Authors are required to follow the journal's manuscript preparation, submission, ethical, and peer-review requirements. Use the official NJK templates and ensure that all submitted documents are complete and consistent.

Manuscripts that do not meet the technical requirements may be returned for correction before editorial assessment. Compliance with the guidelines does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

Authors are required to use the official templates provided by NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK). The following documents are available:

1. Cover Letter Template

The Cover Letter must be submitted as a separate document and should briefly introduce the manuscript to the Editor. The Cover Letter should include:

• Full manuscript title;
• Article type;
• A brief explanation of the importance and originality of the study;
• The contribution of the manuscript to nursing knowledge, practice, education, management, policy, or healthcare;
• An explanation of why the manuscript is appropriate for NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK);
• Confirmation that the manuscript is original and has not been published previously;
• Confirmation that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;
• Confirmation that all authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript and its submission;
• Disclosure of any previous dissemination of the work, including conference presentations, theses, dissertations, preprints, or related publications, where applicable;
• Disclosure of conflicts of interest;
• Relevant ethical approval information, where applicable;
• Funding information, where relevant; and
• The name and contact information of the corresponding author.

2. Separate Title Page Template

NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK) uses a double-blind peer-review process. Therefore, all information that may reveal the identity of the authors must be placed on a separate Title Page and must not appear in the Main Manuscript. The Title Page should contain:

• Manuscript title;
• Running title, where required;
• Article type;
• Full name of each author;
• Institutional affiliation of each author;
• Department or unit;
• Institution;
• City and country;
• ORCID iD for each author, where available;
• Identification of the corresponding author; and
• Corresponding author's email address.

The Title Page is intended for editorial use and should not normally be shared with reviewers.

3. Main Manuscript Template

All manuscripts must be prepared using the official NJK Main Manuscript Template. The Main Manuscript is the version that will be sent for peer review and must therefore be fully anonymized. The manuscript must not contain:

• Author names;
• Affiliations;
• Author email addresses;
• ORCID iDs;
• Acknowledgments that reveal author identity;
• Institutional information that unnecessarily identifies the authors;
• Self-identifying statements; or
• Author-identifying information in the document properties.

Authors may cite their own previous work where scientifically necessary, but such citations should be written neutrally in the same manner as references to other authors. For example, authors should avoid wording such as:

“In our previous study, we found…”

Instead, use neutral wording such as:

“Previous research has shown…”

The appropriate citation should be included. Detailed instructions for preparing the Main Manuscript are provided below.

4. Response to Reviewers Template

This template should be used when submitting a revised manuscript following comments from editors or reviewers. Authors should respond to every comment individually and clearly indicate:

• The reviewer or editor comment;
• The author's response;
• The change made to the manuscript;
• The page and line number where the revision can be found; or
• A scientific justification where the authors have not adopted the suggested change.

Responses should be professional, respectful, concise, and evidence-based. A revised manuscript should normally be accompanied by a complete Response to Reviewers document.

The following sections describe the specific requirements for preparing manuscripts for submission to NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK).

1. Article Category

Authors must select the article category that most accurately represents the submitted work. NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK) may consider the following manuscript categories:

a. Research Article

Reports original empirical research using quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, experimental, observational, clinical, educational, community-based, or health-services research designs.

b. Case Study or Case Report

Presents a clinically, professionally, educationally, or contextually significant case that provides relevant learning for nursing or healthcare practice.

c. Literature Review

Provides a critical synthesis of published literature on a defined topic relevant to nursing or healthcare.

d. General Review

Provides a scholarly and critical overview of an important issue relevant to nursing science, practice, education, management, or healthcare.

e. Systematic Review

Uses a systematic and reproducible approach to identify, appraise, and synthesize available evidence addressing a focused research question.

f. Scoping Review

Maps the scope, characteristics, concepts, and evidence available within a defined topic or field.

g. Meta-analysis

Statistically synthesizes quantitative findings from eligible studies when appropriate.

2. Language

Manuscripts must be written in clear, professional academic English. Authors are responsible for ensuring:

• Correct grammar;
• Appropriate spelling;
• Scientific accuracy;
• Consistent terminology;
• Logical organization;
• Clear sentence structure;
• Coherence between paragraphs; and
• Readability for an international audience.

Authors are strongly encouraged to proofread the manuscript carefully before submission. Professional language editing may be used where appropriate, but language editing does not guarantee acceptance. Abbreviations should be used only when necessary and should be defined at first mention.

3. Format and Length

Template

Authors must use the official NJK Main Manuscript Template. Download the NJK Main Manuscript Template.

File Format

The Main Manuscript must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. Files in .doc, .pdf, or other formats are not accepted as the primary manuscript file. Authors should upload supplementary files separately in the file formats requested by the submission system.

Manuscript Length

For most manuscript categories, the manuscript should generally be approximately:

• 3,000–4,000 words; or
• Approximately 10–15 pages, including references.

Some manuscript categories, particularly systematic reviews, scoping reviews, or other evidence-synthesis articles, may require a longer manuscript where scientifically justified.

Title Length

The manuscript title should contain no more than 20 words. The title should be:

• Concise;
• Informative;
• Specific;
• Scientifically accurate; and
• Representative of the main focus of the manuscript.

Avoid unnecessary abbreviations, overly general expressions, and phrases that do not add meaningful information.

Template Formatting

The page size, margins, font, font size, spacing, heading style, tables, and other formatting have been preset in the official NJK template. Authors should not substantially alter the template formatting.

4. Structure of the Main Manuscript

An original research manuscript should generally contain the following sections in this order:

1. Manuscript Title;
2. Abstract;
3. Keywords;
4. Introduction;
5. Methods;
6. Results;
7. Discussion;
8. Conclusion;
9. Declarations, where applicable;
10. References; and
11. Supplementary Materials, where applicable.

The structure may vary according to article type. Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines when preparing manuscripts with specialized designs.

5. Manuscript Title

The title should accurately describe the main topic of the manuscript and allow readers to understand the principal focus of the research. A good title should identify, where relevant:

• The principal phenomenon or variable;
• The population;
• The context or setting; and
• The study design, when useful.

The title should avoid:

• Unnecessary abbreviations;
• Overly broad wording;
• Unnecessary location details unless context is scientifically important;
• Overly promotional language; and
• Claims that are stronger than the study design can support.

The maximum title length is 20 words.

6. Abstract

The abstract must be written in English and should not exceed 250 words. For original research articles, the abstract should preferably be structured as follows:

a. Background

Provide a brief explanation of the context and importance of the problem.

b. Objective

Clearly state the objective or aim of the study.

c. Methods

Briefly describe:

• Study design;
• Setting;
• Participants or sample;
• Sampling method, where relevant;
• Instruments or measures;
• Data collection; and
• Data analysis.

d. Results

Present the principal findings of the study. Include key quantitative results where relevant rather than reporting only whether results were statistically significant. For qualitative studies, summarize the principal themes, categories, or interpretative findings.

e. Conclusion

State the main conclusion and explain the principal implication of the findings for nursing or healthcare.

The abstract should be understandable independently of the main manuscript. References should not normally be cited in the abstract.

7. Keywords

Authors should provide 3–5 keywords in English. Keywords should:

• Accurately represent the principal concepts of the manuscript;
• Support indexing and discoverability;
• Preferably use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), where applicable;
• Avoid unnecessary repetition of terms already appearing in the title; and
• Be arranged alphabetically.

Keywords should be separated consistently according to the NJK template.

8. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the scientific rationale for the study. Authors should generally develop the Introduction in a logical sequence.

a. Background of the Problem

Explain the broader clinical, educational, community, organizational, or scientific problem.

b. Current Evidence

Summarize the most relevant and recent evidence related to the problem. Do not provide an extensive literature review.

c. Research Gap

Clearly identify what remains:

• Unknown;
• Insufficiently understood;
• Inconsistent;
• Inadequately investigated; or
• Unresolved in previous research.

The research gap should logically justify the need for the study.

d. Significance of the Study

Explain why addressing the identified gap is important. Where appropriate, discuss relevance to:

• Nursing practice;
• Nursing education;
• Nursing management;
• Patient outcomes;
• Community health;
• Health services;
• Policy; or
• Future research.

e. Objective

The final paragraph of the Introduction should clearly state the:

• Study objective;
• Research question; or
• Hypothesis, where applicable.

9. Methods

The Methods section should contain sufficient detail for readers to understand how the research was conducted and to evaluate the rigor of the study. The content should be appropriate to the research design.

a. Study Design

Clearly state the research design. Examples include:

• Cross-sectional;
• Cohort;
• Case-control;
• Randomized controlled trial;
• Quasi-experimental;
• Qualitative descriptive;
• Phenomenological;
• Grounded theory;
• Ethnographic;
• Mixed methods; or
• Other appropriate designs.

b. Setting and Study Period

Describe:

• Where the study was conducted;
• The relevant clinical, community, educational, or organizational setting; and
• The study or data-collection period.

c. Population and Participants

Describe:

• Target population;
• Accessible population;
• Participant characteristics;
• Inclusion criteria; and
• Exclusion criteria.

d. Sample and Sampling

Describe:

• Sampling method;
• Sample-size calculation, where applicable;
• Recruitment procedures; and
• Final sample.

e. Instruments and Measures

For quantitative studies, describe:

• Instrument name;
• Constructs measured;
• Scoring;
• Validity;
• Reliability; and
• Adaptation or translation, where relevant.

For qualitative studies, describe:

• Interview or focus-group guide;
• Development of the questions;
• Interview procedures; and
• Researcher involvement, where relevant.

f. Data Collection

Explain the procedures used to collect data in sufficient detail.

g. Data Analysis

For quantitative research, report:

• Statistical analyses;
• Assumptions or tests, where relevant;
• Statistical significance criteria, where applicable; and
• Software used.

For qualitative research, identify the analytical approach clearly and explain how the analysis was undertaken.

For mixed-methods research, describe both qualitative and quantitative analyses and explain how the findings were integrated.

h. Ethical Considerations

For studies involving human participants, report:

• Name of the ethics committee;
• Ethical approval number, where applicable;
• Informed-consent procedures;
• Protection of confidentiality;
• Participant rights; and
• Other relevant ethical safeguards.

10. Results

The Results section should present findings clearly, objectively, and logically. Findings should generally follow the order of:

• Research objectives;
• Research questions;
• Hypotheses; or
• Analytic framework.

For quantitative research, authors should provide:

• Participant characteristics, where relevant;
• Descriptive findings;
• Analytical findings;
• Effect estimates, where appropriate;
• Confidence intervals, where appropriate; and
• Exact or appropriately reported statistical results.

For qualitative research, authors should present:

• Themes, categories, concepts, or other analytical findings;
• Clear descriptions of each finding; and
• Appropriate supporting participant quotations or other data.

Avoid unnecessary duplication of the same information across text, tables, and figures.

11. Discussion

The Discussion should provide a scholarly interpretation of the findings. Authors should generally address:

a. Principal Findings

Begin by identifying the most important findings related to the study objective.

b. Interpretation

Explain what the findings mean and why they are important.

c. Comparison with Previous Research

Compare the findings with relevant national and international literature. Discuss:

• Similarities;
• Differences;
• Possible explanations; and
• Contextual factors.

d. Contribution to Knowledge

Explain what new understanding the study contributes.

e. Implications

Where relevant, discuss implications for:

• Nursing practice;
• Nursing education;
• Nursing management;
• Policy;
• Patient or family care;
• Community health; or
• Future research.

f. Strengths and Limitations

Discuss significant strengths and limitations and explain how limitations may influence interpretation or transferability/generalizability. Avoid simply repeating the Results section.

12. Conclusion

The Conclusion should directly address the study objective. It should:

• Summarize the main message of the research;
• Be supported by the findings;
• Avoid introducing new data;
• Avoid overstating conclusions;
• Identify the principal contribution; and
• Provide recommendations only where justified by the findings.

13. Reporting Guidelines

Authors should use an appropriate reporting guideline for the study design. Examples include:

• CONSORT — randomized controlled trials;
• STROBE — observational studies;
• PRISMA — systematic reviews and meta-analyses;
• PRISMA-ScR — scoping reviews;
• COREQ — qualitative interviews and focus groups;
• SRQR — qualitative research;
• CARE — case reports; and
• STARD — diagnostic accuracy studies.

Authors may consult the EQUATOR Network to identify the reporting guideline appropriate to their study design. Authors are encouraged to identify the reporting guideline used within the Methods section. The journal may request the completed checklist during submission or review.

14. Tables

Tables should communicate information efficiently and should not duplicate material already fully described in the text. Each table should:

• Be numbered consecutively;
• Have a clear and informative title above the table;
• Be cited in the manuscript;
• Use appropriate column headings;
• Define all abbreviations;
• Explain statistical symbols in footnotes; and
• Remain editable.

Do not submit tables only as screenshots or image files unless specifically required.

15. Figures

Figures should:

• Be numbered consecutively;
• Be cited in the manuscript;
• Have an informative caption below the figure;
• Be clear and legible;
• Have sufficient resolution;
• Avoid unnecessary decoration; and
• Protect participant confidentiality.

Where a figure has been reproduced or adapted from another source, authors must:

• Cite the original source; and
• Obtain permission where required.

16. Declarations

Manuscripts submitted to NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK) should include relevant declarations to support transparency and publication integrity.

a. Author Contributions

Authors should describe their individual contributions. Use of the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy is encouraged.

b. Acknowledgments

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged.

c. Funding

State all financial or material support. Include grant numbers where applicable.

d. Conflict of Interest

Authors must declare relevant financial and non-financial competing interests. If none exist, state this explicitly.

e. Consent for Publication

Consent for publication is required where identifiable information, clinical images, photographs, or case details are included.

f. Data Availability

Authors should provide a Data Availability Statement where applicable.

g. Generative AI Disclosure

Authors should disclose relevant use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in accordance with the journal's applicable policies.

17. References

References should be current, relevant, accurate, and scientifically appropriate.

a. Minimum Number of References

Manuscripts should generally include at least 25 references. Review articles, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses are expected to include a larger number of references appropriate to the scope of the evidence reviewed.

b. Reference Quality

Authors should prioritize:

• Original peer-reviewed research;
• Systematic reviews;
• Meta-analyses;
• Authoritative professional guidelines;
• Government or international agency documents;
• Relevant standards; and
• Other credible scholarly sources.

c. Reference Recency

The majority of references should preferably have been published within the last five years. Older references are acceptable where they represent:

• Seminal theories;
• Landmark research;
• Original instrument-development studies;
• Foundational methodology; or
• Other essential scholarly sources.

d. Primary Sources

Authors are encouraged to cite original research rather than relying excessively on secondary citations.

e. Accuracy

Authors are responsible for verifying every citation. Ensure that:

• All in-text citations appear in the reference list;
• All references are cited in the manuscript;
• Author names are correct;
• Article titles are accurate;
• Journal details are correct;
• Publication years are correct;
• Volume, issue, page, or article number is correct; and
• DOI information is provided where available.

f. Reference Management Software

Authors are strongly encouraged to use software such as:

• Mendeley;
• Zotero;
• EndNote; or
• Another reliable reference-management application.

18. Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials may be submitted where they provide useful supporting information that is not essential to the main manuscript. Examples include:

• Additional tables;
• Additional figures;
• Questionnaires;
• Interview guides;
• Research protocols;
• Reporting checklists;
• Datasets;
• Appendices;
• Multimedia materials; and
• Other supporting documents.

Supplementary materials should be clearly labelled and referenced in the manuscript. Authors remain responsible for confidentiality, copyright, permissions, and ethical compliance. Authors should also consult the journal's Copyright and License page where third-party material or licensing questions are relevant.

19. Revised Manuscript Submission

When a revision is requested, authors should prepare the following document: Download the NJK Response to Reviewers Template.

The revised submission should normally include:

1. Revised Main Manuscript;
2. Response to Reviewers;
3. Tracked-changes or highlighted manuscript;
4. Clean manuscript, if requested; and
5. Updated supplementary files, where applicable.

Authors must respond to every reviewer and editor comment. Do not respond simply with statements such as:

“Corrected.”

Instead, explain clearly:

• What was changed;
• Why it was changed; and
• Where the revision can be found.

20. Final Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors should confirm all of the following:

• The manuscript is within the scope of NERS Jurnal Keperawatan (NJK).
• The correct article category has been selected.
• The NJK Cover Letter Template has been completed.
• The NJK Separate Title Page Template has been completed.
• The NJK Main Manuscript Template has been used.
• The Main Manuscript is fully anonymized.
• Author identities have been removed from the document properties.
• The manuscript is submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
• The manuscript is written in academic English.
• The title does not exceed 20 words.
• The abstract does not exceed 250 words.
• Three to five keywords are provided.
• Appropriate reporting guidelines have been followed.
• Ethical approval is reported where required.
• Informed consent is reported where applicable.
• Authorship information is complete and agreed upon by all authors.
• Funding has been disclosed.
• Conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
• Data availability information has been provided where applicable.
• Relevant generative AI use has been disclosed.
• Tables and figures comply with journal requirements.
• Permissions have been obtained where necessary.
• The manuscript contains at least 25 references, where applicable.
• References are accurate and sufficiently current.
• All in-text citations and reference-list entries follow APA 7th edition consistently.
• DOI information has been included where available.
• Supplementary materials are complete, where applicable.
• All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

For convenience, authors may download the official NJK templates below:

Authors should always use the latest version of the templates available on the journal website. For additional requirements, please consult the Author Guidelines and the journal's relevant editorial policies.