Author Guidelines

The Celebes Nursing Journal (CNJ) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes high-quality scholarly articles across all areas of nursing science, clinical practice, education, and health systems. CNJ is committed to rigorous peer review, editorial transparency, and full adherence to internationally recognized ethical standards.

All manuscripts submitted to CNJ must be:

• Original and unpublished
• Written in clear academic English
• Not under consideration by any other journal
• Scientifically sound and ethically compliant

Authors are required to follow the guidelines below to ensure an efficient submission, review, and publication process.

1. Article Types Accepted
CNJ accepts several article types, each with specific requirements. Authors should select the most appropriate category for their work.

2. Manuscript Structure
Authors must prepare their manuscripts according to the structure outlined below.

Title Page (Uploaded Separately)
The title page must be uploaded as a separate file and include:

• Article title (maximum 25 words)
• Full names of all authors
• Institutional affiliations of all authors
• Name, email address, and full contact details of the corresponding author
• Funding statement
• Conflict of interest statement
• Acknowledgments (optional)

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the scope and content of the study. Overly long, vague, or ambiguous titles should be avoided to enhance clarity and discoverability in indexing databases.

Abstract (150–250 Words)
All manuscripts (except editorials) must include an abstract written only in English, with a length of 150–250 words.
For original research and most review articles, the abstract must be structured as follows:

• Background
• Objectives
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusion

The abstract must not include references, citations, or unexplained abbreviations.

Keywords
Authors must provide 3–6 keywords immediately below the abstract. Keywords should, as far as possible, be drawn from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to optimize indexing and retrieval.

Main Text (IMRAD Structure)
The main text of original research articles should follow the IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion. Other article types should adapt this structure as appropriate to their design.

Introduction
The Introduction should:

• Present the background and context of the study
• Identify the knowledge gap or problem being addressed
• State the rationale for the study
• Clearly articulate the study objectives or research questions

The Introduction should be concise and focused, avoiding an overly extensive literature review.

Methods
The Methods section must provide sufficient detail to allow replication or critical appraisal. It should include, as applicable:

• Study design (e.g., randomized controlled trial, cohort study, cross-sectional study, qualitative design)
• Setting and study period
• Study population, inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Sampling method and sample size, including justification where appropriate
• Instruments or measures used, including information on validity and reliability
• Interventions or procedures, if applicable
• Data collection methods and timelines
• Data analysis methods, including statistical tests and software for quantitative studies or analytic frameworks for qualitative studies
• Ethical approval: name of the ethics committee or institutional review board, along with the approval number or code

Reporting guidelines requirement:
Authors must follow the appropriate EQUATOR reporting guideline for their study design and ensure that all required items are addressed in the Methods and related sections.

Results
The Results section should present the findings clearly and logically, without interpretation. Authors should:

• Report results in a sequence that reflects the study objectives
• Avoid unnecessary repetition between text, tables, and figures
• Provide exact values (e.g., means with standard deviations, confidence intervals, and p-values when applicable)
• Use tables and figures only when they add clarity and conciseness

Discussion
The Discussion should:

• Interpret the main findings in light of the study objectives
• Compare the results with relevant previous studies
• Highlight the implications for nursing practice, education, policy, or future research
• Discuss the strengths and limitations of the study

Overstatement of conclusions that are not fully supported by the data should be avoided.

Conclusion
The Conclusion should provide a concise summary of the key findings in direct relation to the study objectives. It should not introduce new data or unsupported claims.

3. Final Sections
After the main text, the manuscript should include the following sections, in order:

Conflict of Interest
Authors must clearly state any potential conflicts of interest. If none exist, the following statement should be included:
“The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

A detailed Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy is available under the POLICIES menu on the journal website.

Acknowledgments
This section may be used to acknowledge individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship (e.g., administrative support, technical assistance, language editing).

Funding Statement
Authors must clearly indicate all sources of financial support, including grant numbers where applicable. If the study did not receive external funding, the following statement should be used:
“This research received no external funding.”

References
References must be formatted according to the APA 7th Edition style.

• At least 80% of cited references should have been published within the last five years, except where classic or foundational works are essential.
• Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software (e.g., Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote) to ensure accuracy and consistency.