Instructions for Authors

All journals published by the NEP Journal are innovative, peer-reviewed publications that focus on advancing nursing and allied health practice. It aims to disseminate articles that are highly relevant to nurses and healthcare professionals, bridging the gap between nursing education and clinical practice through the publication of evidence-based studies, best practices, and practical procedures.

Authors can access a full-length submission preparation checklist here.

Manuscripts submitted to NEP Journal should not have been published previously in print or electronic form and must not be under consideration by another publisher. Reports following conference presentations or preliminary findings (e.g., in abstracts) may be considered. Preprints may also be submitted, provided that any prior or simultaneous online publication is disclosed in the cover letter. Authors should include copies of potentially overlapping material previously published or under consideration elsewhere and provide links to such content if available. Potential overlaps should be explained in the cover letter.

Note: Duplicate submissions or publications are not inherently unethical. However, failure to disclose related material to editors or readers (covert duplication) is considered unethical and may violate copyright law. Even a content overlap of 10% may be considered duplicative.

ORCID Requirement

All authors and coauthors must have an ORCID at the time of publication. Obtaining an ORCID is free and takes only a few minutes; visit ORCID.org. Corresponding authors should encourage coauthors to register for ORCIDs during manuscript preparation. While ORCIDs can be added after submission, they are required upon acceptance.

Open Access and Article Processing Charges (APC)

NEP Journal is a non-profit, open-access publication that provides free, immediate online access to all scholarly articles, ensuring that nursing education and practice knowledge is accessible without paywall restrictions. To maintain this accessibility, NEP Journal charges a low and competitive APC, which is substantially lower than international standards.

Paper Submission Requirements

Submitted manuscripts must follow the ICMJE (https://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf) recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Authors should consult these guidelines before reviewing the specific NEP Journal instructions. Author instructions are subject to change, so authors should check them regularly before submitting a manuscript.

The following instructions for authors are subject to revision so please refer to them frequently before submitting your manuscript.

Submit a cover letter

Prepare a cover letter containing all essential information for the journal staff and editors using information provided here:

• The manuscript title and article type.
• A brief overview of your study, including the background, methodology, and key findings.

Preparation of Manuscripts

All manuscripts must be typed in English and prepared in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. Use double spacing and 12-point font size. Pages should be numbered consecutively. The manuscript must be arranged in the following sequence:

• Title page
• Abstract and keywords
• Main text (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion)
• Acknowledgments
• References
• Tables and figures

Ethical Considerations

Authors must confirm that the study has been conducted in accordance with ethical standards. For studies involving human participants, an ethics approval statement must be included, specifying the institutional review board that granted approval. Informed consent must be obtained from participants. For studies involving animals, authors must state compliance with institutional and international guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals.

Reporting Guidelines

Authors should adhere to recognized reporting guidelines according to their study design. Examples include:

• CONSORT for randomized controlled trials
• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• STROBE for observational studies
• CARE for case reports

Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence their work. A conflict-of-interest statement must be included at the end of the manuscript.

Licensing

Articles published in the NEP Journal are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.

The Nurse Educators & Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) Submission Checklist is designed to assist authors in preparing and submitting manuscripts that meet the journal’s standards for quality, originality, and ethical compliance. This checklist ensures that manuscripts are complete, properly formatted, and adhere to the APA 7th Edition guidelines, facilitating a smoother peer-review and publication process.

Authors are encouraged to carefully review each item and confirm compliance before submission. The checklist covers all essential aspects of manuscript preparation, including general compliance, metadata, ethical disclosures, manuscript structure, figures and tables, references, language, formatting, and supplementary materials. Adhering to this checklist helps maintain the high standards of NEPJ and enhances the visibility, readability, and impact of published research.

1. General Compliance

2. Metadata

3. Disclosures and Ethical Statements

4. Figures, Tables, and Multimedia

5. Word Count and Abstract

6. Manuscript Structure

7. References and Citations

8. Language, Style, and Readability

9. Formatting

10. Supplementary Files

Welcome to the NEPJ online submission portal. Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure that your paper meets the journal's standards for quality, originality, and ethical compliance.

Preparation Before Submission

Authors are required to prepare the following documents in .docx format:

• Title Page: Include the manuscript title, author names, affiliations, and corresponding author email.
• Cover Letter: Confirm originality, ethical compliance, and any potential conflicts of interest.
• Anonymous Manuscript: Ensure that the manuscript does not include identifying author information to facilitate blind peer review.

Please carefully consult the Instructions for Authors to ensure your submission meets all necessary criteria, including formatting, structure, and reporting standards.

Online Submission Form

Once you have prepared your manuscript according to the above guidelines, you may submit it using the online submission form below:

Overview

The Nurse Educators and Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly and ethical practice in nursing and allied health research. All manuscripts submitted to NEPJ undergo a double-blind peer review, ensuring that both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the process. This promotes fairness, objectivity, and integrity in the evaluation of submitted manuscripts.

NEPJ considers original research articles, reviews, case studies, and evidence-based practice reports within the scope of nursing, health education, and related disciplines. Manuscripts are evaluated based on their scientific soundness, educational relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution to the advancement of nursing practice.

Initial Editorial Screening

Upon submission, all manuscripts are first assessed by the NEPJ Editorial Office for compliance with the Instructions for Authors and alignment with the journal’s scope and policies. The editorial staff checks for:

• Completeness of submission (including authorship statements, ethical clearances, and conflict of interest declarations)
• Plagiarism and originality (through similarity checks)
• Compliance with formatting, referencing, and ethical standards

Submissions that meet the technical and ethical requirements proceed to the Editor-in-Chief, who may consult the Editorial Board before assigning the manuscript to a handling editor.

Assignment and Reviewer Selection

Once assigned, the handling editor identifies 2 to 4 qualified reviewers who possess expertise in the subject area of the manuscript. Reviewers are selected based on their:

• Subject matter expertise and publication record
• Prior experience with peer review
• Absence of conflicts of interest with the authors or study

Authors may recommend at least two potential reviewers, though the final selection is made at the discretion of the editorial team to maintain objectivity.

Peer Review Process

NEPJ uses a double-blind review system, meaning that:

• Reviewers do not know the identities of the authors, and
• Authors do not know the identities of the reviewers.

This ensures an impartial evaluation based solely on academic merit. Reviewers assess manuscripts according to the following criteria:

• Significance and originality of the research problem
• Soundness and rigor of the study design and methodology
• Depth of understanding and engagement with relevant literature
• Clarity and coherence of presentation and argumentation
• Ethical compliance in human or animal studies, if applicable
• Relevance and contribution to NEPJ’s readership and nursing practice

Reviewers provide constructive feedback and recommendations that may include:

• Accept without revision
• Accept with minor revision
• Major revision and resubmission
• Reject

All comments are communicated anonymously to the authors, who are given the opportunity to revise their manuscripts accordingly.

Review Timeline

The typical review cycle takes 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the submission and reviewer availability. The Editorial Office updates authors on the progress of their manuscripts throughout the review process.

After the reviewers’ comments are received, the handling editor evaluates the feedback and drafts a recommendation for the Editor-in-Chief, who makes the final decision: Accept, Revise, or Reject.

Manuscript Revisions

If revisions are requested, authors are provided with detailed reviewer comments and editorial notes. Authors must:

• Address each comment thoroughly in a response letter
• Highlight changes made in the revised manuscript
• Resubmit within the specified timeframe (typically 30–45 days)

Revised manuscripts may undergo additional rounds of review at the editor’s discretion to ensure that all concerns have been adequately addressed.

Final Decision and Acceptance

The Editor-in-Chief or an appointed editorial representative makes the final publication decision after considering reviewer recommendations, the author’s responses, and the overall contribution of the work to the field. Upon acceptance, manuscripts undergo technical and language editing before being sent to production.

Peer Review Ethics and Confidentiality

All reviewers are required to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the content of manuscripts under review. They must not:

• Share or discuss manuscript details outside the review process
• Use any data, ideas, or findings prior to publication

Reviewers are also expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation.

The editorial team enforces ethical conduct among editors, reviewers, and authors consistent with international standards such as COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors).

Transparency in Editorial Decisions

All editorial decisions are guided by academic merit, not by commercial or personal interests. The Editor-in-Chief has ultimate authority over publication decisions, made independently from sponsors or advertisers.

Authors may track the status of their submissions through NEPJ’s submission system or by contacting the editorial office directly.

Appeals Process

Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision must submit a formal written request outlining specific reasons for reconsideration. Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, when appropriate, by an independent reviewer or member of the Editorial Board.

Appeals are considered only if:

• A factual or procedural error occurred in the review, or
• Evidence suggests bias or conflict of interest affected the decision.

The decision following an appeal is final and communicated formally to the author.

Peer Review Transparency

In line with the journal’s commitment to openness and accountability, NEPJ may, with author consent, publish a summary of the peer review history alongside accepted articles. This may include anonymized reviewer comments and author responses to enhance transparency and trust in the publication process.

Contact

For inquiries, clarifications, or concerns regarding the editorial or peer review process, authors may contact the NEPJ Editorial Office at:neprajournal@gmail.com

Ethical Guidelines

The Nurse Educators & Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) strictly follows ethical protocols for research involving human and animal subjects. Authors must secure informed consent from participants, maintain confidentiality of data, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Animal research must adhere to ethical guidelines and relevant legislation. NEPJ has comprehensive procedures to address ethical complaints and will investigate any claims of unethical behavior.

Research Involving Human Subjects

All research involving human participants must have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent. The IRB approval/exemption, as well as demographic details such as age and gender, should be clearly stated in the manuscript or provided as supplementary material. Informed consent must be obtained and documented for all studies. NEPJ requires compliance with local, national, and international regulations on personal data protection and privacy.

Patient Privacy and Identifiable Information

Patients’ privacy must be protected. Identifying information, such as names, initials, or hospital numbers, should not be published unless essential for scientific purposes and with written informed consent. Masking certain features (e.g., eye regions in photographs) may not be sufficient; authors should provide adequate measures to protect anonymity.

Conflicts of Interest

A Conflict of Interest section is mandatory for all manuscripts. If there are none, authors must state, “None declared.” Conflicts may include financial relationships, personal relationships, academic or professional connections, and any dual commitments that could bias judgment. Authors must disclose any potential conflicts, including employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or grants from related entities.

Funding

Authors must declare funding sources, if applicable. A suggested statement template:

“This study received funding from [Funding Source Name]. The funding source did not influence the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or publication decision.”

Disclosure of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

Authors must declare the use of any generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation. If not used, no declaration is necessary. Suggested template:

“The author(s) used [NAME TOOL/SERVICE] for [PURPOSE]. The author(s) verified all content and take full responsibility for the publication.”

Withdrawal of Publication and Errata

NEPJ manages errata and retractions according to established policies. Corrections will be issued for minor errors. In cases of serious ethical misconduct or unreliable information, articles may be withdrawn, and a withdrawal statement with justification will be published.

Handling of Plagiarism

NEPJ prioritizes integrity and conducts anti-plagiarism checks using Turnitin. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected.

Compliance with National Ethical Guidelines

NEPJ adheres to the National Ethical Guidelines for Health and Health-Related Research (Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, PHREB). These guidelines ensure the ethical conduct of research involving human participants, focusing on their rights, safety, and well-being.

Authors who publish with the NEPJ retain the copyright of their work. They are permitted to self-archive their manuscripts as HTML or Word files in institutional repositories, personal websites, or other online platforms. Authors may also reuse or republish their work, for instance as book chapters or in other scholarly compilations.

It is important to note that publication in another peer-reviewed journal, while permissible from a copyright perspective, may be considered duplicate publication if the original NEPJ citation is not properly referenced. In all cases of republication or self-archiving, authors must provide a full citation to the original NEPJ article and include a note that the work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY SA 4.0.

Purpose:
The Editorial Board of the NEPJ consists of distinguished individuals dedicated to supporting the journal in publishing high-quality, evidence-based, and innovative contributions in nursing education and practice.

Selection Criteria for Editorial Board Members:

• Members are appointed by the Publisher and/or Editor-in-Chief.
• Members should have prior experience reviewing for NEPJ or published work in the journal.
• Members are expected to maintain professional integrity and should ideally not serve on editorial boards of competing journals during their term.
• Nominations may come from current board members, journal authors, or readers. Self-nominations will be reviewed by the Publisher and/or Editor-in-Chief.
• The board should reflect interdisciplinary expertise, including nursing education, clinical practice, research, policy, and patient advocacy, ensuring diverse perspectives in the journal’s content.
• Members should be active and respected professionals in their fields and have sufficient time to fulfill board responsibilities.

Main Responsibilities:

• Advocating for high-quality, ethical, and open-access scholarly publishing.
• Providing strategic and operational advice, both in board meetings and on an ongoing basis.
• Guiding manuscripts in their area of expertise through peer-review contributions.
• Supporting the journal in maintaining relevance, rigor, and impact in nursing education and practice.

Interested individuals: should contact the NEPJ editorial office for guidelines on joining the Editorial Board.

Policy Overview

The Nurse Educators and Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) upholds the integrity, transparency, and completeness of the scholarly record as essential to the advancement of nursing and allied health sciences. The Journal places the highest priority on maintaining the trust of the academic and professional community in the accuracy and authority of its published articles. Once published, all NEPJ articles are considered part of the permanent scholarly record and shall remain accessible, accurate, and unaltered to the greatest extent possible. However, there may be circumstances in which an article requires correction, retraction, or removal to preserve the credibility of the scientific record.

This policy applies to all journal articles published in NEPJ. It serves to ensure ethical stewardship of published work and to guide authors, reviewers, and editors in maintaining responsible publication practices.

Consistent with established principles of scholarly communication, the Editor-in-Chief—in consultation with the Editorial Board—bears sole and independent responsibility for deciding which manuscripts shall be published. Editorial decisions are based on the Journal’s scope, relevance, and ethical policies, as well as compliance with applicable legal standards such as copyright, libel, and privacy laws. NEPJ considers the scholarly record a permanent documentation of research and intellectual progress. Therefore, when a correction or clarification is necessary, a formal notice will be published and permanently linked to the article to ensure transparency.

This policy outlines NEPJ’s approach to maintaining the accuracy of the scientific record and is reviewed periodically to align with evolving ethical and publishing standards.

Authors Who Discover Errors

Authors who identify an error in their published article should notify the Editorial Office immediately through the official contact details provided on the Journal’s website or email neprajournal@gmail.com. The corresponding author is generally responsible for submitting the details of the error, including supporting documentation or data.

The Editor or an appointed representative (e.g., an associate editor or section editor with relevant expertise) will review the case and determine the appropriate course of action. The editor may seek peer or ethical review and, when necessary, consult with the NEPJ Editorial Board before making a final decision.

Article Correction

If an error or omission is identified that does not affect the overall reliability or conclusions of the article, a Corrigendum will be issued. Corrigenda are typically authored by the original authors and must be approved by all co-authors prior to publication. The notice will be permanently linked to the corrected article.

If the error originated during the editorial or production process, NEPJ will publish an Erratum to acknowledge and correct the mistake. Corrections to author or contributor lists will be made only upon verification of appropriate documentation and the editor’s approval.

Editor’s Notes

An Editor’s Note may be issued in situations where a formal correction, retraction, or expression of concern is not warranted but clarification is necessary. Such notes serve to alert readers to contextual issues that do not compromise the scientific integrity of the article but may influence interpretation.

Examples include:

• Notification of editorial or peer-review irregularities that did not affect study findings.
• Resolution summaries of prior concerns that do not justify retraction.
• Unresolved authorship disputes that do not affect the validity of the article’s data or conclusions.

Editor’s Notes provide transparency and uphold the Journal’s commitment to integrity in scholarly communication.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern is issued to alert readers when potential issues have been raised that may affect the reliability of a published article, but evidence is inconclusive or investigations are pending.

The Editor-in-Chief or designated ethics committee, in consultation with the NEPJ Research Integrity and Publication Ethics Committee, may issue an Expression of Concern under the following conditions:

• Preliminary evidence suggests possible errors, misconduct, or data unreliability that cannot yet be confirmed.
• Ongoing institutional or ethical investigations are delayed or inconclusive.
• The editorial team believes public transparency is necessary pending resolution.

Expressions of Concern may be temporary or permanent. A subsequent notice—such as a Retraction, Corrigendum, or Editor’s Note—will later clarify the outcome of the investigation.

Article Withdrawal

Articles that have been accepted but not yet formally published (i.e., “articles in press”) may be withdrawn under limited circumstances, including:

• Accidental premature publication due to editorial or production errors.
• Duplication of content resulting from internal technical or administrative oversight.

In such cases, the withdrawn article will be replaced with a statement indicating that it has been withdrawn according to the NEPJ Article Withdrawal Policy, with a clear link to this policy. Both the HTML and PDF versions of the withdrawn article will be replaced by the official withdrawal notice.

Article Retraction

A Retraction is issued when significant errors, ethical breaches, or policy violations invalidate the findings or undermine the integrity of an article. Retractions may be initiated by authors, editors, or the editorial board following due investigation.

NEPJ may retract an article if:

• There is clear evidence of unreliable data or findings due to error, fabrication, or falsification.
• The article constitutes plagiarism or duplicate publication.
• The research contains data published without authorization or violates confidentiality agreements.
• Legal or ethical breaches are identified (e.g., copyright violation, defamation, breach of privacy, or unethical human/animal research).
• The peer-review process or authorship has been compromised.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest have materially influenced editorial or review outcomes.

A formal Retraction Notice titled “Retraction: [Article Title]” will be published, paginated, and indexed in the table of contents. It will be linked to the original article, which will remain accessible online but clearly marked with a “Retracted” watermark on each page. The HTML version will be replaced by the retraction notice page to ensure clarity and transparency.

Article Removal: Legal Limitations

Article removal is an exceptional measure applied only when legal, ethical, or safety concerns necessitate complete withdrawal from the public record. Removal may occur only if:

• The content is defamatory or infringes on legal rights and retraction is insufficient.
• A court order requires removal.
• The article poses a verified health or safety risk if acted upon.

In such cases, the article’s metadata (title and author list) will remain in the Journal archive, but the text will be replaced with a notice stating that it has been removed for legal reasons.

Article Replacement

If an article contains errors that pose potential harm or misinformation but can be responsibly corrected, authors may request an Article Replacement. The original article will be retracted, and a corrected version will be published. The retraction notice will include a link to the updated version, ensuring a transparent publication history.

Archiving and Record Preservation

NEPJ ensures that all article versions—including corrected, retracted, or withdrawn publications—are securely preserved within the official NEPJ archives and the National Library of the Philippines (Legal Deposit). This practice safeguards the integrity and accessibility of the scholarly record for future reference.

The Nurse Educators & Practitioners Journal (NEPJ) is committed to protecting the personal information of all authors, reviewers, subscribers, and users of its services, in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) and its implementing rules and regulations. This Privacy Statement outlines how NEPJ collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data.

Collection of Personal Data

NEPJ may collect personal data, including but not limited to: name, affiliation, email, contact information, manuscript submission details, payment information, interaction data with NEPJ websites or services, and other information voluntarily provided by users.

Purpose of Processing

Personal data is processed to manage manuscript submissions, peer-review, publication, communicate with stakeholders, comply with legal obligations, improve NEPJ services, and maintain proper records.

Legal Basis for Processing

Processing is based on consent, compliance with legal obligations, and legitimate interests necessary for journal operations.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

Personal data is only shared with authorized personnel, partner organizations involved in publication, regulatory authorities if required by law, or service providers under strict confidentiality agreements.

Data Retention

Personal data is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill stated purposes, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes. Afterward, data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

Data Security

NEPJ employs technical, organizational, and administrative measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Rights of Data Subjects

Data subjects have the rights to access, correct, erase, block, withdraw consent, and request data portability in accordance with RA 10173. Requests can be submitted to the NEPJ Data Protection Officer.

Cookies and Tracking

NEPJ may use cookies or tracking technologies to enhance user experience and analyze trends. Users may disable cookies, but some services may be limited.

Changes to This Privacy Statement

NEPJ may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. Any significant changes will be posted on the website with an updated effective date.

NEPJ maintains strict independence between its editorial and commercial activities. The journal does not endorse any advertised products or sponsored services, ensuring that all editorial decisions remain free from commercial or financial influence. Advertising content or articles are neither accepted nor published, whether paid or unpaid, and authors are prohibited from including promotional links or keywords within their scholarly manuscripts.