Author Guidelines

About the Journal
Celebes Nursing Journal (CNJ) is a peer-reviewed, open-access nursing journal with an international scope. The journal publishes high-quality scholarly work that advances nursing science, clinical practice, nursing education, healthcare delivery, and health systems relevant to nursing and healthcare.
CNJ is committed to rigorous editorial evaluation, double-blind peer review, editorial transparency, publication ethics, and research integrity.

All manuscripts submitted to CNJ must:

• Be original and not previously published;

• Not be under consideration by another journal;

• Be written in clear academic English;

• Be scientifically and methodologically sound;

• Comply with applicable ethical and reporting requirements; and

• Follow the current CNJ Author Guidelines and official manuscript template.

Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance or publication. All manuscripts are subject to editorial screening. Manuscripts considered suitable for the journal will proceed through the applicable editorial and peer-review process.

1. Article Types
Authors must select the article type that best represents the manuscript’s primary objective, methodology, and scholarly contribution.

1.1 Original Research Articles
Original Research Articles report empirical investigations involving quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, clinical, observational, experimental, implementation, or other research data.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 4,000–8,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words;

• Keywords: 3–6 keywords, preferably Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) where applicable;

• Structure: IMRaD or another structure appropriate to the study design;

• An appropriate reporting guideline must be followed; and

• Tables and figures should be limited to those necessary to understand the study.

The main text should generally include:

Introduction – Methods – Results or Findings – Discussion – Implications – Limitations – Conclusion

1.2 Review Articles
CNJ considers systematic reviews, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, integrative reviews, narrative reviews, and other methodologically appropriate review articles.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 5,000–8,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words, structured or unstructured according to the review design;

• Structure appropriate to the type of review;

• A transparent and reproducible review method; and

• Compliance with the relevant reporting guideline, such as PRISMA 2020, PRISMA-ScR, or the PRISMA extension for Rapid Reviews, where applicable.

Registration information should be provided when the review protocol has been registered.

1.3 Case Reports and Case Studies
Case Reports and Case Studies should present a clinically, professionally, or educationally important case with clear relevance to nursing or healthcare.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 2,000–4,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words;

• Structure appropriate to the nature of the case;

• Compliance with the CARE guideline where applicable;

• Appropriate consent for publication; and

• Protection of the privacy and confidentiality of the individual or individuals described.

Research case studies involving the systematic collection and analysis of empirical data should generally be submitted as Original Research Articles.

1.4 Concept Analysis
Concept Analysis manuscripts should systematically examine, clarify, develop, or refine a concept relevant to nursing science, education, practice, leadership, policy, or research.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 4,000–8,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words;

• The selected concept-analysis method or framework must be clearly identified;

• The method must be applied systematically; and

• Conceptual analysis must be clearly distinguished from empirical validation.

The main text should generally include:

Introduction – Aim – Concept Analysis Method – Findings – Discussion – Implications – Limitations – Conclusion

Where relevant, authors should describe the defining attributes or characteristics, antecedents, consequences, related concepts, cases or examples, and implications of the concept.
Authors must not claim empirical validation unless supporting empirical data are presented.

1.5 Theory Development
Theory Development manuscripts should make a clear and systematic contribution to the development, refinement, synthesis, or evaluation of nursing theory.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 4,000–8,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words;

• The theory-development approach must be clearly described;

• The theoretical foundations must be identified; and

• Core concepts, assumptions, relationships, or propositions must be explicitly presented.

The main text should generally include:

Introduction – Purpose – Theoretical Foundations – Theory Development Process – Concepts, Relationships, or Propositions – Discussion – Implications – Limitations – Conclusion

Authors must clearly distinguish conceptual development or validation from empirical testing or validation. Empirical validation must not be claimed unless supporting empirical data are presented.

1.6 Perspectives
Perspective articles present an evidence-informed scholarly argument or critical discussion concerning an important issue in nursing or healthcare.
Requirements:

• Maximum length: 3,000 words;

• Abstract: 150–250 words;

• Flexible structure appropriate to the topic; and

• Arguments must be supported by relevant scholarly evidence.

1.7 Editorials
Editorials provide authoritative commentary on matters relevant to the journal’s scope, nursing scholarship, healthcare, research, education, policy, or professional practice.
Requirements:

• Recommended length: 1,500–3,000 words;

• No abstract is required;

• Flexible structure; and

• Editorials are usually invited, although proposals may be considered by the Editorial Office.

Article Classification
Article classification is determined by the manuscript’s primary objective, methodological approach, and principal scholarly contribution.
Original Research Articles report findings from empirical investigations. Concept Analysis and Theory Development are recognized as distinct article types and must be submitted under their respective categories.
Research case studies involving the systematic collection and analysis of empirical data should generally be submitted as Original Research Articles. Clinical or professional case reports and case studies should be submitted under Case Reports or Case Studies.

Word-Length Guidance
The word ranges above are general recommendations rather than absolute limits. Longer manuscripts may be considered when justified by the study design, methodological complexity, theoretical contribution, or applicable reporting requirements.
Unless otherwise specified, the word count excludes the abstract, references, tables, figures, and supplementary materials.
Tables and figures must be directly relevant to the manuscript’s objectives and should not unnecessarily duplicate information presented in the text. Extensive supporting materials may be submitted as supplementary files.

2. Required Submission Files
The following files must be uploaded where applicable:

1. A blinded main manuscript prepared using the current CNJ Manuscript Template;

2. A separate Title Page;

3. A completed ICMJE Disclosure Form for every author;

4. The relevant reporting-guideline checklist;

5. Supplementary materials, where applicable;

6. Evidence of permission to reproduce or adapt third-party materials, where required;

7. Ethics approval, trial registration, protocol, or other supporting documentation when requested by the journal; and

8. For revised submissions, a revised manuscript and a detailed response to the editor and reviewers.

Authors should obtain the latest manuscript template and submission requirements from the CNJ Author Guidelines page.

3. Manuscript Preparation

3.1 Official CNJ Template
Authors must prepare their manuscripts using the current official CNJ Manuscript Template. The template contains detailed formatting instructions and the required manuscript sections.
Authors are strongly advised to download a new copy of the template before preparing each submission rather than reusing an older version.

3.2 Title Page
The Title Page must be uploaded as a separate file and include:

• The complete article title, normally limited to 20 words;

• Full names of all authors;

• Institutional affiliations of all authors;

• The name and email address of the corresponding author;

• ORCID iDs, where available;

• Author-contribution information where required;

• Acknowledgments where applicable; and

• Any other information required by the current CNJ Title Page template.

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the manuscript’s content.
Author-identifying information must not appear in the blinded main manuscript.

3.3 Abstract
All manuscripts except editorials must include an English-language abstract of 150–250 words.
For Original Research Articles, Concept Analysis, and Theory Development manuscripts, the abstract should clearly summarize the following elements in a single paragraph:

• Background or introduction;

• Objective, purpose, or aim;

• Methods, framework, or approach;

• Principal results, findings, or outcomes; and

• Conclusion.

Other article types should use an abstract format appropriate to their design and purpose.
The abstract must not contain:

• References;

• Displayed equations;

• Tables or figures; or

• Abbreviations that have not been defined.

3.4 Keywords
Authors must provide 3–6 keywords immediately below the abstract.
Keywords should preferably correspond to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) where applicable. Appropriate keywords improve the consistency, indexing, discoverability, and retrieval of published articles.

3.5 Main Text
Original Research Articles should generally follow an IMRaD structure or another structure appropriate to the study design.
Depending on the article type and methodology, the manuscript may include:

Introduction – Methods – Results or Findings – Discussion – Implications – Limitations – Conclusion

Alternative structures may be used for qualitative research, mixed-methods studies, reviews, case-based manuscripts, concept analyses, theory-development papers, perspectives, and other appropriate scholarly designs.
Headings and subheadings should be clear, consistent, and logically organized.

4. Double-Blind Review and Manuscript Anonymization
CNJ applies a double-blind peer-review process. The identities of the authors and reviewers are concealed from one another during review.
Before submission, authors must remove all identifying information from the main manuscript, including:

• Author names;

• Institutional affiliations;

• Email addresses and other contact details;

• ORCID iDs;

• Author biographies;

• Acknowledgments that reveal author identities;

• Author-contribution statements that identify individual authors;

• Identifying information contained in headers, footers, file names, comments, or tracked changes; and

• Author-identifying information in the document properties or file metadata.

Self-citations should not be removed when they are scientifically necessary. However, they must be written neutrally and must not disclose the authors’ identities.
The Title Page must contain the author information and must be uploaded separately from the blinded main manuscript.
Manuscripts that have not been adequately anonymized may be returned to the authors before editorial evaluation or peer review.

5. Reporting Guidelines
Authors must follow the reporting guideline appropriate to the study design and submit the relevant completed checklist where applicable.
Reporting requirements are determined by the manuscript’s methodology and study design, not solely by its selected article-type category.

Examples include:

• CONSORT for randomized trials;

• STROBE for observational studies;

• PRISMA for systematic reviews;

• PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews;

• COREQ or SRQR for qualitative studies;

• CARE for case reports;

• STARD for diagnostic-accuracy studies;

• SQUIRE for quality-improvement studies; and

• Appropriate guidelines for mixed-methods, implementation, protocol, economic, or other study designs.

Where no established reporting guideline exists, authors must provide a transparent and sufficiently detailed description of the methods, analytical process, theoretical approach, or scholarly procedure used.
Detailed requirements and links are available on the CNJ Reporting Guidelines (EQUATOR) page.

6. Authorship and Contributorship

All listed authors must satisfy the authorship requirements established by CNJ and must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work.
Before submission, all authors must:

• Approve the manuscript;

• Approve the author list and order;

• Approve submission to CNJ;

• Accept responsibility for their contributions;

• Agree to be accountable for the integrity of the work; and

• Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged with their permission.
Guest, gift, honorary, and ghost authorship are not permitted. Artificial intelligence tools must not be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for the work.
The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and for ensuring that all authors have approved the submitted and published versions of the manuscript.
Detailed requirements are provided in the CNJ Authorship and Contributorship Policy.

7. Ethical Requirements
Research involving human participants, identifiable or re-identifiable human material, personal information, or human data must comply with applicable ethical standards.
Authors must provide an appropriate statement concerning:

• Ethics approval;

• The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board;

• The approval or reference number, where applicable;

• Ethical exemption, where applicable;

• Waiver of consent, where applicable;

• Informed consent to participate;

• Consent for publication; and

• Trial registration, where applicable.

Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international animal-welfare requirements.
When ethics approval is not applicable, the manuscript must include a clear statement explaining why it was not required.
Case reports and manuscripts containing identifiable or potentially identifiable information must include appropriate consent for publication. Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of participants.
Complete requirements are provided on the CNJ Ethical Consideration page.

8. Declarations and Final Sections

Manuscripts must include the applicable declarations specified in the current CNJ Manuscript Template.
The required sections include:

• Author Contributions;

• Ethics Approval Statement, including approval, exemption, or not-applicable status;

• Informed Consent to Participate, where applicable;

• Consent for Publication, where applicable;

• Data Availability Statement;

• Conflict of Interest;

• Acknowledgments, where applicable;

• Funding; and

• Declaration of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Writing.

If a section is not applicable, authors should provide an appropriate “Not applicable” statement rather than deleting a required heading, unless otherwise instructed in the manuscript template.

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure
Each author must complete the ICMJE Disclosure Form and submit it at the time of initial manuscript submission.
The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that a completed form from every author is submitted. Completion of the ICMJE Disclosure Form does not replace the Conflict of Interest statement required in the manuscript.
Authors must update their disclosures if relevant circumstances change during editorial evaluation, peer review, or before publication.
Further requirements are provided in the CNJ Conflict of Interest Policy.

Use of Artificial Intelligence
Authors must disclose any use of generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies in preparing the manuscript, where required by CNJ.
The disclosure should identify:

• The tool used;

• The purpose for which it was used; and

• The extent of its use.

AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, citations, confidentiality, and content of the submitted manuscript.
Authors must not upload confidential, personal, sensitive, copyrighted, or otherwise restricted materials to publicly accessible or third-party AI systems unless they possess the necessary authorization and adequate data-protection safeguards are in place.

9. References
References must follow APA Style, 7th Edition.
Authors should:

• Cite relevant, authoritative, and scientifically appropriate sources;

• Give appropriate priority to current literature;

• Cite seminal, foundational, original methodological, or instrument-development sources when scientifically necessary;

• Ensure that every in-text citation appears in the reference list;

• Ensure that every reference-list entry is cited in the manuscript;

• Verify the accuracy and completeness of every reference;

• Include a DOI where available; and

• Present DOIs in the format https://doi.org/....

Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software such as Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote. However, authors remain responsible for checking all references manually before submission.

10. Tables, Figures, and Supplementary Materials
Tables and figures must:

• Be directly relevant to the manuscript;

• Be numbered consecutively;

• Have a clear and informative title or caption;

• Be cited in the main text;

• Be placed at the relevant point in the manuscript or as required by the CNJ template;

• Be understandable without unnecessary reliance on the main text; and

• Not unnecessarily duplicate information already presented in the text.

Authors must define abbreviations and provide appropriate explanatory notes.
Images and figures must be of sufficient resolution for editorial evaluation and publication.
Supplementary materials should be clearly identified and referenced in the manuscript. They must be relevant to the work and must not contain material essential to understanding the principal findings unless permitted by the editor.

11. Third-Party Materials and Permissions
Authors are responsible for ensuring that all figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires, instruments, illustrations, text excerpts, and other third-party materials may lawfully be reproduced or adapted.
Where permission is required, authors must:

• Obtain written authorization from the copyright holder before publication;

• Comply with the conditions imposed by the rights holder;

• Provide an appropriate credit line; and

• Submit evidence of permission when requested by CNJ.

Content not covered by the article’s Creative Commons license must be clearly identified.

12. Submission Metadata
The information entered into the OJS submission system must be complete, accurate, and consistent with the Title Page.
Authors must carefully enter:

• The manuscript title and subtitle;

• The abstract;

• Keywords;

• Full names of all authors;

• Author order;

• Institutional affiliations;

• Corresponding-author information;

• Email addresses;

• ORCID iDs, where available;

• Funding information; and

• Other required metadata.

The submitting author must confirm that every co-author has approved the author list, author order, manuscript, and submission to CNJ.

13. Editorial Screening and Peer Review
All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening. The screening may consider:

• Relevance to the journal’s scope;

• Compliance with the Author Guidelines;

• Completeness of the submission;

• Manuscript anonymization;

• Originality and scholarly contribution;

• Scientific and methodological quality;

• Research and publication ethics;

• Reporting-guideline compliance;

• Language and presentation; and

• Availability of all required declarations and supporting documents.

A manuscript may be returned for technical correction or declined during initial screening without external peer review.
Scholarly manuscripts that pass initial screening and are selected for external review undergo CNJ’s double-blind peer-review process.
Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript’s scholarly merit, methodological quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal, reviewer reports where applicable, and the editor’s assessment.

14. Copyright, Licensing, and Open Access
Authors retain copyright in their published work.
If a manuscript is accepted and published, the authors grant CNJ the non-exclusive right of first publication and the rights necessary to publish, reproduce, distribute, disseminate, archive, preserve, and make the article available as part of the scholarly record.
Unless otherwise indicated, articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Under this license, users may share and adapt the published material for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given, a link to the license is provided, and any changes are indicated.
Authors may reuse and self-archive their work in accordance with the journal’s policies. Information concerning public access and reuse is available in the CNJ Open Access Policy. Repository deposit and version-sharing requirements are described in the CNJ Archiving Policy.

15. Final Pre-Submission Responsibilities
Before completing a submission, authors must ensure that:

• The manuscript follows the current CNJ template;

• The main manuscript has been fully anonymized;

• The Title Page has been uploaded separately;

• All authors have approved the manuscript and its submission;

• All author information and OJS metadata are accurate;

• The appropriate reporting guideline has been followed;

• The required checklist has been uploaded;

• All ethical and consent requirements have been addressed;

• All required declarations are included;

• A completed ICMJE Disclosure Form has been provided for every author;

• All citations and references are accurate and follow APA 7th Edition;

• All required third-party permissions have been obtained; and

• The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal.

Incomplete or non-compliant submissions may be returned to the authors before editorial evaluation.

16. Related Policies and Resources
Authors should consult the following pages before submission:

• CNJ Author Guidelines

• Authorship and Contributorship Policy

• Ethical Consideration

• Reporting Guidelines (EQUATOR)

• Conflict of Interest Policy

• Open Access Policy

• Archiving Policy

• ICMJE Disclosure Form

• APA Style, 7th Edition

• Medical Subject Headings