Author Guidelines

The Celebes Nursing Journal (CNJ) is a peer-reviewed, open-access nursing journal with an international scope that publishes high-quality scholarly articles advancing nursing science, clinical practice, nursing education, and health systems relevant to nursing and healthcare. CNJ is committed to rigorous peer review, editorial transparency, and adherence to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and research integrity.
All manuscripts submitted to CNJ must be:

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 category that best reflects the nature and methodology of their work.

Article Type Recommended Word Length Abstract Required Structure Special Requirements Tables/Figures
Original Research Articles Typically 4,000–8,000 words* Structured, 150–250 words IMRaD or appropriate design-specific structure 3–6 keywords, preferably  MeSH terms where applicable; relevant reporting guideline required No fixed limit; only necessary items
Review Articles (Systematic, Scoping, Integrative, Narrative) Typically 5,000–8,000 words* Structured or unstructured according to review type Type-specific structure Follow the appropriate reporting guideline (e.g., PRISMA 2020, PRISMA-ScR) No fixed limit; only essential items
Case Reports / Case Studies Typically 2,000–4,000 words* Unstructured, up to 250 words Type-specific structure CARE guideline where applicable; clear nursing relevance Only essential items
Perspectives Up to 3,000 words Unstructured, up to 250 words Flexible structure Evidence-informed scholarly argument Optional
Editorials 1,500–3,000 words No abstract Flexible structure Usually invited; proposals may be considered Optional

*Recommended word lengths are general guidance rather than absolute limits. Longer manuscripts may be considered when justified by the study design, methodological complexity, or reporting requirements. Word counts exclude the abstract, references, tables, figures, and supplementary materials unless otherwise specified.
Tables and figures should be directly relevant to the study objectives and should not unnecessarily duplicate information presented in the text. Extensive supporting materials may be submitted as supplementary files.

2. Manuscript Preparation
Authors must prepare their manuscripts using the official CNJ Manuscript Template and submit a separate Title Page. The required submission documents are available under Author Resources.
Manuscripts should be prepared according to the article type, study design, and applicable reporting standards.

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

The title should be concise, informative, and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript.

Abstract (150–250 Words)
All manuscripts, except editorials, must include an English-language abstract of 150–250 words.
For original research articles, the abstract should be presented in a single paragraph and clearly summarize the Introduction, Objective(s), Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Other article types should use an abstract format appropriate to their design and purpose. The abstract must not include references, displayed equations, or unexplained abbreviations.

Keywords
Authors must provide 3–6 keywords immediately below the abstract. Keywords should preferably correspond to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) where applicable to improve consistency in indexing and retrieval.

Main Text
Original research articles should generally follow an IMRaD or appropriate design-specific structure. Depending on the study design, manuscripts may include:
Introduction – Methods – Results or Findings – Discussion – Implications – Limitations – Conclusion
Alternative structures may be used when appropriate for qualitative, mixed-methods, review, case-based, or other study designs.

Reporting Guidelines
Authors must follow the appropriate reporting guideline for their study design and submit the required checklist where applicable.
Detailed requirements and links to the relevant guidelines are available on the Reporting Guidelines (EQUATOR) page.

3. Declarations and Final Sections
Manuscripts must include the applicable declarations specified in the official CNJ Manuscript Template, including:

4. References
References must follow APA 7th Edition.
Authors should prioritize relevant, authoritative, and current scholarly literature. Seminal, foundational, original methodological, or instrument-development sources may be cited regardless of publication year when scientifically necessary.
DOIs should be included where available. Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero.

Authors are strongly advised to download and use the latest CNJ Manuscript Template before preparing their submission, as the template contains detailed formatting and manuscript preparation instructions.