Author Guidelines

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” is the official journal of the Hellenic Nurses Association (HNA). It is published quarterly online, and it is a peer-reviewed journal, focused on nursing and allied health care sciences.

The Editor-In-Chief, the Associate Editors and the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Nurses Association, have the overall responsibility for the management of the edition of the journal. Papers submitted for publication in “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” should be written according to the “Author Guidelines” as they appear in the journal’s website (www.hjn.gr). The official language of the journal is either Greek or English.

1.1 Manuscript Types Accepted

“HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” is publishing papers related mainly to nursing as well as to allied health care sciences.

Submitted manuscripts should be categorized in one of the following types:

1. Editorials: Short papers referred to current issues of special interest in nursing. They may be written by the Editorial Board or by expert scientists invited by the Editorial Board. Text and References are limited to 500-800 words and to 5-6 references respectively.
2. Literature Reviews/Meta-Analyses: Complete Analyses of clinical or other topics, based on current Greek and International literature. The extend of the text should not exceed 5.000 words. In Descriptive Reviews authors could be up to 3 (three), in Systematic Reviews up to 4 (four) and in Meta-Analyses up to 8 (eight).
3. Original papers based on a research protocol, presenting new and significant findings, which they have not been submitted for publication elsewhere (book, journal, web page etc). The extend of the text should not exceed 5.000 words whereas authors could be up to 8.
4. Case Studies: Papers presenting a new or a non-frequent method for the improvement of the everyday healthcare practice. The extend of the text should not exceed 1.500 words. (1 author)
5. General Articles: Short presentation of any latest aspects related to a special issue of special nursing interest. Authors could be up to 2 (two).
6. Letters to the Editor: Brief articles which include comments on articles published, clinical observations, preliminary research data etc. They should not exceed 400 words. (1 author).
7. Short Communications: Original short papers that they not exceed 1.500 words. (1 author).
8. Papers on CPD (Continuous Professional Development): Description and analysis of nursing issues presented according to Evidence Based Nursing Practice/Best Practice. (1 author).

2. SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT

Manuscript submission is available online at https://www.hjn.gr in the Manuscript Submission section. Complete Manuscripts (including illustrations, tables, figures, etc.) can be submitted after signing in to the central manuscript system.

Authors will be required to set up an online account on the manuscript central system. If you do not have an account, please click on the "Register" button and follow the instructions in order to create an account. Alternatively, if you have signed up in the past, click on the "Login” and enter your User ID and Password into the boxes. The process is performed once for each manuscript by the corresponding author. Then you can click on “Submit an article” button and follow instructions for the manuscript submission. An automatic submission confirmation will be sent to the author’s email, that does not imply that the paper is accepted for publication.   

2.2 Each manuscript should be accompanied by:

2.2.1. Α separate file (download the Form I (docx format) by pressing here) including the following:

• A statement that the submitted manuscript or any part of it, has not been published or has not been submitted for publication to another journal or elsewhere.
• A statement that the final draft has been read and approved by all authors.
• A statement for the contribution of each one of the authors (design, data collection, analysis, writing etc.).
• A statement that all authors agree for the submission of the manuscript to the “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING”.

A statement that all authors accept the copyright of the paper by “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” after its publication.

2.2.2. Written proof (approval reference number) that research (if applicable) has been approved by the Ethical Committee of the institute where research was carried out.

2.3 After submission, all manuscripts have a reference number, sending to the corresponding author upon receipt of the manuscript. The whole communication between the Editor-In-Chief and the corresponding author should be referred to this reference number.

Adherence to the Author Guidelines facilitates the reviewing process while shortens the time for publication. In case of resubmission, authors’ immediate response minimizes the time for publication.

3. ANALYTICAL AUTHORS’ GUIDΕLINES

3.1 Format and Structure of the Manuscript

Text and Tables should be written in double space, Times New Roman or Arial 12 font, A4 with 2.5 cm margins in each side. Text should be written in Microsoft Word and pages should be numbered at the right bottom

All submitted manuscripts should include (in the following order):

• Title Page
• Abstract in Greek (when applicable)
• Key words
• Text
• Abstract in English
• References
• Tables
• Figures
• Captions

3.2 Title page

This page should include:

1. A statement about the type of the manuscript (i.e. systematic review, original research etc)
2. The full title of the article (maximum 250 characters) followed by a short title (maximum 40 characters). A subtitle may be used as a supplement in case that the main title has been limited in words count.
3. Full name of all authors. Full names are written in lower case. Authors’ names are followed by their academic and professional qualifications. Names are separated by commas.
4. The name of the Institution where the manuscript was originated
5. Any conflicts, funds or acknowledgments.
6. The name, the postal address, the email and the telephone of the corresponding author.

Authors’ names should not be mentioned in any other part of the text.

3.3 Abstract

Abstract’s word count should be between 300 and 400 words. It may include any abbreviations of words or phrases, but these abbreviations must be explained in parenthesis the first time they appear into the abstract. Abstract should not contain any references, figures or tables.

Key words. The abstract’s page should include the full title (without authors’ names) and 3-6 These words should be related to the international terminology used by the Index Medicus (MeSH) in alphabetical order.

3.3.1 Structure of an original paper’s abstract:

Introduction: Summary of the literature review, in 1-2 sentences.

Aim: Statement for the study’s objectives and the research hypothesis, in 2-3 sentences.

Method: Statement for the research design, the environment where the study was conducted (without any way for identification), the time period of study, the population and the sample size, the sampling method, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the data collection method, the response rate, the statistical analysis.

Results: Short description of the main findings including confidence intervals and exact p-values.

Conclusions: Synthesis of the results concluding the key points of the research.

• Structure of a systematic review’s abstract

Introduction: Summary of the literature review, in 1-2 sentences.

Aim: Statement for the study’s objectives and the research hypothesis, in 2-3 sentences.

Method: Statement for the methodology, the data sources, the key words, the time period for the literature search, study eligibility criteria, data extraction procedure, numbers of studies included.

Results: Short description of the main findings of the review, grouped in a short and concise way.

Conclusions: Synthesis of the results concluding the key points of the review.

3.3.3. Structure of a descriptive review’s abstract

Introduction: Summary of the literature review in 1-2 sentences

Aim: Statement for the study’s objectives, in 2-3 sentences

Method: Statement for the methodology, the literature search method used, sources of information, the key words, the time period for the literature search, study eligibility criteria (if any).

Results: Short description of the main findings of the review, grouped in a short and concise way.

Conclusions: Synthesis of the results concluding the key points of the study.

• Structure of a meta-analysis abstract

Introduction: Summary of the literature review, in 1-2 sentences

Aim: Statement for the study’s objectives and the research hypothesis, in 2-3 sentences.

Method: Statement for the methodology, the data sources, the key words and the time period for the literature search, study eligibility criteria, data extraction procedure, data synthesis, numbers of studies included and numbers of participants.

Results: Short description of the main findings including numerical results with confidence intervals for the most important outcomes and exact p-values.

Conclusions: Synthesis of the results concluding the key points of the study

3.4 Main Text Structure

Reviews should include (a) Introduction, (b) Aim, (c) Material and Methods, (d) Results, (e) Discussion, (f) Conclusions. Reviews should have the same structure with that of the abstract but in an extended text. In Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses, the flow diagram for studies’ selection should be cited into the Chapter “Material & Methods”. In Discussion Chapter, it is important to compare and interpret with other authors’ findings and to present the limitations of the study. Meta-Analyses should include (a) Introduction, (b) Material and Methods, (c) Results, (d) Discussion, (e) Study’s limitations and (f) Conclusions and Implications in clinical practice and future research.

Continuous Professional Development papers should include (a) Introduction, (b) Aim, stating 3-5 educational objectives and (c) Conclusion. Information provided in relation to the main topic of the paper should be mentioned between Chapters (b) and (c). The text should include innovative, up to date, valid and evidence-based data related to clinical practice or the nursing profession in general. References are followed by 10 multiple choice questions in a separate page. Each multiple-choice question should have 3 or 4 answers, where the right one is clearly marked. Continuous Professional Development papers are followed by a cover letter addressed to the Editor-In-Chief where authors should document their expertise in relation to the topic of the paper as this is shown either from his/her/their professional clinical experience or his/her/their academic education or from both of them.

Original Papers should follow the structure of the original paper’s abstract: (a) Introduction, (b) Method, (c) Results, (d) Discussion, (e) Study Limitations (f) Conclusions and Implications in clinical practice and future research.

Original papers should definitely include the research design, the time period of the data collection, the data source, the sample size and the criteria for the selection of the sample, the research methodology, the instrument(s) used for the data collection, the ethical approval process, the process for checking the validity and the reliability of the research instrument(s), the response rate and the statistical analyses used. Results should be presented with confidence intervals and exact p-values.

The text, depending on the type of the manuscript, should not exceed the maximum limit of words as this word limit is mentioned above (Tables and Figures included). The Editor-In-Chief has the right to change the style of the text in order to achieve uniformity.

Case Studies include: (a) Introduction, (b) Case description, (c) Discussion, (d) Conclusion.

Short Communications include: (a) Introduction, (b) Material and Method, (c) Results, (d) Discussion, (e) Conclusion.

• Ethics

Authors should declare that their study was conducted in full accordance with the code of human rights and the principles of deontology for research in human beings and animals, as they are clearly edited by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, (www.icmje.org) and the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA - J Am Med Assoc. 2013;310(20):2191-2194. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.281053).

The “Material and Method” Chapter should include a paragraph containing the statement for the method used in order to maintain anonymity of the participants as well as the way for undertaking their written consent form according to the above-mentioned principles. A statement for the way that the study was approved by the Institution’s Ethical Committee (where the study was carried out) should also be included in this paragraph. In case that an instrument/questionnaire has been used for the research, authors should clearly state that they have granted permission to use the instrument/questionnaire by its creator/s.

• Units of measurement

Measurement of length, height, weight and volume should be referred according to the internationally recognized symbols of the International System (SI). Temperature should be mentioned in Celsius degrees. Blood Pressure should be mentioned in mm Hg. All the Hematology and Biochemistry measurements should also be mentioned according to the International System (SI).

• Abbreviations

Abbreviations of words or phrases are permitted if they are mentioned in parentheses next to the first appearance of the respective words or phrases into the text. Explanation of these abbreviations is necessary even if the explanation has already been given into the abstract. On the contrary, symbolizations that are internationally recognized, do not need to be explained i.e. “IgG” and not “Immunoglobulin G”.

Spelling of the words must be according to the “Oxford Dictionary”.

• Statement of Conflict of Interest:

Authors are required to declare that there is not any conflict of interest that could potentially influence the peer review process or the evaluation of the manuscript. There might be any conflict of interests in such a case that any of the authors (or the institution) has any economic or interpersonal relationships which partially could negatively influence the manuscript’s evaluation process under review, such as employer-employee relationship, prize money or financial remuneration, ownership of property, academic competition e.t.c. (International Committee of Medical Journals Publishers, 2024- https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/). Statement of no Conflict of Interest must have the following format: “No Conflict of Interest has been declared by the Author(s)”.

• Statement of Funding

Authors should declare in detail the source(s) for the funding of their research (if any), such as national grants, scholarships, companies, non-profit organizations e.t.c. The funding as well as the period of time for funding should also be mentioned in detail. If there was no funding, the statement should have the following format: “Research received no Funding from any Agency from the Public, Private or any Non-Profit Organization”.

• Acknowledgements

Any contributor to the study conducts or the manuscript preparation, who is not qualified as author, can be mentioned in a short paragraph under “Acknowledgements”

• References

References should not exceed the number of 40. It is strongly recommended that any scientific aspect is not supported than more of 3-4 references. Referencing is numbered into the text according to the Vancouver Citation Order System. The list of references is placed in a separate page at the end of the text of the manuscript. Author(s) should accept the following guidelines for the list of references.

• Text references, as well as Tables and Figures accompanied with their titles, are identified in Arabic numbers. Full stops or commas are marked before any reference. Reference numbering is accomplished in ascending order and in the order, they appear into the text. All references referred into the text are recorded in the reference list which begins in a separate page, just after the end of the text. References are numbered according to the number they appear into the text.
• Only references related to the Tables or the titles of the Figures occur in series within of this special text. Detailed quotation of these references is accomplished just after the end of the title of the Figure and in the Tables footnote. The respective number is written before the detailed quotation of the reference, as it is mentioned in the title of the Figure or the Table.
• References related to papers published in Greek, are written in Greek letters and with the Greek title of the paper. All the other items are written according to the suggestions of this sub-chapter. Journals’ abbreviations are written according to the Index Medicus, published yearly in January, in a separate issue (List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus). Greek journals’ abbreviations may be found in the IATROTEK catalogue. The use of abstracts as a source for reference should be avoided.
• «Unpublished observations» and «Personal communication» should not be used as references. However, written communications may be used as references (stated in parenthesis). Papers accepted for publication but not yet published, may be used as references. In this case, referencing must include the name of the journal and the phrase «accepted for publication» (in parenthesis). The preparation of the reference list should follow the pattern according to the specifications of the USA National Library of Medicine and the Index Medicus.
• References cited from scientific journals

Ordinary journal’s paper. Reference should include the surname and the first letter of the name of all authors (up to six), the title of the paper, the journal’s abbreviation, the year of publication, the journal’s volume, the volume’s issue (if applicable), the first and the last page of the publication. i.e. You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Mengury R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea. Gastroenterology 1980; 79:311–314.

When authors are more than six, the name of the sixth author is followed by the indication «et al».

Collective paper (A large group of authors). The Royal Marsden Hospital Bone-Marrow Transplantation Team. Failure of synergistic bone-marrow graft without preconditioning in post-hepatitis marrow aplasia. Lancet 1977; 2:242–244.

Not known author. Anonymous. Coffee drinking and cancer of the pancreas (Editorial). Br Med J 1981; 283:628.

Supplementary. Frumin AM, Nussbaum J, Esposito M. Functional asplenia: demonstration of splenic activity by bone marrow scan. Blood 1979; 54 (Suppl 1):26a (Abstract)

Journal with a separate numbering for each issue. Seaman WB. The case of the pancreatic pseudo cyst. Hosp Pract 1981; 16:24–25.

• Books and other monographies

A single Author. Eisen HN. Immunology: an introduction to molecular and cellular principles of the immune response. 5th ed. New York, Harper & Row, 1974

Editor, President of a Symposium, (the author is the President of a working group). Dausset J, Colombani J (eds) Histocompatibility testing 1972. Copenhagen, Mansard, 1973:12–18.

Chapter in a Book. Weinstein L, Swartz MN. Pathogenic properties of invading microorganisms. In: Sodeman WA Jr, Sodeman WA (eds) Pathologic physiology: mechanisms of disease. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1974: 457–472.

Publication in Proceedings. Du Pont B. Bone marrow transplantation in severe combined immunodeficiency with an unrelated combined compatible donor. In: White HJ, Smith R (eds) Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Experimental Hematology. Houston, International Society for Experimental Hematology, 1974:44–46.

Monographs in a series of publications. Hunnighake GW, Gadek JE, Szapile SV. The human alveolar macrophage. In: Harris CC (ed) Cultured human cells and tissues in biomedical research. New York, Academic Press, 1980: 54–56.

PhD Thesis. Gairns RB. Infrared spectroscopic studies of solid oxygen. (MSc Thesis/PhD Thesis Dissertation) Barkeley, California, University of California, 1965:156.

• Other Papers

Unpublished Papers (written in parentheses into the text)

• Scott CA, Nugen CA. Written communication (date….)
• You CH, Lee KY, Chey WY, Mengury R. Electrogastrographic study of patients with unexplained nausea. Gastroenterology (accepted for publication) Smith J. New agents for cancer chemotherapy. Presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the American Cancer Society, June 13, 1983, New York.

Internet Reference: It includes the authors’ team, the reference’s title and the web page:

Anderson JL, Adams CD, Antman EM, Bridges CR, Califf RM, Casey DE, et al. ACC/AHA 2007 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina / Non – ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. American College of Cardiology Web Site. Available at http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/50/7/e1. Assessed, date.

Tables

Tables may be used if the information given into them covers less space than that of the full text. They should be attached in a separate page at the end of the manuscript after the reference list and they should be double-spaced. In any case, they should not be more than 3-4, depending on the extend of the text. They should have a short title above the Table. Each Table should be Arabic-numbered, according to their reference order into the text. Each column has a short heading. Horizontal and vertical lines should be avoided.

Explanatory information as well as any abbreviation is written as a footnote. The following symbols, in the following order should be used in the footnotes;*, **, ***, +, ++, §, §§.

If author(s) use any kind of information, cited in any other published or non-published source, they should obtain the permission to use it and they should clearly acknowledge the source.

An extent number of tables in a short text can cause pagination difficulties. The editors, upon acceptance of the manuscript, may request that the additional tables, which contain additional important data, which cannot be published due to lack of space, can be provided by the authors to anyone upon request. In this case, the relevant statement will be added to the text. These tables are submitted together with the assignment.

Figures

All kind of graphics, figures and photos are considered as Figures. Photos should be submitted separately as a JPEG file. Figures should not be more that 2-3, depending on the extend of the text. Letters, numbers and symbols must be clear and sized in that way to be legible when being smaller. The titles and the clarifications must be written in the Figure’s title page (and not above them). Not but the photos in JPEG format of any original diagrams, x-rays etc. must be included in the manuscript.

If it is absolutely necessary to include any individuals’ photos, either their faces must not be clear or the manuscript must be accompanied by the individual’s consent form to use his/her personal photo. Each Figure must be Arabic-numbered, according to their reference order into the text. If authors use any Figure published or non-published elsewhere, they should obtain the permission to use it and they should clearly acknowledge the source. Moreover, authors should upload the written permission of the copyright editor. This is not mandatory if the Figure is included into a public document. Colored illustrations are not accepted for publication unless all authors agree to pay the full cost for the reproduction of the colored artwork.

Title of Figures (legents)

The titles of the Figures are typed in double space, in a separate page and they are Arabic-numbered. If any symbols, arrows, numbers or letters are used in order to characterize any parts of the Figures, these are noted in the titles and they are explained in detail.

4. REVIEW OF THE MANUSCRIPT

All manuscripts are reviewed independently by two or three different reviewers, selected by the Editor-In-Chief, the Co-Editors and the Board of Directors. They are also reviewed by a statistician. The Editor-In-Chief is responsible for the final decision for publication. The name of the reviewers as well as the name of the authors remain mutually strictly confidential. Authors should expect to receive an initial reviewers’ decision within 2 months of submission.

The reviewers decide if the manuscript is:

1. Accepted for Publication

The manuscript satisfies four general criteria:

• It is based on existing knowledge
• It contributes in new nursing/ scientific knowledge
• It is based on the standards of research methodology and knowledge
• It is addressed in a wide public.

1. Accepted for Publication after minor Revision

In this case, an email is sent to the corresponding author including a list of suggestions for any amendments and resubmission of the manuscript afterwards.

1. Accepted for Publication after major Revision

In this case, an email is sent to the corresponding author including a list of suggestions for amendments and resubmission of the manuscript afterwards. The corresponding author should reply if he/she is interested to resubmit the paper according to the Editor-In-chief suggestions.

1. Not Accepted for Publication in the Present Format

An email is sent to the corresponding author without any list of amendments

5. MANUSCRIPTS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION
6. Grant for Copyright

Submission of a manuscript for publication implies that the paper has neither been published nor is under review for publication in another journal. A signed by all authors permission for granting the copyright to the Editor-In-Chief of “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” should be sent just after notification of acceptance and at least ten days prior to the publication of the paper. The copyright form can be found in Journal’s website www.hjn.gr.

All published papers are the copyright of the “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” journal. Authors have the right to use their own work for publication in another journal, under the term to mention “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” journal as the source and if a written permission from the “HELLENIC JOURNAL OF NURSING” Editor-In-Chief has been granted.

2. Typographical Correction

Authors must perform the final typographical correction, just before printing. Not any change in the text nor new Figures are permitted unless authors have the permission of the Editor-In-Chief. The text for the typographical correction is sent to the corresponding author by email. Correction of the text should not take longer than 2-3 days.

3. Sending reprints

The corresponding author will receive a draft in PDF format, containing the final edition of the paper under publication.

Printed copies of the Journal can be available upon request (maximum total number of 10 copies for all authors). The cost of printing and shipping these reprints is charged to the authors.