Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice

Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal that provides a nonpartisan forum focusing on the intersection of health policies, politics, and nursing practice. The mission of PPNP is to provide evidence-informed study of timely issues across the spectrum of institutional to global policy. We are particularly interested in manuscripts with empirical research on policy changes impacting patient, family and population health outcomes; policy analysis; the politics of policy change; policies affecting nursing practice; nursing’s influence on policy outcomes; and nursing interventions and innovations that improve policy outcomes.

This Journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

This Journal recommends that authors follow the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals formulated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Sage Publishing disseminates high-quality research and engaged scholarship globally, and we are committed to diversity and inclusion in publishing. We encourage submissions from a diverse range of authors from across all countries and backgrounds.

Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.

Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of PPNP will be reviewed. 

There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.

As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.

 
1. What do we publish?

1.1 Writing your paper

2. Editorial policies

2.1 Peer review policy
2.2 Authorship
2.3 Acknowledgements
2.4 Funding
2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests
2.6 Research ethics and patient consent
2.7 Reporting guidelines

3. Publishing Policies

3.1 Publication ethics
3.2 Contributor’s publishing agreement
3.3 Open access and author archiving

4. Preparing your manuscript for submission

4.1 Formatting 
4.2 Supplementary material
4.3 English language editing services
4.4 Letters to the Editor

5. Submitting your manuscript

5.1 ORCID
5.2 Information required for completing your submission
5.3 Permissions

6. On acceptance and publication

6.1 Sage Production
6.2 Online First publication
6.3 Access to your published article
6.4 Promoting your article

7. Further information

 

1. What do we publish?

1.1 Writing your paper

The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources. Sage Author Services also offers authors a variety of ways to improve and enhance their article including English language editing, plagiarism detection, and video abstract and infographic preparation.

 
2. Editorial policies

2.1 Peer review policy

Sage does not permit the use of author-suggested (recommended) reviewers at any stage of the submission process, be that through the web-based submission system or other communication. Reviewers should be experts in their fields and should be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript. Our policy is that reviewers should not be assigned to a paper if:

•  The reviewer is based at the same institution as any of the co-authors

•  The reviewer is based at the funding body of the paper

•  The author has recommended the reviewer

•  The reviewer has provided a personal (e.g. Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail) email account and an institutional email account cannot be found after performing a basic Google search (name, department and institution). 

2.2 Authorship

Papers should only be submitted for consideration once consent is given by all contributing authors. Those submitting papers should carefully check that all those whose work contributed to the paper are acknowledged as contributing authors. 
The list of authors should include all those who can legitimately claim authorship. This is all those who:

i.    Made a substantial contribution to the concept or design of the work, its acquisition, or the analysis/interpretation of data,
ii.    Drafted the article or revised it critically for important intellectual content,
iii.    Approved the version to be published, and
iv.    Participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.

Authors should meet the conditions of all of the points above. When a large, multi-center group has conducted the work, the group should identify the individuals who accept direct responsibility for the manuscript. These individuals should fully meet the criteria for authorship. 

Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship. Please refer to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship guidelines for more information on authorship.

Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools

2.3 Acknowledgements

All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.

Any acknowledgements should appear first at the end of your article prior to your Declaration of Conflicting Interests (if applicable), any notes and your References.

2.3.1 Third party submissions

Where an individual who is not listed as an author submits a manuscript on behalf of the author(s), a statement must be included in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and in the accompanying cover letter. The statements must:

• Disclose this type of editorial assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input
• Identify any entities that paid for this assistance
• Confirm that the listed authors have authorized the submission of their manuscript via third party and approved any statements or declarations, e.g. conflicting interests, funding, etc.

Where appropriate, Sage reserves the right to deny consideration to manuscripts submitted by a third party rather than by the authors themselves.

2.3.2 Writing assistance

Individuals who provided writing assistance, e.g., from a specialist communications company, do not qualify as authors and should be included in the Acknowledgements section. Authors must disclose any writing assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input – and identify the entity that paid for this assistance.

It is not necessary to disclose use of language polishing services.

2.4 Funding

PPNP requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading. Please visit the Funding Acknowledgements page on the Sage Journal Author Gateway to confirm the format of the acknowledgment text in the event of funding, or state that:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. 

2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests

It is the policy of PPNP to require a declaration of conflicting interests from all authors enabling a statement to be carried within the paginated pages of all published articles. 

Please ensure that a ‘Declaration of Conflicting Interests’ statement is included at the end of your manuscript, after any acknowledgements and prior to the references. If no conflict exists, please state that:

The Author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest.

For guidance on conflict of interest statements, please see the ICMJE recommendations here.

2.6 Research ethics and patient consent

Medical research involving human subjects must be conducted according to the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

Submitted manuscripts should conform to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, and all papers reporting animal and/or human studies must state in the methods section that the relevant ethics committee or institutional review board provided (or waived) approval. Please ensure that you have provided the full name and institution of the review committee, in addition to the approval number.

For research articles, authors are also required to state in the methods section whether participants provided informed consent and whether the consent was written or verbal.

Information on informed consent to report individual cases or case series should be included in the manuscript text. A statement is required regarding whether written informed consent for patient information and images to be published was provided by the patient(s) or a legally authorized representative.

Please also refer to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Protection of Research Participants.

PPNP does not publish research involving animals.

2.7 Reporting guidelines

The relevant EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines should be followed depending on the type of study. For example, all randomized controlled trials submitted for publication should include a completed CONSORT flow chart as a cited figure and the completed CONSORT checklist should be uploaded with your submission as a supplementary file. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should include the completed PRISMA flow chart as a cited figure and the completed PRISMA checklist should be uploaded with your submission as a supplementary file. The EQUATOR wizard can help you identify the appropriate guideline. 

Other resources can be found at NLM’s Research Reporting Guidelines and Initiatives. 

 

3. Publishing Policies

3.1 Publication ethics

Sage is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the Sage Author Gateway. 

3.1.1 Plagiarism

PPNP and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarized other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.

3.1.2 Prior publication

If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor.
 
3.2 Contributor’s publishing agreement

Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive license agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and license to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway.

All permissions and related documents should be uploaded to the "Permissions Documents" file destination when submitting your manuscript. 

3.3 Open access and author archiving

PPNP offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.

4. Preparing your manuscript for submission

4.1 Formatting

Manuscripts should conform to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) for formatting. Manuscripts must be paginated and double spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font, with left justification and 1-inch margins. Insert continuous line numbering to facilitate manuscript reviews. Manuscripts should be 20 pages or less, including title page, abstract, and the main body of the manuscript. References, tables, and figures are not included in the page count. Use APA style for levels of headings to distinguish main headings (e.g., background or literature review, methods, results, and discussion) from subheadings (e.g., sample, measures, and procedures). Use the following format to title all uploaded manuscript files for initial submissions:

Lastname_maindoc

Lastname_figure

For revised manuscript submissions, follow the Editor-in-Chief’s directions in the decision letter. This will usually require you to use the following format:

PPNPmanuscriptID.R[insert a number that corresponds to the number of times you have revised the manuscript]_maindoc

PPNPmanuscriptID.R[insert a number that corresponds to the number of times you have revised the manuscript]_figure

Organization of the manuscript

4.1.1. Title page should include:

•    Full Article Title: concise and informative

•    Running Header: an abbreviated form of the title

•    Each author’s complete name, credentials, title or position, institutional affiliation(s), and contact information (postal address, e-mail address, and telephone number

•    Indicate which author will be the corresponding author. 

•    Key Words:  Please copy and paste your abstract into the MeSH on Demand search tool and click Search. Select the most relevant and specific keywords from the results and enter them below using lowercase letters only. If the suggested keywords are not specific enough, please rewrite your abstract with more specific language. A minimum of three keywords must be entered, but it is recommended that you use more. Please only use MeSH keywords to help researchers find your manuscript.

•    Acknowledgments: Include funding source and grant number or other acknowledgements (see section 2.4). All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the acknowledgements section. Examples include a person who provided purely technical help or a department chair who provided general support.

4.1.2. Abstract: Place the abstract at the beginning of the main document, followed by a page break. Use narrative writing and avoid headings followed by colons (such as “Purpose: or “Methods:”). Use of first or third person is acceptable as long as you are consistent throughout the abstract and paper. Abstracts should briefly describe the paper’s background, main purpose, methods, overall results, and discussion. Omit author(s)’s names; no more than 250 words.

4.1.3. Main document: Authors are responsible for submitting well-written and formatted manuscripts, using correct syntax. Policy Politics & Nursing Practice editorial team does not provide copy or technical editing services (see section 4.3 for Sage language editing services). Again, use of first or third person is acceptable as long as you are consistent throughout the abstract and paper.

4.1.4. Text: The main document should be no more than 20 pages.

4.1.5. Citations and references: All citations in the text must be listed in the references and all references must have a corresponding text citation. Authors are required to confirm this before submission. References should be included in the main document and not uploaded separately. Use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) for in-text citation and reference formatting. Limit references to 40 or less. Provide the full URL for the article (this should include the article DOI), if the article is hosted online. Otherwise, please provide the DOI, if available. This APA style blog post, discussing the DOI Display Guidelines Update (March 2017), provides some more helpful information around this initiative.

4.1.6. Tables and figures: Tables and figures created in MS Word should be included in the main document, after the references, separated by a page break. Figures and other files created in formats other than MS Word (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, TIFF, EPS, and PDF) should be submitted separately. Tables and figures are encouraged when they convey information not presented in the text or when used to highlight material. Only include tables that meet APA criteria for inclusion. Tables in MS Word should be editable, double spaced throughout, and formatted using Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) for preparation and numbering.

4.1.7 Artwork, figures and other graphics: Figures should be supplied in their native file format and be camera-ready. Include no more than one figure per page. Authors may indicate where tables and figures fit best in the text. Please number tables and figures in the order in which they appear in the text. Figure resolution should be 300dpi at the time of submission. Additional and more specific guidelines are available on the Author Gateway (under Artwork guidelines at the link: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/resources-for-journal-authors-and-editors).

4.2 Supplementary material

This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g., datasets, podcasts, videos, or images) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files.

4.3 English language editing services

Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.

Formatting and writing tips:

•    When itemizing words or phrases in a list, use letters in parentheses (i.e., (a), (b), and (c)); 

•    Whenever possible, use lower case first letters of words or phrases. Proper names, titles, and places need upper case first letters but most other words and phrases do not.  For example, use “advanced practice registered nurse” or “registered nurse.” Consult APA or other resources for assistance; 

•    Avoid vertical lists. Whenever possible, use continuous paragraph formats; 

•    Discussion section is one of the most important sections of the paper. Avoid rhetoric and unsubstantiated claims. Use active voice and specify which individuals or organizations you propose take certain steps. Be sure to address limitations of your manuscript and its implications for practice, research and policy. 

•    If submitting manuscripts that were used for academic assignments or presentations at conferences be sure to edit and revise them for a peer-reviewed journal with a global readership. A good paper for use in one context is not necessarily a good peer-reviewed manuscript.

•    Manuscripts that lack balanced discussion or analysis of issues or argue for a specific political party, candidate, or ideological perspective fall beyond our mission and will not be accepted. 

•    Writing tips:

a)    Use the following formats for words that are frequently used in policy papers:

    health care
    policymakers
    policymaking
    health care reform,
    policy stakeholders (compared to general stakeholders).

b)    Clarify the level of government you are referring to. Do not assume that all readers know if it is a federal, state, or global issue or organization.
c)    Avoid terms such as “currently” or “recently.” What’s current or recent now will not be so when readers see your article in the future. Instead, specify when the data were collected. For example, “As of 2017, x number of nurses worked full time in the US (citation).”
d)    If using terms such as “federally qualified health centers” or “value-based payment,” be sure to define and explain them, with citations. Do not assume that readers know what they mean.
e)    If writing about Medicare, Medicaid or other government programs, provide brief explanatory text with citations.
f)    When referring to a member of Congress, use this format: Representative (or Senator) Firstname Lastname (Republican or Democrat-StateAbbreviation per APA).
g)    Avoid passive voice. Only use active voice. If unsure about the difference, consult the APA manual.
h)    Avoid sweeping generalizations, such as “nurses must be active in policy.” Instead, specify which individual nurses and nurse organizations, should be active in what aspect of a particular policy. Include potential non-nursing collaborators, including specific organizations. 

•    IMPORTANT: PERMISSION – Authors are responsible for securing permission to reproduce all copyrighted tables, figures, or materials before they are published in PPNP. A copy of the written permission must be included with the manuscript submission.

4.4 Letters to the Editor

We encourage letters to the Editor commenting on published articles in Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, and should be 600 words or less. They should not have an abstract. The letter can have a maximum of five references.

5. Submitting your manuscript

PPNP is hosted on Sage Track, a web based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ppnp to login and submit your article online. 
IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created.  For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Help.

5.1 ORCID

As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.

The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.

If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.

5.2 Information required for completing your submission

You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant). 

5.3 Permissions

Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway.

 

6. On acceptance and publication

6.1 Sage Production

Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly.  Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate.

6.2 Online First publication 

Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.

6.3 Access to your published article 

Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.

6.4 Promoting your article

Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice.

Work with the journal’s editor-in-chief and senior associate editors to enhance dissemination of your manuscript through social media.

 

7. Further information

Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the PPNP editorial office as follows: 

Christine Kovner, PhD, RN, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief, Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice

Nursing.PPandNP@nyu.edu