AUTHOR GUIDELINES

Media Husada Journal of Nursing Sciences (MHJNS)

1. General Information

Media Husada Journal of Nursing Sciences (MHJNS) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes scholarly work in nursing science, clinical practice, nursing research, nursing education, and healthcare service delivery.

MHJNS welcomes manuscripts that contribute to the advancement of nursing knowledge and evidence-based nursing practice. Manuscripts must be relevant to the journal's focus and scope, demonstrate scientific rigor, and comply with applicable ethical standards.

Authors are required to prepare their manuscripts according to these Author Guidelines before submission. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's requirements may be returned to the authors for technical revision before entering the editorial review process.

2. Types of Manuscripts

MHJNS accepts the following types of manuscripts:

2.1. Original Research Articles

Original Research Articles report the findings of original empirical research conducted using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches. Manuscripts must clearly describe the research problem, objectives, methods, results, and implications for nursing science, clinical practice, education, or healthcare services.

2.2. Research Reports

Research Reports present systematic accounts of research activities, findings, or outcomes that provide meaningful contributions to nursing knowledge and practice. The manuscript must describe the research objectives, methods, principal findings, and their relevance to the field.

2.3. Case Studies

Case Studies present detailed descriptions and analyses of individual cases or specific clinical or healthcare situations relevant to nursing practice. Authors must explain the case context, assessment, interventions or management, outcomes, and implications for nursing practice. Patient confidentiality and applicable ethical requirements must be maintained.

2.4. Other Scholarly Articles

MHJNS may consider other scholarly articles relevant to nursing science, practice, education, and healthcare service delivery. Authors should ensure that the manuscript has a clear purpose, a coherent scholarly argument, and an appropriate evidence base. The suitability of such submissions is determined by the editorial team.

All manuscript types are subject to editorial assessment and the applicable peer-review process.

3. Language Policy

MHJNS accepts manuscripts written in either Bahasa Indonesia or English.

Regardless of the main language of the manuscript, the following elements must be provided in both Bahasa Indonesia and English:

Article title.
Abstract.
Keywords.

The Indonesian and English versions must convey equivalent information and accurately represent the content of the manuscript. Authors are responsible for ensuring grammatical accuracy, clarity, and consistency in both languages.

Manuscripts may be returned for language revision if the quality of writing interferes with readability, scientific interpretation, or communication of the findings.

4. Manuscript Preparation and Formatting

Authors must prepare manuscripts using Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and follow the formatting requirements below.

Component	Requirement
Paper size	A4 (210 × 297 mm)
Main font	Times New Roman
Main text font size	11 pt
Main text spacing	1.5 lines
Text alignment	Justified
Left margin	3 cm
Top margin	2.5 cm
Right margin	2.5 cm
Bottom margin	2.5 cm
Article title	Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold, left-aligned
Abstract	Times New Roman, 9 pt, single-spaced
Table content	Times New Roman, 9 pt, single-spaced
Table and figure titles	Times New Roman, 10 pt
References	Times New Roman, 11 pt, single-spaced

The manuscript must use consistent formatting throughout. Paragraphs, headings, tables, figures, citations, and references must be presented clearly and consistently.

The formatting requirements for the submitted manuscript are intended to facilitate editorial assessment and peer review. The final published article may undergo additional typesetting and layout adjustments by the editorial team.

5. Article Title and Author Information

The article title must be concise, informative, and representative of the manuscript's content.

The title must:

Be provided in Bahasa Indonesia and English.
Contain no more than 12 words, in accordance with the journal's title-length guideline.
Use Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold, and left alignment.
Avoid unnecessary abbreviations.
Avoid unnecessary geographical details unless the location is important to understanding the research context.

The author information must include:

Full names of all authors without academic degrees or professional titles.
Institutional affiliations for all authors.
The name and email address of the corresponding author.
The corresponding author's institutional affiliation.

Authors must ensure that the order of authors and their affiliations are accurate at the time of submission.

All listed authors must have made a meaningful contribution to the work and must approve the submitted manuscript.

6. Abstract and Keywords

6.1. Abstract Requirements

Each manuscript must include an abstract in Bahasa Indonesia and an abstract in English.

Each abstract must:

Contain a maximum of 250 words.
Be written as a single paragraph.
Use Times New Roman, 9 pt, with single spacing.
Present information that accurately reflects the content of the manuscript.
Avoid citations and references unless essential.

For original research articles, the abstract should cover the following elements:

Background: A brief explanation of the research problem and its significance.
Objective: The main objective of the study.
Methods: The research design, participants or sample, data collection, and analysis, as relevant.
Results: The principal findings, including important numerical results when appropriate.
Conclusion: The main conclusion and its relevance to nursing science, practice, education, or healthcare services.

For case studies and other manuscript types, the abstract should reflect the purpose, approach, principal findings or analysis, and relevant implications.

The Indonesian and English abstracts must be consistent in meaning.

6.2. Keywords

Each language version must include 3–5 keywords or keyword phrases.

Keywords must:

Be relevant to the main concepts of the manuscript.
Be provided in Bahasa Indonesia and English.
Be separated by semicolons.
End with a period.

Authors are encouraged to select specific terms that accurately represent the manuscript's topic and facilitate indexing and retrieval.

7. Manuscript Structure

The structure of a manuscript should be appropriate to its type and research design.

7.1. Original Research Articles

Original Research Articles should generally include the following sections:

Introduction

The Introduction must explain the research problem, its significance, the relevant scientific context, the research gap, and the objective of the study.

Authors should use relevant and credible scientific literature to establish the rationale for the research. The research gap and the contribution of the study must be clearly explained.

The main objective should be stated at the end of the Introduction.

Methods

The Methods section must provide sufficient detail to allow readers to understand how the study was conducted and, where appropriate, to reproduce the research procedures.

Depending on the study design, this section should describe:

Research design and setting.
Study population and participants or sample.
Sampling technique and sample-size determination, when applicable.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria, when applicable.
Variables, concepts, or phenomena investigated.
Instruments and materials.
Data collection procedures.
Data analysis methods.
Ethical approval and informed consent, when applicable.

For research involving human participants, authors must provide the name of the approving ethics committee or institution and the ethics approval number, where applicable. Relevant ethical requirements must be fulfilled before the research is conducted.

Results

The Results section must present the findings clearly and systematically in accordance with the research objectives.

Tables and figures may be used when they improve the clarity of the presentation. Information already presented in a table or figure should not be unnecessarily repeated in the text.

Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the principal findings in relation to the research objectives, relevant scientific literature, and appropriate theoretical or conceptual frameworks.

Authors should explain the meaning and implications of the findings, discuss similarities or differences with previous studies, and identify possible explanations for the results.

The Discussion should also address the implications for nursing practice, education, research, or healthcare services, as relevant. Study limitations should be acknowledged where appropriate.

The Discussion must go beyond merely repeating the Results section.

Conclusion

The Conclusion should provide a concise answer to the research objective based on the findings.

It should be written in narrative form, preferably as one paragraph, without bullet points or numbering.

Authors may include practical implications or recommendations when these are supported by the findings. Conclusions must not exceed the evidence presented in the study.

Acknowledgments

Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Funding sources and other relevant forms of support should be disclosed in this section or in the designated disclosure statement, as applicable.

References

All sources cited in the manuscript must be included in the reference list and formatted according to APA 7th edition.

7.2. Research Reports

Research Reports should include sections appropriate to the purpose and design of the report. As applicable, the manuscript should contain:

Introduction or background.
Objectives
Methods or description of the research process.
Results or principal findings.
Discussion or interpretation.
Conclusion and implications.
Acknowledgments, disclosures, and references, as applicable.

Authors must provide sufficient methodological and contextual information for readers to understand the work and assess the significance of the findings.

7.3. Case Studies

Case Studies should be structured according to the nature of the case and may include:

Introduction and rationale.
Case presentation and relevant clinical context.
Assessment and identification of the main problems.
Intervention, management, or care provided.
Outcomes and follow-up, when applicable.
Discussion and implications for nursing practice.
Conclusion
References

Authors must protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Identifiable information must not be included unless its publication is appropriately authorized and complies with applicable ethical requirements.

Consent for publication must be obtained when required by the nature of the case and the applicable ethical standards.

7.4. Other Scholarly Articles

The structure of other scholarly articles should be appropriate to the article's purpose and content.

Authors should provide a clear introduction, a coherent presentation and analysis of relevant evidence or arguments, and a conclusion or implications section, as appropriate.

The editorial team will assess whether the manuscript type and structure are suitable for MHJNS.

8. Tables, Figures, and Illustrations

Tables and figures must be relevant to the manuscript and must improve the clarity of the presentation.

Authors must observe the following requirements:

Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively according to their order of appearance in the manuscript.
Every table and figure must be cited in the main text.
Table titles must be placed above the tables.
Figure captions must be placed below the figures.
Table and figure titles should be concise and informative.
Table content should use Times New Roman, 9 pt, with single spacing where practicable.
Table and figure titles should use Times New Roman, 10 pt.
Abbreviations, symbols, and statistical terms must be explained when necessary.
Sources must be acknowledged when tables, figures, or illustrations are reproduced or adapted from other publications.
Images and figures must be sufficiently clear for publication.

Authors must ensure that all necessary permissions have been obtained for material reproduced from copyrighted sources.

9. Citations and References: APA 7th Edition

MHJNS uses the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, as its official referencing style.

Authors must use APA 7 consistently for in-text citations and reference lists. Harvard style or other referencing styles must not be substituted for APA 7.

Authors are encouraged to use reference-management software, such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote, to improve consistency and accuracy.

9.1. In-text Citations

Citations must follow the author–date system.

Examples:

One author

Narrative citation: Smith (2023) reported that ...
Parenthetical citation: ... (Smith, 2023).

Two authors

Narrative citation: Smith and Jones (2023) ...
Parenthetical citation: ... (Smith & Jones, 2023).

Three or more authors

Narrative citation: Smith et al. (2023) ...
Parenthetical citation: ... (Smith et al., 2023).

Direct quotations must include the appropriate page number or other locator when available. Authors should prioritize paraphrasing and accurate attribution of ideas.

Every in-text citation must correspond to an entry in the reference list, and every reference-list entry must be cited in the manuscript, except where APA 7 provides an applicable exception.

9.2. Reference List Requirements

The reference list must:

Include only sources cited in the manuscript.
Be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
Follow APA 7 formatting.
Use Times New Roman, 11 pt, with single spacing.
Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inch (1.27 cm).
Include a DOI in URL format when available.
Provide accurate and complete bibliographic information.
Prioritize relevant primary sources and recent scientific literature.

For research articles, authors are expected to include at least 15 relevant journal references. The reference list should prioritize recent scientific publications, generally from the preceding 10 years, while allowing older seminal sources when they remain important to the theoretical or methodological basis of the study.

The relevance and quality of references are more important than the number of citations alone.

9.3. Reference Examples

Journal article with a DOI

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2023). Title of the article. Journal Title, 12(2), 100–110. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Journal article without a DOI

Author, A. A. (2022). Title of the article. Journal Title, 10(1), 25–35.

Book

Author, A. A. (2021). Title of the book. Publisher.

Chapter in an edited book

Author, A. A. (2022). Title of the chapter. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. 25–40). Publisher.

Report from an organization

Organization Name. (2023). Title of the report. URL

These are illustrative formats. Authors must adapt the details to the actual source and follow the relevant APA 7 rules.

10. Research Ethics and Publication Integrity

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts comply with applicable research ethics and publication-integrity standards.

Authors are responsible for:

Ensuring that the research was conducted in accordance with applicable ethical principles.
Obtaining ethical approval when required.
Obtaining informed consent when applicable.
Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of participants.
Reporting research findings accurately and transparently.
Providing appropriate citations and acknowledging the work of others.
Disclosing funding and relevant conflicts of interest.
Ensuring that all listed authors meet authorship requirements and approve the submitted manuscript.
Confirming that the manuscript is original and is not under consideration by another journal at the same time.
Disclosing the use of third-party material and obtaining permission when required.

Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, and other forms of publication misconduct are not acceptable.

Where applicable, authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted tools in accordance with the journal's applicable policy. Such tools must not be listed as authors, and authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the submitted work.

The editorial team may request supporting documents or clarification when necessary to assess ethical compliance or publication integrity.

11. Research Reporting Guidelines

Authors are encouraged to follow established reporting guidelines appropriate to their research design.

Examples include:

CONSORT for randomized controlled trials.
STROBE for observational studies, including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies.
PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Other appropriate reporting guidelines may be used when relevant to the research design.

Authors should ensure that the reporting guideline selected corresponds to the actual study design and that the manuscript reports the relevant methodological details transparently.

12. Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the official MHJNS online submission system.

Before submission, authors should ensure that:

The manuscript follows the journal's Author Guidelines.
The title, abstract, and keywords are available in Bahasa Indonesia and English.
The manuscript is relevant to the journal's focus and scope.
In-text citations and references follow APA 7th edition.
Tables, figures, and illustrations are numbered and cited in the text.
Required ethical information is included.
Funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed, as applicable.
The manuscript has been checked for language accuracy and completeness.
The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors must provide complete and accurate information during the submission process and respond to editorial requests within the stated deadlines.

Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee acceptance or publication.

13. Editorial Assessment and Peer Review

All submissions are subject to an initial editorial assessment to determine their relevance to the journal's scope, compliance with submission requirements, and suitability for further review.

Manuscripts that meet the initial requirements may proceed to peer review according to the journal's editorial policies.

Editorial decisions may include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts in response to editorial or reviewer comments.

The final decision rests with the journal's editorial team in accordance with its editorial policies.

14. Final Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript to MHJNS, authors should confirm that:

The manuscript is relevant to the focus and scope of MHJNS.
The main manuscript is written in Bahasa Indonesia or English.
The title, abstract, and keywords are provided in both languages.
Each abstract contains no more than 250 words.
Each language version contains 3–5 keywords or keyword phrases.
The manuscript follows the required paper size, margins, font, and spacing.
The manuscript structure is appropriate to its article type.
Tables and figures are numbered, titled, and cited in the text.
In-text citations and the reference list follow APA 7th edition.
The reference list contains at least 15 relevant journal references for research articles.
Ethical approval and informed consent are documented when applicable.
Funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed when applicable.
The manuscript is original and is not simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
All authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.