Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing

Edited by:
Roxie L. Foster

Print ISSN: 1539-0136
Online ISSN: 1744-6155
Frequency: Quarterly
Current Volume: 14 / 2009
ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: 2008: 48/60 Nursing (Science); 76/86 Pediatrics; 46/58 Nursing (Social Science)
Impact Factor: 0.683

TopAuthor Guidelines

The Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing (JSPN) is the peer-reviewed, international interdisciplinary resource for nurses who specialize in the care of children and families. JSPN bridges the gap between research and practice by publishing reliable, clinically relevant, and readily applicable evidence, including qualitative and quantitative research, clinical expertise, and the perspectives of children and families. The journal integrates the best evidence with pediatric nurses' passion for achieving the best outcomes.
JSPN accepts manuscripts through online submission to ScholarOne at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jspn. Please log in to the ScholarOne site and choose the 'Create an Account' tab in the top right corner of the window. The system will guide you through creating an account and will e-mail you with a user name and password. To submit a manuscript, log in to ScholarOne, enter your name and password, and then choose the "Author Center" option from the main menu. Complete instructions are provided to guide you through the submission process. No hard copies are necessary. Questions about this process can be directed to the managing editor, Kristen Overstreet, at kristen.overstreet@mac.com.
JSPN invites submission of original manuscripts that are in concert with its mission. These could describe innovations in clinical practice, education, or administration; case presentations; public policy information; synthesis of research findings; and original research. We are particularly interested in manuscripts, regardless of type, that (a) clearly specify the nursing problems/issues, (b) make a compelling argument for the way in which the author addresses the issues, (c) provide information that will facilitate clinical judgments, (d) describe how clinicians can best use the information presented, and (e), where applicable, include a list of additional resources (including Web sites) that provide related information for clinical judgment.
For additional information, please contact the Editor-in-Chief:
Roxie L. Foster, PhD, RN, FAAN
The Children's Hospital
Nursing Research & Education, B615
13123 East 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: 303-420-3570
Fax: 303-420-5749
Email: roxie.foster@UCDenver.edu

Copyright Transfer Agreement

Copyright Transfer Agreement - Authors will be required to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement (CTA) for all papers accepted for publication. Signature of the CTA is a condition of publication and papers will not be passed to the publisher for production unless a signed form has been received. Please note that signature of the Copyright Transfer Agreement does not affect ownership of copyright in the material. (Government employees need to complete the Author Warranty sections, although copyright in such cases does not need to be assigned). After submission authors will retain the right to publish their paper in various medium/circumstances (please see the form for further details). To assist authors an appropriate form will be supplied by the editorial office. Alternatively, authors may like to download a copy of the form here.

Publication in the journal is subject to the condition that the article (as a whole or in part) has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. In submitting the manuscript to the publisher, the author certifies that neither the author's contribution nor any text or figures procured and included by the author infringes upon the rights of a third party, and that the author alone is authorized to dispose of the existing right of utilization. The author will refrain from any other duplication and distribution or digital transfer and reproduction (e.g., on the Internet) during the period of the contract.

Manuscript Preparation
All manuscripts must be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and no longer than 25 pages, including abstract, references, tables, and figures.
Include a structured abstract of no more than 100 words. Headings for research abstracts are: Purpose, Design and Methods, Results, and Practice Implications. For other abstracts: Purpose, Conclusions, and Practice Implications. Include search terms. End the manuscript with a final paragraph using this heading: How Do I Apply This Evidence to Nursing Practice? Limit this paragraph to 250 words and answer the question to help readers judge the existing evidence for decision-making. Please see the following link for tips on optimizing your abstract for search engines: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/optimize.
Prepare separate files for the a) abstract, b) body and references, c) figures, d) tables, and e) pictures. You will be asked to upload each of these files separately when you submit your manuscript. The submitting author will enter his/her full mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address when first creating a ScholarOne account. Please add identifying information for all other authors in the specified field when submitting a manuscript. To ensure blind review, authors' names and other identifying information should not appear in any uploaded files. A PDF will be created from the uploaded files for peer review. Manuscripts will be sent to reviewers who are content/methodology experts. The decision to publish will be based on their recommendations.
Please note that Word 2007 is not yet compatible with journal production systems. Unfortunately, the journal cannot accept Microsoft Word 2007 documents until such time as a stable production version is released. Please use Word's 'Save As' option therefore to save your document as an older (.doc) file type.

NEW: Authors must indicate that they have read the Conflict of Interest Policy before submitting their paper to JSPN, by checking the appropriate box during the submission process.

NEW: Authors for whom English is a second language may choose to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission to improve the English. A list of independent suppliers of editing services can be found at http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/english_language.asp. All services are paid for and arranged by the author, and use of one of these services does not guarantee acceptance or preference for publication. JSPN reserves the right to edit all accepted manuscripts for format and clarity.
Determine authorship based on 1) Substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published (The International Committee, 2006, p 5). See also Committee on Publication Ethics. (2003). Guidelines on good publication and the code of conduct. Cope Report 2003 (pp. 69-73). Accessed July 4, 2006 from http://www.publicationethics.org.uk/guidelines Foster, R.L. (2006) Guidelines for Assigning Authorship, Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 11(4), 212-213.

General Formatting Requirements
Follow the style of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed. (2001). Authors can access excerpts from the manual at: http://www.apastyle.org. Use generic names for medications. Put all measurements in the metric system. Acknowledge any funding (monetary or in-kind support or provision of equipment) for conduct of the research or preparation of the manuscript. If any author has a financial stake in the funding agency or a product mentioned in the manuscript, state this also. However, please word this in a way that will not compromise the double blind review. It can be reworded again later if the manuscript is accepted for publication.

Search terms
Examples of key search terms for articles in JSPN are: acute care, case study, children, clinic, experimental, hospital, long-term care, nursing, out-patient, pediatric, quantitative/qualitative, and review; as well as the specific terms that will link the reader to your particular topic.

Pictures and Artwork
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material, including text, tables, photographs, and figures; see Copyright above. If photographs of people are used and the person is identifiable, copies of the person's or parent's permission to use the photograph must accompany the manuscript.
Label and title all figures and include the necessary legend(s). There are three preferred formats for digital artwork submission: Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Portable Document Format (PDF), and Tagged Image Format (TIFF). We suggest that line art be saved as EPS files. Alternately, these may be saved as PDF files at 600 dots per inch (dpi) or better at final size. Tone art, or photographic images, should be saved as TIFF files with a resolution of 300 dpi at final size. For combination figures, or artwork that contains both photographs and labeling, we recommend saving figures as EPS files, or as PDF files with a resolution of 600 dpi or better at final size. More detailed information on the submission of electronic artwork can be found at www.blackwellpublishing.com/authors/digill.asp

References
Whenever possible, references should be limited to publications within the last 5 years. References should follow the format of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed. (2001). For example:
Foster, R. (2001). Nursing judgment: The key to pain assessment in critically ill children. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 6(2), 90-93.
National Association of School Nurses. (1996). Professional school nurse roles and responsibilities: Education, certification, and licensure. Retrieved January 27, 2002, from http://www.nasn.org/positions/roles.htm
Landry, S.H. (1995). The development of joint attention in premature low birth weight infants: Effects of early medical complications and maternal attention-directing behaviors. In C. Moore & P. Dunham (Eds.), Joint attention: Its origin and role in development. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

We recommend the use of a tool such as EndNote or Reference Manager for reference management and formatting. EndNote reference styles can be searched for here: http://www.endnote.com/support/enstyles.asp

Reference Manager reference styles can be searched for here: http://www.refman.com/support/rmstyles.asp

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are welcomed and will be published on a space-available basis.

NEW: Online production tracking is now available for your article through Wiley-Blackwell's Author Services.
Author Services enables authors to track their article - once it has been accepted - through the production process to publication online and in print. Authors can check the status of their articles online and choose to receive automated e-mails at key stages of production. The author will receive an e-mail with a unique link that enables them to register and have their article automatically added to the system. Please ensure that a complete e-mail address is provided when submitting the manuscript. Visit http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor for more details on online production tracking and for a wealth of resources including FAQs and tips on article preparation, submission and more.