographical sketch of 50 words or less for each author. Do not number this page.
  3. Title Page: A brief, informative title of 10 words or less. Author(s) name(s) should not appear on this page. Begin page numbering here.
  4. Abstract and Key Words: An abstract of no more than 150 words, which includes the central theme and major subdivisions of the paper. A research paper should include the general purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions/application of the study. The abstract should not contain abbreviations, footnotes, or references. Include 3 key word descriptors for indexing purposes. Use terms from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus; if suitable MeSH terms are not yet available use present terms.
  5. Text: Manuscripts should be no longer than 16 typed pages. Nonresearch papers should include a brief introduction to the issue or theme followed by the body of the paper. When possible, subheadings should be used to divide areas of the manuscript. Research papers should include an introduction indicating what the study is about, brief review of the literature, statement of the problem, methods describing procedures, instruments and their reliability and validity, results, and discussion of conclusions/application. In either case, the preferred style and format guidelines are described in American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th edition. The author's name should not appear anywhere within the text of the manuscript.
  6. Acknowledgments: Contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship may be acknowledged. Such persons must have given their permission to be named.
  7. References: References should be listed at the end of the paper according to AMA Manual of Style, 9th edition, and numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text. Corresponding reference numbers as superscript should be designated in the text. Journal abbreviations should follow Index Medicus. For example:

    • Journal article
      Smith P, Ironson G, Brannick M III, Gibson W, Paul K. Construction of a job in general scale: a comparison of global, composite, and specific measures. J Appl Psychol. 1989;74:1-8.
    • Book
      Bain D. The Productive Prescription. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.; 1999:234-267.
    • Chapter in a book
      Cole BR. Cystinosis and cystinuria. In: Jacobson HR, Striker GE, Klahr S Jr, eds. The Principles and Practices of Nephrology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: BC Decker Inc; 1991:396-403.
  8. Tables: Type or print each table on a separate sheet. Number tables consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each.
  9. Figures: Figures must be professionally drawn and photographed; freehand or typewritten is unacceptable. Send camera-ready, sharp, glossy black and white photographic prints (unmounted) usually 5 by 7 in. but no larger than 8 by 10 in. Titles and detailed explanations belong in the legends for illustrations and not on the illustrations themselves.

    Authors have the option of submitting artwork electronically using the following guidelines. Images may be submitted electronically as either a Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) or an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file in Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe Photoshop®, or QuarkXPress®. If art is more than one color, each file must be saved in its own file with registration marks and trapping. A laser proof must accompany the electronic art that is being submitted on disk.

  10. Legends for illustrations or figures: Type legends double-spaced, starting on a separate page, with arabic numbers corresponding to the illustrations or figures.
  11. Permissions: If the manuscript contains direct use of previously published material such as texts, photographs, and/or drawings, permission of the author and publisher of such works must be submitted with the manuscript.
Submission of the Manuscript

Send the original and 4 copies to the Editors of Clinical Nurse Specialist,® 3969 Green Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110. The journal is not responsible for manuscripts lost in the mail. Be sure to keep a copy of the manuscript for yourself and we will notify you of receipt. Submit the manuscript for our sole consideration. If we reject the manuscript, all copies will be destroyed.

Diskettes. Authors must submit the final version of the manuscript, references, and figure legends on diskette. Identify the diskette with the name of the senior author, article title, hardware, software, and version. IBM-compatible diskettes (3½ inch) are preferred in WordPerfect 5.1, but other programs may be converted. For information, call 717-234-6779 or fax 717-234-6798.

Correspondence

The editors welcome letters, which, if suitable and if space permits, will be published at their discretion. These letters should be typewritten, doublespaced, and not over 1 page in length. Letters may be edited to enhance clarity and accommodate space requirements.

Author Checklist

Arrange materials in the following order:
  • Cover letter
  • Permissions
  • Identification page
  • Author Biographies
  • Acknowledgments
Submit 5 complete sets in the following order:
  • Title page (page 1, title of manuscript only)
  • Abstract and key words (page 2)
  • Text of manuscript (beginning with page 3)
  • References (numbered starting on a separate page)
  • Tables
  • Figures or illustrations
  • Legends for figures or illustrations


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