We receive a number of queries from authors asking for details about what our journal is looking for in terms of content. That is a great question that all authors should be thinking about when they are considering a journal to target for their manuscripts. Every journal has a specific scope and a unique style, even those that share a specialty area with other journals. At JAANP, our focus is on new science and innovations that have broad impact on nurse practitioner clinical practice, graduate education, and the current and future role of the nurse practitioner. Our ongoing focus is on manuscripts that contain information that has not been previously published. I will discuss a few types of articles that we prioritize and then dig down into a few specifics of what the manuscripts need to contain to optimize their chances for publication in JAANP.
One popular type of article is a systematic review of the literature. This category includes integrative reviews and concept analyses. Each of these article types explores existing literature in a systematic and rigorous way, with defined criteria for selection and analysis of published works. The investigators then synthesize the various publications and arrive at new conclusions by looking at the body of work as a whole. The result is an addition to the body of knowledge that occurs through summarizing and analyzing evidence. This information can then guide other researchers. In contrast to this, we do not consider narrative reviews for publication. These are literature reviews that are inclusive of non-research-based literature.
Another article type that is emphasized in JAANP is original research, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies. New discoveries through research help clinicians, educators, and policy makers. We also consider early research such as pilot studies, depending on the potential impact of the study. Research that includes innovative methodologies or that explores areas of high volume, high impact, or high risk are emphasized. By contrast, clinical review articles that summarize existing information on a clinical topic are not included in JAANP.
Educational innovations, including educational research, are another area of interest. The journal has particular interest in educational philosophy, management of clinical education of NPs, educational technology, and other innovations in education that may benefit other colleges of nursing or NP education in general. However, we do not consider education articles that are limited in size and scope and cannot be generalized to other programs.
We also value policy analyses and would like to receive more of this type of manuscript. These analyses are expected to use a structured method of organization and analysis that provides readers with a history of the policy, policy impact, and achievable recommendations. We do not include general policy critiques or opinion papers on policies.
Quality improvement reports: We get a large volume of these submissions and we understand why. Kudos are owed to those students who take their Doctor of Nursing Practice project paper and go through the long process to turn it into a publishable manuscript. We are looking for projects that have a large sample size, include multiple sites, use novel or new techniques to solve a problem, and have the potential to noticeably improve clinical care or patient outcomes, especially those that demonstrate long-term effects. We typically do not consider projects that have no outcomes or very short-term outcomes or that use standard or well-known methods for the project intervention.
Clinical and case study articles: We do consider these papers if the material adds to the body of knowledge of a topic. For example, we consider conditions for which there are new or emerging treatments or changes in guidelines, unique or unusual presentations, and high-risk conditions that may be encountered by nurse practitioners in their practice sites. However, we generally do not consider case reports that are limited to a review of existing standards of care that have been previously published.
One final article type is a brief report. A manuscript on any topic with a limited focus that does not warrant a feature length article is considered for a brief report. Some pilot studies and papers that include updates to clinical or educational topics are included in this group. As with the other article types, the reviewers and editors are looking for new or novel information that will provide guidance to readers broadly. By contrast, we do not include reports that restate information that is available elsewhere.
Our author guidelines are very detailed and provide guidance on organization and format for each manuscript type we consider. Our journal is fortunate to receive a high volume of submissions. That is good news for us but it makes the decision process very competitive for authors. We have received outstanding papers from students, clinicians, and faculty members alike. Decisions are based solely on the quality of the material provided to us. If you are considering submitting a paper to JAANP, I hope the above information is helpful and I would be happy to discuss it with you further.