Guidelines to Constributor

The Hong Kong Nursing Journal is a bilingual scholarly publication of the College of Nursing, Hong Kong. The Journal is committed to the improvement of the standard of clinical practice, extension of nursing knowledge and promotion of communication in the nursing profession. The Journal invites unsolicited original articles related to nursing practice, education or management, or to health care policy and delivery. Manuscripts submitted can be research reports, literature review, case reports, and descriptions of clinical care. Priority will be given to indigenous materials and research having strong local relevance.

Editorial Policies

The Hong Kong Nursing Journal is a peer-reviewed publication. All manuscripts are subject to review by the editor and anonymous reviews by two reviewers. The corresponding author(s) will receive written notice regarding the outcome of the review. Revised manuscripts after major modification will be reviewed again. Any modification work by original author(s) exceeding the specified time frame without formal notification will be considered as automatic withdrawal. The journal reserves all right to edit to conform to the standards and style of the Journal.

All manuscripts are accepted for publication with the understanding that they are contributed solely to The Hong Kong Nursing Journal. The Journal retains all copyright of any manuscript that is accepted for publication. On acceptance, manuscripts become the permanent property of the Journal and may not be reproduced elsewhere without permission from the publisher. Statements and opinions expressed in the articles and communications herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher, and the editors and publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for such material.

Manuscript submitted must be accompanied by the following statement, signed by all authors:
"The undersigned author(s) transfers all copyright ownership of the manuscript titled [title of article] to the publisher in the event the work is published. Each undersigned author warrants that the article is original, that it is not under consideration by another publication at this time, and that neither the text nor the data reported have been published previously. It is understood that the statements and opinions expressed in this manuscript are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher, and the editors and publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for this manuscript. [typed name(s) and signature(s) of author(s)]"

Manuscript Preparation

The Journal will consider original manuscripts which explore and report issues, trends and ideas. Manuscripts that shed new light on the topic in form of research, clinical practice, professional issues, reflections and opinions, case reports and literature reviews are welcomed.

Research reports: Research articles should include a clear and concise summary of the purpose and /or questions, background and significance, theoretical framework, study methods, results and discussion, conclusions and implications for further research and nursing practice. Report of small scale studies (e.g. pilot study, preliminary study in one setting), short reports of completed or ongoing studies that have potential of stimulating further investigation are invited as research in brief.

Theoretical articles: Theoretical articles related to clinical practice or professional issue include analyses of selected concepts or existing theory that are identified as important for nursing practice may be included.

Reflections: Reflections on nursing or health care issues should present the author's views about a topic to stimulate thinking of nursing readers. Articles should provide substantial support for opinions expressed.

Case reports: Clinical case reports should include the process and result of implementation of nursing interventions in clinical workplace. words.

Literature reviews: Articles should provide a thorough understanding of the in-depth knowledge of the particular topic through extensive review of relevant literature.

Articles should be between 1000 - 5000 words, depending of the type of manuscript. Three copies of the manuscript should be submitted, and the manuscript must be typed double-spaced on 8.5x11 inch (A4) white paper, one sided, 1-inch margins on all sides, and include full references and tables. Style should generally follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Manuscripts in Chinese can be hand written/ typed. The process of publication will be speeded up if the manuscripts are prepared in typeface of Times New Roman and in font size 12.

Upon acceptance, an identical copy of the accepted article on a floppy disk (saved in Rich Text Format (RTF)) should be provided to the College of Nursing for editing purposes. Manuscripts not accepted will not be returned to the author after review unless a specific request is made upon submission.

Format of Manuscript

Title Page: The title page should include the manuscript title, full name(s) of the author(s), their professional and academic qualifications, and their institutional affiliations; complete corresponding address, telephone and fax number, and E-mail address (if appropriate).

Abstract: An abstract of up to 150 words giving a brief outline of the content of the article, including the major findings should be submitted on a separate page. A list of 3-5 keywords for the article should be included on the same page. Chinese manuscript submitted should provide an English title and an English abstract for entry into the CINAHL.

Subheadings: Titles and subheadings should be structured appropriately within the article to designated major sections. Figures and illustrations: Figures, including illustrations, flow charts or diagrams should be numbered consecutively in the order of text mentioned on separate pages with appropriate headings and legends. The author(s) is (are) responsible for obtaining written permission for their use where necessary.

References: Author(s) should limit references to those essential to the articles. The referencing style used in the Journal follows the APA manual. References should be cited in text with author's name and year of publication. The references should be listed in alphabetical order in separate pages. Examples for listing references of books, periodicals and articles within edited books are as follows:
Book:
Hay, J.W. (1992). Health care in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.

Periodicals:
Becker, L.M. & Seligman, C. (1981). Welcome to the energy crisis. Journal of Social Issues, 37(2), 1-7.

Article/chapter within edited work:
Munro, L. (1986). The role of the teacher in clinical field. In S.M. Hinchliff (Ed.), Teaching clinical nursing, (2nd ed). (pp. 31-47). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Internet:
Internet material from a refereed source (e.g. Pediatrics Electronic pages) should be cited including the following information: name of home page, web address (URL), date accessed, and section or paragraph if available. As the quality of information on the Internet is not rated, references from the Internet will be considered as a personal communication and should be limited in number.

Mailing Address
Manuscripts should be sent to:
The Editor-in-Chief
The Hong Kong Nursing Journal
College of Nursing, Hong Kong
12th Floor Hyde Centre, 221 Gloucester Road,
Wanchai, Hong Kong