Have you ever read an article in Orthopaedic Nursing and thought "I wish I would have written that." Or, I think the way we do something at my institution is a really great way to manage the patient. Or, you have had a really interesting patient case that you think others would like to know about? And have you ever thought "I want to become an author," then the Orthopaedic Nursing Editorial Board would like to hear from you. We have many different ways that you can become an author and realize your dream. But often a first-time author does not know where to start. This is where the journal Editor and Editorial Board can help. Let's get started.
Often a great way to become an author is to start with a simple manuscript. In Orthopaedic Nursing, we have a column called What's Wrong With This Picture? We developed this column to discuss those things that you may see that are not being done correctly. The author would be able to identify something that you have seen that a clear explanation of the proper way to approach the problem would be helpful for your nurse colleagues. Examples of this column can be found at the following links:
* https://journals.lww.com/orthopaedicnursing/Fulltext/2018/01000/Simple_Sling_and
* https://journals.lww.com/orthopaedicnursing/Fulltext/2019/11000/Cervical_Spine_C
* https://journals.lww.com/orthopaedicnursing/Fulltext/2018/09000/Postoperative_Kn
Another great way to become an author is to discuss an interesting patient problem or issue that you have seen in practice. This is called a Case Study. In a Case Study, you would discuss the identified problem, review the literature to understand experiences in other settings, discuss the case you have identified and the interventions that occurred, and finally a conclusion and outcome for the patient (s). Examples can be found at the following links:
* https://journals.lww.com/orthopaedicnursing/Fulltext/2015/07000/Cement_Allergy__
* https://journals.lww.com/orthopaedicnursing/Fulltext/2015/01000/Adolescent_Avuls
In Orthopaedic Nursing, we are fortunate to have the Radiology Review column that is primarily authored and managed by Patrick Graham. It is a very important column for the journal. This column also follows the Case Study approach by discussing an interesting case, patient history of the problem, and physical examination and disposition of the patient. There is also the inclusion of the images that demonstrate the problem, and you often see posttreatment images as well. If you are interested in writing a manuscript for this column, please email the Editor at mailto:[email protected] to discuss this possibility.
The majority of the manuscripts published in Orthopaedic Nursing consist of Clinical articles on specific topics, Quality Improvement project discussions, and Research manuscripts. Examples of each of these can be found in every issue of the journal.
If the idea of writing a manuscript on your own is too daunting, consider A writing team. A team could consist of all novice authors or a combination of new and published authors who are familiar with the writing process. Quite possibly, this could evolve out of some of your work groups or journal clubs that might already exist in your institution. If you prefer to write independently, it is always good to have someone who has published successfully read the manuscript prior to submission to your selected journal. This may ensure that any errors are corrected prior to submission to the journal.
Other important things to understand are Author Guidelines and the Peer Review Process. The Author Guidelines for a particular journal should be reviewed and followed as you develop your manuscript. You can review the guidelines for Orthopaedic Nursing at: https://edmgr.ovid.com/onj/accounts/ifauth.htm. It is very important that the guidelines are carefully followed. It is also important to understand the peer review process. Every article in Orthopaedic Nursing undergoes peer review. This means that every manuscript is reviewed by two to three experts on the topic you have written about. Most manuscripts that journals receive will require some revisions prior to publication. This is normal for all journals. The recommendations for revisions are meant to strengthen the manuscript. Authors should embrace the revision requests and continue forward in the process to reach their goal. If you are not quite ready to start writing but want to learn more about the publishing process, a good way to get started is becoming a Peer reviewer for Orthopaedic Nursing. If you are interested in this, please go to https://www.editorialmanager.com/onj/default2.aspx and register to become a reviewer. After you have done that, please email the Editor at mailto:[email protected] to advise that you want to become a reviewer. She will work with you to begin that process.
Finally, we are currently interested in finding Columnist leads for the Ethics, Pathophysiology, and Patient Education columns. Being a column lead consists of authoring or soliciting authors to write on topics of interest.
Below you will find "Resources" that may help you launch your writing journey. In addition, the Editorial Board of Orthopaedic Nursing also stands ready to assist you in any way that we can. We are committed to seeing you succeed as an author. Please reach out to the Editor at mailto:[email protected] who will answer your questions and help you get on your way to becoming an author.
Resources