Advances in Nursing Science: Information for Authors : Advances in Nursing Science

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Advances in Nursing Science: Information for Authors

​​​​​​Purpose

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Preparation of Manuscript

Style of Writing and Presentation

Manuscript Submission

After Submission

After Acceptance

Video Abstract

ANS Blog

 

Purpose of the Journal

The primary purposes of Advances in Nursing Science (ANS) are to advance the development of nursing knowledge and to promote the integration of nursing philosophies, theories and research with practice. While the journal provides scholarly articles that have relevance for all health-related disciplines, we are particularly committed to claiming nursing's rightful place in the development of health-related knowledge.

Scope and Values

We expect high scholarly merit and encourage innovative, cutting edge ideas that challenge prior assumptions and present new, intellectually challenging perspectives. We seek works that speak to global sustainability and take an intersectional approach, recognizing class, color, sexual and gender identity, dis/abiliy and other dimensions of human experience related to health. We welcome manuscripts authored by Black, Indigenous and all scholars of color. We welcome all works that challenge existing injustices and power imbalances that sustain privilege for some and disadvantage for others, and works that name social and systemic dynamics such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, etc.  Manuscripts can be based on any methodology, including scholarly inquiry/research, philosophic and theoretic analysis/synthesis, integrative reviews, and original exploration of diverse approaches to creating nursing knowledge. All submissions must include a statement that addresses the significance of the work for the evolution of the discipline of nursing.

Published scholarly works play a major role in shaping thought and power structures. We encourage authors to include a standpoint statement that describes your position relative to power relations of race, gender, and class. This is particularly important if your work involves disadvantaged populations or issues of social determinants of health and health equity. Examples include:

  • “The authors Identify as white middle-class nurses. We have drawn on literature authored by scholars of color to inform the design, interpretations and conclusions reported in this article."
  • “Our work arises from our experiences as able-bodied nurses, as well as our identities as mixed-race descendants of immigrants from Central and South American countries."

Acceptance or rejection by the editor is based on the recommendations of peer reviewers, who evaluate manuscripts using the following criteria:

  • Consistent with the purposes of this journal.
  • Significant to the advancement of the discipline of nursing.
  • Concise, logical ordering of ideas; readability.
  • Presentation of innovative, original ideas with sound rationale for the ideas.​​
  • Acknowledgement of and challenges to power relations involving race, gender, class, ableism or any other systematic disadvantage.
  • Scholarly methods and approaches to inquiry.
  • Well-founded and accurate content.
  • Adequate documentation. (Note: submissions with citations from deceptive or low-quality journals, also known as “predatory," are not acceptable and will be rejected.)
  • The title and keywords are appropriate to enhance discoverability.

Visions: Scholarship of Rogerian Nursing Science

Each issue of ANS includes one "Visions: Scholarship of Rogerian Nursing Science" article. "Visions" articles  provide a perspective based on Martha E. Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB). Research reports, concept analyses, reviews, and theoretical or philosophic discussion papers focused on SUHB are welcome. Guidelines for ANS articles regarding style, presentation, length, formatting, references, tables, figures, supplemental digital content, originality, and permissions apply to articles submitted for Visions: Scholarship of Rogerian Nursing Science. When submitting through Editorial Manager, there is an option to identify the article to be considered for Visions: Scholarship of Rogerian Nursing Science.​

Article Types

A general description of the focus and suggested content for different types of articles follows:

  • Research reports: We welcome articles based on research using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods. The report should include a clear and concise summary of the purpose and problem, a statement of the hypothesis or research questions, background and significance, theoretical framework, design, methods and procedures, analyses of data, findings, conclusions, and implications for further research and nursing practice.
  • Theory, philosophy and methodology articles: Development of theory, philosophy and methodology are considered foundational for the development of nursing knowledge. We welcome in-depth theory analyses and development, integrative reviews, critical analyses, and works that examine the underlying epistemologic and/or ontologic foundation for nursing knowledge.  All articles should include a review of literature upon which the work builds. Implications for the evolution of nursing knowledge should be included
  • We are open to considering concept analysis papers that would advance nursing knowledge in specific fields (e.g., concept analysis papers based on empirical evidence through research studies). Concept analysis papers only based on literature reviews would not be consistent with the mission of ANS.  Please refer to the guest editorial by Dr. Beth Rodgers on quality conceptual work
  • Psychometric tests, clinical trials testing devices, drugs, and/or treatment modalities, evidence-based intervention protocols, and quality improvement studies are rarely accepted as they are mostly not consistent with the mission of ANS. Again, the primary purposes of Advances in Nursing Science (ANS) are to advance the development of nursing knowledge and to promote the integration of nursing philosophies, theories and research with practice.
  • All articles are listed in the Table of Contents for both the paper and on-line sections. The Table of Contents in the paper volume includes the titles of all on-line articles, the names of all authors, and a condensed abstract. A link directly to the article online is provided at the end of the abstract. All articles are available on Ovid and are indexed with CINAHL, ISI, and all other indexes in which ANS appears.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

ANS is a member of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics - http://publicationethics.org/), which means that the Editors, advisory board members, reviewers and publishers assure that all of our editorial and publishing practices meet the highest standard of ethical conduct. Although we make every effort to ensure the validity of published manuscripts, the final responsibility for the integrity of the content of published articles rests with the authors, not with the Journal, its editors, or the publisher.​

Manuscript ​Originality

Manuscripts that are submitted to the journal must meet these conditions:

  1. Your article must be an original contribution not previously published. To verify originality, the editorial staff may check manuscripts for plagiarism / duplicate publication by using the CrossCheck/iThenticate software, which compares the manuscript to material uploaded to CrossCheck's own database, articles published on PubMed, and text appearing on the Internet. Please note that CrossCheck/iThenticate also checks for self-plagiarism or redundancy. Authors should be careful to rework and cite text from their previously published works, (see http://www.ithenticate.com/resources/infographics/types-of-plagiarism-research)
  2. Your article must NOT be under consideration for publication elsewhere; you will be asked to verify this claim in the submission process. If your manuscript, or a prior draft of your manuscript, has been posted on a preprint server, you must disclose this, along with a link to the preprint, in your cover letter at the time of your submission.  We will then assess whether your manuscript will add meaningful new information or ideas to the nursing literature.
  3. If your article is based on a project in which there were human participants, you must indicate in your text the procedures used to assure ethical conduct related to your participants.
  4. Your content must include a clear description of methods used and the quality standards you used in developing your work.  For research reports, use guidelines provided by the EQUATOR network (https://www.equator-network.org/) , such as:
    a. STROBE statement for observational studies (cohort, case–control, or cross-sectional designs)
    b. PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses
    c. COREQ guidelines for qualitative studies
  5. Your article must meet standards of English language used for professional publication (see the “Manuscript Preparation Section below for resources related to English language).

Authorship Requirements

Each person listed as an author is expected to have participated in the preparation of the manuscript to a significant extent. We use the standards of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/), which require that all authors must meet all of the following 4 criteria:

  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who have contributed to the manuscript in some way, but who do not meet all of these 4 criteria, should be noted in the acknowledgements, along with a brief description of their contribution to the work.

Co-primary authors - There is only one list showing the order of authors in the print or digital article, if you wish to indicate joint first authorship or senior authorship, a footnote should be added to the author listing, e.g. 'X and Y should be considered joint first author' or 'X and Y should be considered joint senior author.'

Repositories and Social Media

If accepted, your article must not be published elsewhere in similar form, in any language, without the consent of the publisher. You may not post the PDF file of your copyedited article, or your final published article in any repository or online social media site. However, you may post the pre-publication revised and accepted manuscript provided you include a link to the published article on the publisher's website. For specific detail about reuse and permissions for any part of your article, refer here.

Authorship Policies

The journal does not consider Artificial Intelligence authoring tools to meet the requirements for Authorship as recommended by the ICMJE. The use of such tools may be included in the article’s Acknowledgements. ​

Compliance with NIH and Other Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements:

A number of research funding agencies now require or ​request authors to submit the post-print (the manuscript after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. As a service to our authors, LWW will identify to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) articles that require deposit and will transmit the post-print of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or other funding agencies to PubMed Central. The revised Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the mechanism.​

Open Access Option

Authors of accepted peer-reviewed articles have the choice to pay a fee to allow perpetual unrestricted online access to their published article to readers globally, immediately upon publication. Authors may take advantage of the open access option at the point of acceptance to ensure that this choice has no influence on the peer review and acceptance process. These articles are subject to the journal's standard peer-review process and will be accepted or rejected based on their own merit.

The article processing charge (APC) is charged on acceptance of the article and should be paid within 30 days by the author, funding agency or institution. Payment must be processed for the article to be published open access. For a list of journals and pricing please visit our Wolters Kluwer Open Health Journals page.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must state all possible conflicts of interest in the submission, including financial, consultant, institutional and other relationships that might lead to bias or a conflict of interest. If there is no conflict of interest, this should also be explicitly stated as none declared. All sources of funding should be acknowledged in the submission. All relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding should be included on the title page of the manuscript with the heading “Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:"

Each author must complete and submit the journal's copyright transfer agreement, which includes a section on the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest based on the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Copyright Transfer Requirement

At the time of submission, the submitting author is presented with the copyright transfer and conflict of interest form. Co-authors will automatically receive an Email with instructions to also complete the form in order to proceed with the review process

Permissions

You must submit written permission from the copyright owner (usually the publisher) to use material being borrowed or adapted from other sources, including previously published material of your own, along with complete details about the source. Any permissions fees that might be required by the copyright owner are the responsibility of the authors requesting use of the borrowed material, not the responsibility of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. You can download our file to use for this purpose, or use the letter of permission you obtain from the publisher. You must scan the signed permission and save as a PDF file, then attach the file to your submission as a submission item.

You must obtain written permission for the following material:

  • All direct quotes of 300 words or more from any full-length book
  • All direct quotes of 200 words or more from a periodical article
  • All excerpts from a newspaper article or other short piece
  • Any passage from a play or a song
  • Two or more lines of poetry
  • Any borrowed table, figure, or illustration being reproduced exactly or adapted to fit the needs of the subject.

    For permission and/or rights to use content for which the copyright holder is LWW please go to the journal's website and after clicking on the relevant article, click on the "Request Permissions" link under the "Article Tools" box that appears on the right side of the page. Alternatively, send an e-mail to [email protected]

    For more information on permissions, please visit: https://shop.lww.com/journal-permission

    Other specific situations requiring permissions:
  • For Translation approval, License to republish and distribute, or Permission to reuse material in another publication or presentation, please email one of the following: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
  • For Special Projects and Reprints (U.S./Canada), contact Alan Moore, Director of Sales, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Phone: 215-521-8638. E-mail: [email protected]

Preparation of Manuscript​

English Language Standards

We require that manuscripts meet standards of English language used for professional publication. Wolters Kluwer, in partnership with Editage, offers a unique range of editorial services to help you prepare a submission-ready manuscript (see http://journals.lww.com/advancesinnursingscience/_layouts/1033/oaks.journals/editservices.aspx)  Other resources for assistance with English language editing include  Maine Desk Professional Editorial Services (a nursing resource), Write Science Right, International Science Editing, SciTechEdit International, or Science Docs.

Articles that deal with ethics and other philosophic concerns, research methodologies and designs, concept analysis, theory analysis, or application of theory and/or research findings in practice should be organized in a logical manner consistent with the author's purpose. Research papers should include all pertinent information related to the study, including the purpose of the study, a brief summary of background literature and justification of the study, a summary of the theoretical framework on which the study is based, the research problems or hypotheses, methodology and design, analysis of data, and a summary of conclusions and recommendations for further research and for nursing practice.

Manuscript Components

Every component of your manuscript is important and we encourage you to follow these instructions carefully.  Consider in particular your title, keywords and abstract because these are the elements that enhance the discoverability of your work.

Titles: While fun, catchy titles can be intriguing, we highly recommend that you use a title that is a succinct, precise and descriptive “label" for the content of your work.

Keywords: In considering your keywords, think about the search terms that you used in the background research you completed for your manuscript; these often are the same search terms another reader will use when they are looking for content you have provided in your article. The National Library of Medicine “Suggestions for Finding Author Keywords using MeSH Tools" is an excellent resource to help select your keywords, but you do not need to be limited to these terms only. Review the various sections of your manuscript, and make sure that you have included keywords that are relevant for each section. Avoid using acronyms as keywords.

Abstract: Your abstract should be a succinct summary of your article, and provide an overview of the content of your manuscript.

The following components are required for all submissions. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the corresponding author for technical revision before undergoing peer review.

  • Abstract: The Abstract is inserted into a designated box during the submission process. You can compose the abstract using your word processor and copy and paste into the designated box on the web. Limit the abstract to 100 words. Do not cite references in the abstract. Limit the use of abbreviations and acronyms. The abstract should briefly summarize the major issue, problem or topic being addressed, and the findings and/or conclusions of the article.
  • Key words: Key words are inserted into a designated box during the submission process. Provide up to ten key words that describe the contents of the article like those that appear in Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) or The National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). The key words are used in indexing your manuscript when it is published.
  • Title page: The title page will be submitted as a separate file when you are instructed to attach files to your submission. Compose your title page using your word processor, then attach this file when you reach the "attach files" step in the submission process. Include on the title page
    • complete manuscript title;
    • authors' full names, highest academic degrees, and affiliations [NOTE: We do not allow the use of "PhD(c)" as a degree];
    • name and address for correspondence, including fax number, telephone number, and e-mail address;
    • any acknowledgements, credits or disclaimers; include acknowledgement of all sources of funding; and
    • disclosure of funding received for this work from any of the following organizations: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Wellcome Trust; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); and other(s).
  • Statement of Significance: The statement of significance will be submitted as a required file with your submission. The statement should be written in the first person, active voice, directly addressing the reader of your article. The significance statement includes two parts:
    • “What is known, or assumed to be true, about this topic." and
    • “What this article adds"
  • Manuscript: The manuscript will be submitted as a separate file when you are instructed to attach files to your submission. Do not include any identifying information in your manuscript. If you are citing your own works, list them as "Author, YYYY" in the citation and the reference list in order to maintain your anonymity for the review process. Compose your manuscript using your word processor, then attach this file when you reach the "attach files" step in the submission process.

Manuscript Format and Style

Your manuscript will be assessed for standardized format and style requirements prior to entering the review process.  If your manuscript does not adequately meet these requirements, it will be returned to the corresponding author with a request to revise the manuscript style and format.  The requirements are:

  • Prepare the article double spaced using the most current version of Microsoft Word for PC or Mac. Note in particular that the reference list should also be double-spaced.  Leave a one-inch margin on all sides. Do not right justify.
  • Type all headings on a separate line.
  • Number all article pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner (text, references and legends for tables and figures only).
  • All legends for Tables and Figures are to be included with the manuscript. They should be brief and specific, and they should appear on a separate manuscript page after the references.
  • Tables and Figures are attached as separate files when you reach "attach files" in the submission process. (See guidelines for preparing tables and figures below.)
    • Cite figures consecutively in your manuscript.
    • Number figures in the figure legend in the order in which they are discussed.
    • Upload figures consecutively to the Editorial Manager web site and enter figure numbers consecutively in the Description field when uploading the files.
  • Write out the full term for each abbreviation at its first use unless it is a standard unit of measure.
  • Manuscript length (including all references, tables, figures) should be within a range of 15 to 30 pages (standard 8.5 x 11 inch page size). Excessively long manuscripts are seldom published in order to accommodate as much diversity as possible within each issue.
  • Use the, AMA Manual of Style, Ed. 11, Copyright 2020 for citations and references. See detailed guidelines for citations and references below.
  • The list of references is not to exceed 50 entries.
  • No identifying information (authors' names) should be included on the manuscript. If you cite your own works, list them as "Author, YYYY" in the citation and the reference list in order to maintain your anonymity for the review process.
  • If your word processor tracks changes in your manuscript, then these may be visible to reviewers and will reveal your identity. To assure the anonymity of your manuscript, BE SURE to approve (or remove) all changes in your word document before uploading. In MS Word, go to the tools menu, then select "track changes". You can either highlight the changes (to check them before you approve them), or go directly to "approve or reject changes". Once you approve the changes, then they are no longer visible, and they will not show up on the pdf file that is built in the ANS Editorial Manager system.

References

You are responsible:

●    To know the common types of attribution errors and assure that the content of their submission is original, with accurate and adequate attribution to content that relies on the work of other authors;

●    For the accuracy and credibility of the references.

●    To use only sources from credible and high quality journals that follow COPE guidelines and adhere to sound editorial standards. 

          ●       Citations from deceptive or low-quality journals (also known as “predatory") are not acceptable and will be rejected.

          ●       Citations to material posted on preprint servers are not allowed.

​Include the references (double-spaced) at the end of the manuscript. Cite the references in text in the order of appearance. Cite unpublished data—such as papers submitted but not yet accepted for publication and personal communications, including e-mail communications—in parentheses in the text. If you cite your own works, list them as "Author, YYYY" in the citation and the reference list in order to maintain your anonymity for the review process.

The citations and reference list is to be styled according to the AMA Manual of Style, Ed. 11, Copyright 2020. Examples of citations within the text and reference list style are as follows:

Citation: Reliability has been established previously,1,2-8,19

Citation following a quote: Jacobsen concluded that "the consequences of muscle strength..."5(pp3,4)

Reference list: Books

  1. Gregory CF, Chapman MW, Hanse ST Jr. Open fractures. In: Rockwood CA Jr, Green DP, eds. Fractures. Philadelphia: JB LIppincott Co; 1984: 169-218.
  2. Yando R, Seitz U, Zigler E., et al. Imitation: A Developmental Perspective. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1978.

Reference list: Journal articles (with abbreviated journal names and DOIs)

  1. Stevens, PE, Hall, JM. Appyling critical theories to nursing in communities. Public Health Nurs. 992; 9(1):2-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1992.tb00065.x

Reference list: unpublished material

  1. Sieger M. The nature and limits of clinical medicine. In: Cassell EJ, Siegler M., eds. Changing Values in Medicine. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. In press.

Reference list: dissertation and thesis

  1. Raymand CA. Uncovering Ideology: Occupational Health in the Mainstream and Advocacy Press, 1970-1982. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University; 1983. Thesis.

Reference list: World Wide Web

  1. Advances in Nursing Science Author's Guide. http://ans-info.net/ANSathgd.htm. Published June 30, 2006. Accessed June 13, 2007.

Reference list: Online Journal

  1. Duchin JS. Can preparedness for biological terrorism save us from pertussis? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(2):106-107. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/158/2/106. Accessed June 1, 2004. doi:10.1001/archpedi.158.2.106

Figures

We encourage authors to include illustrations to enhance the message of your manuscript.  We have provided a useful guide for creating your own digital artwork here: http://links.lww.com/ES/A42.  Once you have prepared your artwork, you will upload each item as a separate file to Editorial Manager.

Here are the basics to have in place before submitting your digital artwork:

  • Artwork should be saved as TIFF, EPS, or MS Office (DOC, PPT, XLS) files. High resolution PDF files are also acceptable.
  • Crop out any white or black space surrounding the image.
  • Diagrams, drawings, graphs, and other line art must be vector or saved at a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. If created in an MS Office program, send the native (DOC, PPT, XLS) file.
  • Photographs, radiographs and other halftone images must be saved at a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
  • Photographs and radiographs with text must be saved as postscript or at a resolution of at least 600 dpi.
  • Each figure must be saved and submitted as a separate file. Figures should not be embedded in the manuscript text file.

Supplemental Digital Content

Supplemental Digital Content (SDC) can be media of any type that enhances that article's text but that cannot be included in the traditional print or PDF version of the article. SDC is submitted via Editorial Manager as an integral part of the submission. SDC may include any standard media such as text documents, colored photographs, graphs, audio, video, drawings, etc. When you reach the section of Editorial Manager to attach files, you can select Supplemental Audio, Video, or Data for your uploaded file as the Submission Item. If an article with SDC is accepted, our production staff will create a URL with the SDC file. The URL will be placed in the call-out within the article. SDC files are not copy-edited by LWW staff, they will be presented digitally as submitted. All acceptable file types are permissible up to 90 MBs. For a list of all available file types and detailed instructions, please visit http://links.lww.com/A142.

SDC Call-outs: Supplemental Digital Content must be cited consecutively in the text of the submitted manuscript. Citations should include the type of material submitted (Audio, Figure, Table, etc.), be clearly labeled as "Supplemental Digital Content," include the sequential list number, and provide a description of the supplemental content. All descriptive text should be included in the call-out as it will not appear elsewhere in the article.

Example:

We performed many tests on the degrees of flexibility in the elbow (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, which demonstrates elbow flexibility) and found our results inconclusive.

A listing of Supplemental Digital Content must be submitted at the end of the manuscript file. Include the SDC number and file type of the Supplemental Digital Content. This text will be removed by our production staff and not be published.

Example:

Supplemental Digital Content 1.wmv

Tables

Tables are submitted as a separate file when you are instructed to attach files to your submission. Follow these guidelines to create your tables:

  • Create tables using the table creating and editing feature of Microsoft Word. Do not use Excel or comparable spreadsheet programs.
  • Include each table in a separate file, properly numbered to coincide with the list of Tables and Figures at the end of the manuscript file.
  • Cite tables consecutively in the text, and number them in that order. Each table should include the table title, appropriate column heads, and explanatory legends (including definitions of any abbreviations used).
  • Do not embed tables within the body of the manuscript. They should be self-explanatory and should supplement, rather than duplicate, the material in the text.
  • Tables that are longer than 3 manuscript pages must be submitted as Supplemental Digital Content (see instructions above). Only tables that are 3 manuscript pages or shorter will be accepted to be published within the article.

Style of Writing and Presentation

ANS insists on a readable, interesting voice and style that addresses a wide audience. The tone of the article should be scholarly but not "stiff." Your approach should be both informative and interpretive with some emphasis given to the implications of information presented and to the provision of fresh insights. Please use an active voice, including first person pronouns for sections that require your own voice. Refer to these style guidelines on “voice" from “Nurse Author and Editor"

 

Chinn PL. Finding Your Voice and Writing Well: Situating Yourself within Your Text. Nurse Author Ed. 2017;27(2):5. http://naepub.com/authorship/2017-27-2-5/. Accessed July 26, 2019.

 

Chinn PL. Finding Your Voice and Writing Well: Situating Others Within the Text. Nurse Author Ed. 2017;27,27(2):6. http://naepub.com/authorship/2017-27-2-6/. Accessed July 26, 2019.

 

Here are a few general guidelines for recommended language related to ethnicity, illnesses, disabilities and handicaps:

  • Always put the person first, then the descriptor. Say or write "person with a disability" or “person living with a chronic condition" rather than “disabled person" or “chronically ill person" or even worse “the chronically ill."
  • Use language that is inclusive of all genders, unless you are specifically referring to people who identify as a specific gender.
  • Use disability to describe a functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability to walk, hear, see, talk, learn. Use handicap to describe a situation or barrier imposed by society, the environment, or oneself.
  • Don't be concerned if you find yourself using words like "see" to a person who is blind, or "hear" to a person who is deaf. These words won't offend.
  • Do not refer to a person in a wheelchair as "confined" to a wheelchair. It's better to say or write "uses a wheelchair."
  • Do not say "normal person" as compared to a person with a disability. Say able-bodied or nondisabled.
  • Avoid such words as victim, oppressed, stricken with, crippled, mute, deaf and dumb, or afflicted. For example, refer to a person who has had a stroke as a survivor of a stroke, not as a stroke victim.
  • Do not say arthritic or cerebral palsied. It's better to say "he has arthritis" or "she has cerebral palsy."
  • Do not say birth defect. It's better to say a person who has a disability since birth; a congenital disability.
  • Remember that a person with a disability or an illness is a person like anyone else--they just happen to have a condition that influences their daily living patterns.

Specific Guidelines Related to Racism

The ANS leadership - editor, advisory board members, peer reviewers and publisher recognize that published scholarly works are vehicles that can challenge systemic racism and intersecting forms of power inequities.  ANS expects an explicit antiracist stance as a means to provide scholarly resources to support antiracism in research, practice, education, administration, and policymaking. To this end, we offer the following guidelines:

  • Remain mindful of the many ways in which white privilege is embedded in scholarly writing, and engage in careful rereading of your work to shift away from these explicit and implied messages.  As an example, general “norms" are typically taken to reflect white experience only; this is revealed when the experience of people of color are taken to be “other" or “unusual" or worse yet “unhealthy"
  • When race is included as a research variable or a theoretical concept, racism  must be named and integrated with other intersecting forms of oppression such as gender, sexuality, income, and religion.
  • If your work does include race,
    • Provide a rationale that clearly supports an antiracist stance.
    • Be careful not to explicitly or implicitly suggest a genetic interpretation.
    • Explicitly state the benefit that your work contributes on behalf of people of color.
  • Refrain from any content that explicitly or implicitly blames the victim or that stereotypes groups of people; situate health inequities clearly in the context of systemic processes that disadvantage people of color.
  • Focus on unveiling dynamics that sustain harmful and discriminatory systems and beliefs, and on actions that can interrupt these structural dynamics.

     

Manuscript Submission

All original manuscripts must be submitted online through the ANS Editorial Manager website at http://ans.edmgr.com.

  • First-time users: Click the "Register" button from the main menu (on the upper banner) and enter the requested information. On successful registration, you will be sent an e-mail indicating your username and password. Save a copy of this information for future reference. Then log into the system as an author.
  • Return users: If you have received an e-mail from us with an assigned user ID and password as an author or as a reviewer, do not register again. Just log in as an author. Once you have an assigned ID and password, you do not have to re-register, even if your status changes (that is, author, reviewer, or editor).

    After you log in as an author, you can submit your manuscript according to the step-by-step instructions on the web. You will be able to track the progress of your manuscript through the system. If you experience any problems, please refer to the detailed "Author Tutorial" guide available on the Editorial Manager web site. If you still need assistance, contact the Editorial Office e-mail: [email protected]

    Letters to the Editor

    We encourage letters to the editor as a way to promote dialogue, challenge and alternative perspectives to articles published in ANS. Letters to the Editor are also submitted on-line through the ANS Editorial Manager Web site at http://ans.edmgr.com. When you are asked for the article type, select the "Letter to the Editor" option. Use “ANS General Toic" when you reach the "category" section in the submission process.

After Submission

There are four stages of manuscript review prior to final decision about the article's status for publication. They are as follows:

I. Preliminary review by the Editor to determine the suitability of the article for peer review. The Editor assesses all of the manuscript presentation requirements described above, including the overall consistency of the manuscript with the purposes and scope of ANS, adequacy of English language use, and the style and format of the manuscript. The Editor does not make a judgement on the scholarly merit of the submission.

II. Editorial peer review to determine the scholarly merit of the article. All manuscripts are reviewed by three members of the Editorial Review Panel. See details about Review Panel Policies here, and about the Review process here. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on the following criteria:

  • Consistent with the purposes of this journal.                        
  • Significant to the advancement of the discipline of nursing.
  • Concise, logical ordering of ideas; readability.
  • Presentation of innovative, original ideas with sound rationale for the ideas.
  • Acknowledgement and challenge of power relations involving race, gender, class, ability or any other systematic disadvantage.
  • Scholarly methods and approaches to inquiry.
  • Well-founded and accurate content.
  • Adequate documentation. (Note: submissions with citations from deceptive or low quality journals, also known as “predatory," are not acceptable and will be rejected.)
  • The title and keywords are appropriate to enhance discoverability

    III. Determination of eligibility for publication. Upon completion of the peer review, the editor makes a decision regarding the eligibility of the article for selection based on the comments and recommendations of the reviewers. At least two reviewers must recommend the article for publication if the article is to be eligible for selection. Based on the peer review, the editor makes one of the following decisions:
  • Article is eligible for selection as submitted.
  • Article is eligible for selection after completing revisions suggested by the reviewers and the editor.
  • Article must be revised and resubmitted for review by the deadline date provided by the editor.
  • Article rejected based on the reviewers' evaluation

    IV. Selection of articles for publication. Final selection of articles for each issue is made approximately four months prior to publication of each issue. Selection of articles is made from those articles that have been determined to be eligible for publication based on the results of the first two stages of the review process. This review is made by the editor and the editorial staff. The selection is based on the following criteria
  • Strength of the reviewers' comments and recommendations for publication.
  • Congruence of the content of the article with the purposes of ANS and the projected issue topic (if applicable).
  • Overall balance and diversity in the type of articles selected for inclusion. For example, an attempt is made to include a balance of theory-related and research articles, and a diversity in the focus of the selected articles.
  • Space available for inclusion in the projected issue.

    The corresponding author of each article that is eligible for selection is notified by the editor of the status of the article for publication approximately four months prior to the projected publication date. Authors of ANS “General Topic" articles that are eligible for selection are notified of acceptance upon conclusion of the review process, but the date of publication is not determined until the article is actually scheduled for inclusion in a forthcoming issue of the journal.  If an article has been determined to be eligible for selection but is not selected, the rights of the article revert to the author(s).

After Acceptance

Page proofs and corrections: Corresponding authors will receive electronic page proofs to check the copyedited and typeset article before publication. Portable document format (PDF) files of the typeset pages and support documents (eg, reprint order form) will be sent to the corresponding author by e-mail. Complete instructions will be provided with the e-mail for downloading and printing the files and for faxing the corrected page proofs to the publisher.

It is your responsibility to ensure that there are no errors in the proofs. Changes that have been made to conform to journal style will stand if they do not alter the author's' meaning. Only the most critical changes to the accuracy of the content will be made. Changes that are stylistic or are a reworking of previously accepted material will be disallowed. The publisher reserves the right to deny any changes that do not affect the accuracy of the content. Authors may be charged for alterations to the proofs beyond those required to correct errors or to answer queries. Proofs must be checked carefully and corrections faxed within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, as requested in the cover letter accompanying the page proofs.

Video Abstract

Consider preparing a video abstract to accompany your article if it is accepted for publication.  A video abstract can draw attention to your article, and enhance the range of audience that it reaches. Authors should limit the size of their video abstracts to 90 MB. For more information, see the “Journal Toolkit: How to Create a Video Abstract" (http://edmgr.ovid.com/ans/accounts/Journal_Toolkit_Video_Abstract.pdf)

ANS Blog

All ANS articles are featured on the ANS blog while the issue in which it appears is the current issue. About a week prior to the release of the issue in which your article appears, you will be invited to provide more information about your article for inclusion on the blog post featuring your article.  You will also be invited to provide photographs or other illustrations related to your article.

Your contribution to the blog can take any form you wish. Typically, authors share a paragraph (or more!) with background information about the article and the work they are engaged in related to the article. We can also include photographs of people other than authors, but would require written permission to post their photograph on the web site. We also encourage videos; we suggest a 2-3 minute video that presents a relaxed, interesting and informative “tale" about your work and relates the significance of your work to nursing practice.  To see examples of what the blog contains, visit http://ansjournalblog.com/.​