Final Manuscript
Submit the clean, non-anonymized manuscript containing complete author, ethics, acknowledgement, funding, and declaration information.
Author Guidelines
For Authors
These guidelines explain how to prepare and submit a manuscript to the Journal of Rural and Tropical Nursing (JRTN). Authors must use the official JRTN article template, prepare the required submission files, and apply the most appropriate research reporting guideline for their study design.
Before Submission
Authors should confirm the suitability, originality, ethical compliance, and technical completeness of their manuscript before beginning an online submission.
Scope suitability: the manuscript provides a clear nursing or healthcare contribution relevant to rural, tropical, remote, underserved, or resource-limited settings.
Originality: the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
Article category: the manuscript follows the structure and requirements applicable to the selected article type.
Research reporting: the most appropriate EQUATOR Network reporting guideline has been identified and applied.
Ethical compliance: all applicable ethics review, consent, registration, and institutional permissions have been obtained.
Author approval: all authors have approved the manuscript, authorship order, corresponding-author designation, and submission to JRTN.
Required Initial Submission Files
JRTN uses double-blind peer review. Author-identifying information must therefore be separated from the manuscript that will be evaluated by reviewers.
- 01
Anonymized Main Manuscript
The manuscript must be prepared using the current official JRTN article template and submitted as an editable Microsoft Word file in DOC or DOCX format.
The file should contain the manuscript title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, figures, and declarations appropriate for anonymous review.
Do not include author names, affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgements, or other information that could reveal the authors' identities. Remove identifying information from document properties, comments, and tracked changes.
Where an institutional name in the ethics statement could identify the authors, it may be replaced with wording such as “blinded for peer review”. Complete information must be restored in the accepted version.
- 02
Title Page
The Title Page must contain the complete manuscript title, full names of all authors, institutional affiliations, countries, email addresses, ORCID iDs where available, and complete corresponding-author details.
The Title Page should also include the authorship contribution statement, acknowledgements, funding information, full ethics information where applicable, and a conflict-of-interest declaration.
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the submitted work. When no conflict exists, state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
- 03
Cover Letter
The cover letter should briefly explain the manuscript's principal contribution, originality, relevance to the aims and scope of JRTN, and significance for rural, tropical, remote, underserved, or resource-limited populations.
The letter must confirm that the manuscript has not been published previously, is not under consideration elsewhere, has been approved by all authors, and complies with applicable ethical requirements.
Authors should identify the study design and the principal reporting guideline used to prepare the manuscript.
Optional supporting files: authors may additionally upload a completed reporting checklist, research instrument, extended search strategy, dataset, intervention material, protocol, supplementary table, figure, or other supporting material when relevant. These files are not mandatory for every initial submission unless requested by the editorial office.
Manuscript Categories
JRTN considers multiple forms of nursing and healthcare scholarship. Article-specific word limits, abstract structures, and detailed requirements are provided on the Article Types page.
Research and Evidence
- Original Research Article
- Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Scoping Review and Other Evidence Synthesis
- Study Protocol
- Instrument Development or Validation Study
Practice and Scholarly Discussion
- Clinical or Community Case Report
- Quality Improvement or Implementation Report
- Short Communication
- Policy, Practice, or Education Perspective
- Commentary or Letter to the Editor
Detailed requirements will be available on the Article Types page.
Manuscript Preparation
The official JRTN article template is the authoritative source for manuscript layout and technical formatting.
Official Article Template
- Prepare the manuscript using the current version of the official JRTN article template.
- Follow the font, heading, spacing, margin, table, figure, citation, reference, and section styles provided in the template.
- Do not substantially modify or remove the template's predefined manuscript structure and styles.
- Submit the manuscript as an editable DOC or DOCX file.
Language and Presentation
- Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English.
- Either American or British English may be used, but usage must remain consistent throughout the manuscript.
- Use inclusive, respectful, person-centred, and non-stigmatizing language.
- Define non-standard abbreviations at first use and avoid unnecessary abbreviations.
- Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript is linguistically clear and suitable for scholarly publication.
Main Manuscript Structure
The following structure is the default for original research. Other article categories should follow the structure specified for their article type and reporting guideline.
Title Provide a concise and informative title that identifies the principal topic, population, setting, and study design where appropriate.
Abstract Follow the structure and word limit specified for the selected article category. The abstract should communicate the background, objective, methods, principal findings, conclusion, and contextual relevance.
Keywords Provide three to six specific keywords. Medical Subject Headings terms are encouraged where applicable.
Introduction Present the problem, existing evidence, knowledge gap, contextual importance, and study objective or research question.
Methods Describe the study design, setting, participants, sampling, variables, instruments, intervention, data collection, analysis, ethical approval, and registration information where applicable.
Results Report findings clearly and objectively. Avoid unnecessary duplication between the text, tables, and figures.
Discussion Interpret the principal findings, compare them with relevant evidence, discuss contextual and nursing implications, and explain limitations and transferability.
Conclusion Present a concise conclusion supported by the findings and explain implications for nursing practice, policy, education, research, or community health.
Declarations Include the applicable statements concerning ethics, consent, data availability, competing interests, funding, authorship, acknowledgements, and generative artificial intelligence.
Research Reporting Guidelines
JRTN endorses reporting guidelines indexed by the EQUATOR Network to improve the completeness, transparency, reproducibility, and usability of health research.
Select the guideline that matches the study design
Authors should apply the most appropriate reporting guideline while preparing the manuscript. Reporting guidelines support transparent reporting but do not replace appropriate methodology, ethical review, or critical appraisal.
A completed reporting checklist may be uploaded as an optional supplementary file at initial submission. The editorial office may request the checklist during technical screening, peer review, or revision.
The JRTN Reporting Checklist Collection contains downloadable checklist templates and supporting guidance for commonly used reporting standards. Authors remain responsible for selecting the guideline and extension that most accurately match their study design.
| Study or Report Type | Recommended Guideline | JRTN Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trials | CONSORT | Apply the checklist and participant flow diagram. Use the relevant CONSORT extension where applicable. |
| Observational cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies | STROBE | Apply the checklist corresponding to the specific observational study design. |
| Systematic reviews and meta-analyses | PRISMA | Apply the checklist and flow diagram. Include protocol registration information where available. |
| Scoping reviews and evidence maps | PRISMA-ScR | Apply the PRISMA-ScR checklist and appropriate study-selection flow diagram. |
| Qualitative interviews and focus groups | COREQ | Report the research team, reflexivity, study design, analysis, and findings transparently. |
| Other qualitative research designs | SRQR | Select COREQ or SRQR according to the qualitative design and data-collection method. |
| Mixed-methods studies | Appropriate mixed-methods guidance | Explain the rationale for mixing methods and how qualitative and quantitative findings were integrated. |
| Randomized trial protocols | SPIRIT | Apply the relevant protocol checklist and report prospective trial registration. |
| Systematic review protocols | PRISMA-P | Apply the protocol checklist and provide registration information where applicable. |
| Diagnostic accuracy studies | STARD | Apply the checklist and participant flow diagram where relevant. |
| Prediction models and AI-based prediction | TRIPOD | Report model development, validation, performance, data sources, limitations, and clinical applicability. |
| Clinical or community case reports | CARE | Apply the checklist and obtain written consent for publication. |
| Quality improvement studies | SQUIRE | Describe the local problem, intervention, contextual factors, evaluation, outcomes, and sustainability. |
| Economic evaluations | CHEERS | Report the analytical perspective, assumptions, costs, outcomes, and uncertainty. |
| Detailed intervention descriptions | TIDieR | Use TIDieR alongside the principal study-design guideline when an intervention requires sufficient detail for replication. |
Step 01 Identify the study design
Select the guideline that corresponds to the actual research design and methods.
Step 02 Apply the guideline
Use the guideline and explanation document while preparing and revising the manuscript.
Step 03 Complete the checklist
Record the relevant manuscript page, table, figure, or section for each applicable item.
Step 04 Retain for submission
Upload the checklist initially when appropriate or provide it later when requested by the journal.
Research Ethics and Registration
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical, institutional, national, and international requirements.
Human Participants
- State the ethics committee, approval number, and approval date.
- Explain how informed consent was obtained or why consent was waived.
- Protect participant confidentiality and remove identifying information.
- Obtain additional permissions where required for vulnerable, Indigenous, remote, or culturally distinct communities.
Registration and Publication Consent
- Clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible registry.
- Include the registry name, registration number, and registration date.
- Case reports and identifiable clinical material require written consent for publication.
- Protocol manuscripts should include registration and ethics information where applicable.
Full requirements will be available on the Research Ethics and Informed Consent Policy page.
Required Declarations
Include all applicable declarations in the Title Page and, where appropriate for anonymous review, in the manuscript. Use “Not applicable” only when a declaration genuinely does not apply.
Ethics approval and consent to participate Provide the committee, approval number, and consent information.
Consent for publication Required for identifiable participant information and case reports.
Availability of data and materials State where supporting data may be accessed and explain any justified restrictions.
Conflict of interest Declare relevant financial, professional, personal, or institutional relationships.
Funding Identify funding sources, grant numbers, and the funder's role.
Authors' contributions Describe individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy where possible.
Acknowledgements Recognize contributors who do not meet the journal's authorship criteria.
Generative AI disclosure Identify the tool and purpose of use. Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors.
Tables, Figures, References, and Supporting Material
All submission materials must be clear, accurately cited, editable where appropriate, and suitable for editorial production.
Tables and Figures
- Number tables and figures consecutively in the order in which they are cited.
- Provide a concise title for every table and a clear caption for every figure.
- Tables must be editable and should not be submitted as screenshots.
- Figures must be clear, legible, and of sufficient quality for publication.
- Obtain permission for copyrighted or previously published material.
References and Supporting Material
- Follow the citation and reference style specified in the official JRTN article template.
- Verify the accuracy and completeness of all bibliographic information and DOI links.
- Prioritize relevant primary and authoritative sources.
- Use reference-management software where possible.
- Identify supplementary files clearly and cite each file in the manuscript.
Documents Requested After Acceptance
Acceptance is conditional upon completion of the journal's publication documentation and final production requirements.
✓
JRTN Author Declaration and Publishing Agreement
JRTN uses one combined agreement rather than a separate copyright-transfer form and conflict-of-interest form. The document confirms authorship, originality, author approval, conflict-of-interest disclosure, copyright ownership, third-party permissions, and agreement to publication under the journal's open-access license.
Authors retain copyright in their work and grant JRTN the right to publish and distribute the accepted article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Author Declaration and Publishing Agreement
Complete the journal agreement confirming authorship, originality, copyright ownership, licensing, permissions, and conflicts of interest.
Production Materials
Supply editable tables, high-quality figures, supplementary files, permission letters, or other production materials requested by the editorial office.
Originality and exclusive publication Confirmation that the work is original and is not being considered by another publication.
Authorship approval Confirmation that all authors meet the authorship criteria and approve the final version.
Conflict-of-interest confirmation Reconfirmation of the disclosure supplied at initial submission and notification of any changes.
Copyright and publication rights Confirmation that the authors hold the necessary rights and grant JRTN the right to publish the article.
Open-access license Agreement to distribution under the CC BY-NC 4.0 International License.
Permissions and ethical compliance Confirmation that required permissions, approvals, participant consent, and publication consent have been obtained.
Conflict-of-interest workflow: authors disclose conflicts of interest in the Title Page at initial submission and reconfirm the declaration in the JRTN Author Declaration and Publishing Agreement after acceptance. A separate individual disclosure form may be requested by the Editor when necessary.
Final Submission Check
Incomplete submissions may be returned before editorial screening or peer review.
The anonymized manuscript follows the official JRTN article template.
Author names and identifying metadata have been removed from the anonymized manuscript.
The Title Page contains complete author and corresponding- author information.
Funding, authorship, acknowledgement, and conflict-of-interest statements are included in the Title Page.
The Cover Letter explains the manuscript's originality, contribution, and relevance to JRTN.
The appropriate EQUATOR reporting guideline has been applied.
Ethical approval, consent, registration, and permissions are reported where applicable.
All authors have approved the manuscript and its submission to JRTN.
A complete standalone Submission Checklist will also be available for authors before beginning an online submission.
Ready to submit your manuscript?
Ensure that the Anonymized Main Manuscript, Title Page, and Cover Letter are complete before beginning the online submission. Reporting checklists and supplementary materials may also be uploaded when relevant.
Journal of Rural and Tropical Nursing (JRTN)