Imprint is a student nurse magazine written for and by student nurses. Students are welcomed to submit articles to Imprint for publication.
Get Published !
Imprint seeks your articles! We are looking for a wide variety of articles by nursing students for possible publication. Refer to the calendar on the left for editorial focuses of upcoming issues.
We are also seeking submissions for Imprint columns including:
- "Reflections", which highlights memorable or emotional experiences with patients;
- "Happenings", which highlights state and school chapter activities; please send us photos of your activities as well.
- "Up Close" nominations of an outstanding nursing student (and NSNA member) to be profiled in an upcoming issue.
- "Write On", the "letters to the editor" section of Imprint. Love something in Imprint? Hate it? Tell us about it and why. Or tell us about a nursing related issue.
For manuscript guidelines and criteria for accepted articles, please refer to the Guidelines for Authors below.
Get Published in Imprint
Attn State Associations and School Chapters: Happenings Column Contact the Happenings Reporter and let us know what the members of your association and/or chapter are doing to stay active and promote positive image of nursing. Submit your student activity highlights and pictures so they can be highlighted in the next issue of Imprint magazine. The Happenings Reporter will reach out to follow up on details. | Nominate a NSNA Member for the Up Close Column Know an outstanding nursing student (and NSNA member)? Nominate them to be spotlighted in an upcoming Imprint issue. The Up Close Reporter will reach out to follow up. |
Guidelines for Authors
Criteria Used in Accepting Articles
1. Length and word count are within guidelines
2. The article is accurate, properly sourced, and conforms to Imprint's Guidelines for Authors.
3. Subject matter is relevant to Imprint readers
Imprint does not accept academic papers, clinical articles, or graduation speeches. Imprint is not a clinical journal.
Other Considerations
Ideal manuscripts: fit the focus/theme of an upcoming issue; and cover topics not published in Imprint within the last 18 months (unless the topic is of an upcoming focus/theme).
2. The article is accurate, properly sourced, and conforms to Imprint's Guidelines for Authors.
3. Subject matter is relevant to Imprint readers
Imprint does not accept academic papers, clinical articles, or graduation speeches. Imprint is not a clinical journal.
Other Considerations
Ideal manuscripts: fit the focus/theme of an upcoming issue; and cover topics not published in Imprint within the last 18 months (unless the topic is of an upcoming focus/theme).
Columns Open for Submission/Suggestions for Topics
Imprint does not accept academic papers, clinical articles, or graduation speeches. Imprint is not a clinical journal.
We are also seeking submissions for Imprint columns including:
Write On - Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor responding to articles in Imprint or nursing issues.
(Suggested length: between 200-400 words)
Happenings
State and local chapters report on projects and activities in which they are participating to promote member recognition and networking. Submissions to the "Happenings" reporter through the NSNA office are encouraged, along with photos highlighting student activities. (See photo guidelines re: permission to publish.) Give as many details as you can. You will be put in touch with the Happenings reporter.
Up Close
Highlights outstanding NSNA members. Readers are invited to submit names for consideration to the Up Close reporter through the online submission form.
Reflections
Human interest stories about emotional or life-changing experiences with patients or other nursing school experiences.
We are also seeking submissions for Imprint columns including:
Write On - Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor responding to articles in Imprint or nursing issues.
(Suggested length: between 200-400 words)
Happenings
State and local chapters report on projects and activities in which they are participating to promote member recognition and networking. Submissions to the "Happenings" reporter through the NSNA office are encouraged, along with photos highlighting student activities. (See photo guidelines re: permission to publish.) Give as many details as you can. You will be put in touch with the Happenings reporter.
Up Close
Highlights outstanding NSNA members. Readers are invited to submit names for consideration to the Up Close reporter through the online submission form.
Reflections
Human interest stories about emotional or life-changing experiences with patients or other nursing school experiences.
Query Letters
We encourage authors to discuss potential manuscript ideas with the editors in order to best tailor them to our readers and to make sure a manuscript on the same topic hasn't been accepted recently.
Query letters should include a paragraph describing the proposed manuscript, its projected length, how the topic will be treated or approached, an outline, and a short biographical sketch indicating the author's credentials and qualifications for writing the manuscript. We do consider completed manuscripts without a prior query. Manuscripts published elsewhere or submitted simultaneously to another journal will not be reviewed.
Submit your query letter here: Query Form
Query letters should include a paragraph describing the proposed manuscript, its projected length, how the topic will be treated or approached, an outline, and a short biographical sketch indicating the author's credentials and qualifications for writing the manuscript. We do consider completed manuscripts without a prior query. Manuscripts published elsewhere or submitted simultaneously to another journal will not be reviewed.
Submit your query letter here: Query Form
Submission Deadlines
For deadlines, see Editorial Calendar (left column).
WORD COUNT
The length for features or general articles is 1200-1500 words. The length for columns is 800-1000 words, except for the “Write On” (letters).
Style and editing
We encourage a writing style that is inviting, useful, informative, and lively, with use of headings and subheadings throughout the manuscript. Refer to yourself as "I," rather than "the author" and the reader as "you." Imprint has an informal, easy-to-read style that is conversational in tone, rather than academic. All copy must conform to our editorial style, and this typically involves editing, rewriting, and condensing. We make every effort to retain content, and we send all authors edited copy prior to publication for their review. As time permits, we integrate author’s corrections into the final copy, but this is at the editor’s discretion.
References
Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their references and for correct text citation. All statistics and factual information must be referenced. All direct quotes, including those from government sources, online publications, and publications that are in the public domain, must be presented as such with quotations and appropriate citations. Treating direct quotes otherwise will be considered plagiarism. Plagiarized manuscripts will be rejected.
Imprint uses the American Psychological Association (APA) style for references. (See http://www.apastyle.org/ for general references, and http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for online references.) With this format, references must be listed alphabetically by author's last name and include all elements of formal citation. The reference format for APA style is described in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, a large reference book that contains hundreds of guidelines on how to format references, statistics, tables, punctuation, and grammar. It also contains writing tips and instructions about how to format manuscripts. You may also find a copy of the Publication Manual in your school library, at a local bookstore, or online.
In the text, the author's name(s) and date of publication are in parentheses immediately following the reference.
Examples of APA Style:
Journal article:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on determining authorship credit and authorship order on faculty-student collaborations. American Psychologist, 48, 1141-1147.
Book:
Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. American Psychological Association.
Book chapter:
O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Eds.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). Springer.
Online reference
Article in an Internet-only journal:
Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise
Please note that there are several reference styles for online references, depending on whether the source in an online journal only, on online article based on a print source, or a stand-alone document with no indicated author or date. Refer to https://apastyle.apa.org/products/index for formatting information.
APA style calls for a list of References at the end of the article instead of a Bibliography. All references cited in the article must be listed alphabetically by author's last name in the list of References. All manuscripts accepted for publication are checked for factual accuracy of content and references. Authors must submit copies of source materials for fact checking during the editing phase. If the article is submitted electronically, the background source material can be sent in hard copy to the attention of the managing editor with a cover note explaining the article it accompanies.
Imprint uses the American Psychological Association (APA) style for references. (See http://www.apastyle.org/ for general references, and http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for online references.) With this format, references must be listed alphabetically by author's last name and include all elements of formal citation. The reference format for APA style is described in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, a large reference book that contains hundreds of guidelines on how to format references, statistics, tables, punctuation, and grammar. It also contains writing tips and instructions about how to format manuscripts. You may also find a copy of the Publication Manual in your school library, at a local bookstore, or online.
In the text, the author's name(s) and date of publication are in parentheses immediately following the reference.
Examples of APA Style:
Journal article:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on determining authorship credit and authorship order on faculty-student collaborations. American Psychologist, 48, 1141-1147.
Book:
Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (1999). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables. American Psychological Association.
Book chapter:
O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Eds.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). Springer.
Online reference
Article in an Internet-only journal:
Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise
Please note that there are several reference styles for online references, depending on whether the source in an online journal only, on online article based on a print source, or a stand-alone document with no indicated author or date. Refer to https://apastyle.apa.org/products/index for formatting information.
APA style calls for a list of References at the end of the article instead of a Bibliography. All references cited in the article must be listed alphabetically by author's last name in the list of References. All manuscripts accepted for publication are checked for factual accuracy of content and references. Authors must submit copies of source materials for fact checking during the editing phase. If the article is submitted electronically, the background source material can be sent in hard copy to the attention of the managing editor with a cover note explaining the article it accompanies.
Manuscript preparation and submission
Manuscripts must be submitted in Word (.doc, .docx). All manuscript can be uploaded online at: http://bit.ly/imprintsubmission
Photos
Photos may be submitted with the manuscript (using the online submission form at http://bit.ly/imprintsubmission).
Requirements:
Acceptable file types: jpg (jpeg), gif, png
Resolution: a minimum of 300 dpi is required
Be sure to submit captions for each photo.
Images copied from websites, or images that are 300 dpi or lower, are not acceptable quality and will not be considered. Generally, a high-resolution image will be over 500K as a file size. Please do not send photos embedded in Word or other word processor documents.
Photo Release:
NSNA requires a photo release form before publishing any photos of identifiable individuals, as well as a photographer’s release if the photos are not by the author. If photo is accepted, the Editorial Assistant will send you a photo release form to sign and return.
Requirements:
Acceptable file types: jpg (jpeg), gif, png
Resolution: a minimum of 300 dpi is required
Be sure to submit captions for each photo.
Images copied from websites, or images that are 300 dpi or lower, are not acceptable quality and will not be considered. Generally, a high-resolution image will be over 500K as a file size. Please do not send photos embedded in Word or other word processor documents.
Photo Release:
NSNA requires a photo release form before publishing any photos of identifiable individuals, as well as a photographer’s release if the photos are not by the author. If photo is accepted, the Editorial Assistant will send you a photo release form to sign and return.
Review process
All materials are subject to review by the editors. Initial review usually takes 10 weeks, although expedited reviews are provided for manuscripts with time-sensitive data. Authors who believe their manuscripts are time-sensitive should contact the Editorial Assistant before submitting the manuscript. Imprint staff will inform the author of the manuscript's status as soon as possible. A manuscript may be accepted or rejected, or we may ask the author to make revisions before a final decision can be made. Authors who do not receive notice of the decision on a manuscript 10 weeks after submission may contact the Editorial Assistant for an update on the manuscript's status.
Manuscripts are submitted for the exclusive use of Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association. All submitted articles must be original, not having been published before, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any submission that has been published elsewhere will be rejected from consideration immediately. All authors of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editorial Assistant a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to NSNA/Imprint; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original; and that references/citations have been verified by the author(s). Accepted manuscripts will become the property of the Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association.
Manuscripts are submitted for the exclusive use of Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association. All submitted articles must be original, not having been published before, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Any submission that has been published elsewhere will be rejected from consideration immediately. All authors of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editorial Assistant a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to NSNA/Imprint; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original; and that references/citations have been verified by the author(s). Accepted manuscripts will become the property of the Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association.
Acceptance policy
If the Imprint editors have reached the decision to accept a submission for publication, the author will be notified of acceptance via email. Email will indicate manuscript acceptance for publication and may notify author(s) which issue/column manuscript will be published in. In the occurrence that the manuscript is not assigned to be published in a specific issue within two years of acceptance for publication, all signed copyright and photo release forms are voided and author may submit manuscript for consideration and publication elsewhere.
Author(s) of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editorial Assistant a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to NSNA/Imprint; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original. Accepted manuscripts will become the property of the Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association. Publication of manuscript will not move forward until all necessary forms has been signed by author(s).
Author(s) of accepted manuscripts are asked to sign and return to the Editorial Assistant a copyright release form insuring that: they are the sole author(s) of the manuscript; they are releasing the copyright of the manuscript to NSNA/Imprint; the manuscript has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere; the manuscript is original. Accepted manuscripts will become the property of the Imprint magazine: the official student magazine for the National Student Nurses’ Association. Publication of manuscript will not move forward until all necessary forms has been signed by author(s).
Rejection Policy
If the Imprint editors have reached the decision to reject a submission for publication, the author will be notified of rejection via email. Author(s) may know the reason of rejection upon request. Reasons for rejection may include, but not be limited to, not adhering to editorial guidelines, plagiarism, intention to advertise or promote products or services, use of non-credible sources, etc.
Upon rejection, author(s) may have the opportunity to appeal the decision within two weeks of receipt of decision by:
- Rewriting or revising the manuscript;
- Submitting a new, original manuscript for consideration.
If manuscript is rejected a second time, the work is prohibited from further appeals.
Author(s) is encouraged to continue to contribute to Imprint.
In the occurrence that an accepted manuscript is rejected post-acceptance, editors must review manuscript thoroughly before reaching decision to reject. Editor must state solid reason for repealing the acceptance. All signed contracts between publisher and author is voided and author may submit manuscript for consideration and publication elsewhere.