Guidelines for Authors

Guidelines for Authors

Contents

Aims and Scope

NEU is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to nursing sciences in the field of neurosciences. It provides immediate open access to its articles under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).

The journal publishes clinically and scientifically relevant contributions concerning general, clinical, and pediatric nursing sciences applied to neurology, neurosurgery, neurorehabilitation, and psychiatry, with particular attention to evidence-based nursing interventions and patient-centred care.

NEU welcomes studies that:

  • evaluate nursing assessment, interventions, care planning, and outcomes in neuroscience settings;
  • investigate complex healthcare interventions and health policies in neurology, neurosurgery, neurorehabilitation, and psychiatry;
  • examine patient safety, prevention and management of complications, rehabilitation, and continuity of care;
  • explore patients’ and caregivers’ experiences, quality of life, communication, participation, and educational needs;
  • describe and evaluate clinical projects, professional innovations, care models, and field experiences;
  • support nursing education, professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and implementation of evidence in practice;
  • develop or validate clinical tools, outcome measures, analytical approaches, and research methodologies relevant to neuroscience nursing.

Interdisciplinary contributions are welcomed where the nursing perspective and its specific contribution to clinical practice are clearly defined.

For a complete description of the journal’s disciplinary coverage, please refer to the Aim and Scope page.

For detailed information on copyright, licensing, and reuse conditions, please refer to the Open Access Policy.

Article Types and Review Status

NEU publishes peer-reviewed research and scholarly clinical content together with clearly identified editorial, educational, and conference-related material.

The following article types undergo double-anonymous external peer review by at least two independent reviewers:

  • Original Scientific Research;
  • Quality Improvement Reports;
  • Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses;
  • Narrative, Integrative, Rapid, and Scoping Reviews;
  • Case Reports and Case Series;
  • Study Protocols;
  • Brief Reports;
  • Procedure Updates.

Editorials, Commentaries, Letters to the Editor, and Cultural or Educational Articles normally undergo editorial review rather than the journal’s standard external peer-review process, unless otherwise stated.

Conference Abstracts are evaluated by the Scientific Committee of the relevant event and do not undergo the journal’s standard external peer-review process. They are clearly identified and published separately from peer-reviewed research articles.

The review status of each article type is stated in the journal’s policies and, where applicable, on the published article record.

Ethics and Editorial Policies

NEU follows recognized principles of research integrity, publication ethics, transparency, confidentiality, and responsible reporting.

Authors must ensure compliance with the journal’s requirements concerning:

  • authorship and contributorship;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • research misconduct;
  • plagiarism and duplicate publication;
  • citation and peer-review manipulation;
  • ethical approval and informed consent;
  • patient confidentiality and consent for publication;
  • clinical images and clinical photography;
  • clinical trial registration;
  • funding and material support;
  • data availability;
  • artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies.

Full requirements are available in the journal’s Editorial Policies.

The use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies must comply with the journal’s Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Peer Review

Submissions undergo an initial technical screening by the Editorial Office to verify completeness, anonymization, conformity with submission requirements, originality screening, and the presence of relevant ethical and disclosure statements.

Eligible manuscripts are assessed by the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor for relevance to the journal’s scope, originality, methodological soundness, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and potential contribution to neuroscience nursing research and practice.

Research manuscripts considered suitable for further evaluation are sent to at least two independent external reviewers with relevant subject expertise. NEU operates a double-anonymous peer-review process in which authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.

Reviewers are not members of the journal’s editorial team for the manuscript they evaluate. Author-suggested reviewers may be considered but are independently verified and are not automatically invited.

Possible editorial decisions include:

  • acceptance;
  • minor revision;
  • major revision;
  • resubmission for further review;
  • rejection.

The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent handling editor when a conflict of interest exists. Editorial decisions are based on scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reviewer reports, author responses, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Commercial, advertising, or sponsorship considerations do not influence editorial decisions.

For further details, please refer to the Guidelines for Reviewers.

Manuscript Preparation

Writing and Formatting

Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English and submitted in Microsoft Word format (.docx).

Use:

  • Times New Roman, 12-point font;
  • double spacing;
  • 2.5 cm margins;
  • continuous line numbering;
  • page numbers;
  • APA Style, 7th edition, for in-text citations and references.

Use internationally recognized terminology and define abbreviations at first use. Avoid unnecessary abbreviations, promotional language, and unsupported clinical or commercial claims.

Authors are responsible for the linguistic accuracy of the manuscript. Manuscripts may be returned for language revision where the English prevents adequate scientific evaluation.

Title Page

The title page must be uploaded as a separate file and must include:

  • the full manuscript title;
  • a short running title;
  • the full names of all authors;
  • academic or professional qualifications, where relevant, listed separately from names and institutional affiliations;
  • department, institution, city, and country for each affiliation; professional titles and job roles must not be included in institutional affiliations;
  • the email address of each author;
  • ORCID iDs, where available; providing an ORCID iD is optional but strongly encouraged;
  • the name and email address of the corresponding author;
  • individual author contributions according to the CRediT taxonomy;
  • a Funding Statement;
  • a Conflict of Interest Statement;
  • ethics approval information, where applicable;
  • informed consent and consent-for-publication statements, where applicable;
  • a Data Availability Statement;
  • an Artificial Intelligence Disclosure, where applicable;
  • the DOI or permanent link of any related preprint, protocol, dataset, or registration record.

Funding and conflicts of interest must be declared explicitly, including when no funding was received or no conflicts exist. These statements must also appear in the manuscript in a non-identifying form during peer review.

Authors may indicate four research topics in their profiles, separated by semicolons, for example: neuroscience nursing; neurorehabilitation; patient safety; caregiver support.

The title page must not be included in the blinded manuscript file.

Blinded Manuscript

The blinded manuscript must not contain author names, affiliations, email addresses, acknowledgments, or other information that could directly identify the authors.

Institutional information that is essential to the scientific interpretation of the study should be anonymized during peer review where possible, using neutral placeholders such as “[Institution blinded for review].”

The blinded manuscript should include, as applicable:

  • title;
  • abstract;
  • keywords;
  • Clinical Implications;
  • main text;
  • ethical and disclosure statements presented in a non-identifying form;
  • references;
  • tables and figure legends;
  • indications of where figures should appear.

Abstract and Keywords

Authors must follow the abstract format, headings, and word limit specified for the relevant article type below.

Research abstracts should normally follow the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion). Quality Improvement Reports, Case Reports and Case Series, Study Protocols, and Procedure Updates use the article-specific headings stated below. Editorials, Comments and Commentaries, and Cultural and Educational Articles use an unstructured abstract. Letters to the Editor do not require an abstract.

Case Reports and Case Series must follow CARE guidance and must not be forced into an IMRaD structure. Abstracts for Study Protocols must describe planned methods and outcomes without presenting results that are not yet available.

Provide between four and ten keywords in alphabetical order. Keywords should preferably be selected from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), CINAHL Subject Headings, or another recognized controlled vocabulary relevant to the discipline.

Avoid overly general terms, unnecessary plural forms, and combinations of multiple concepts within a single keyword. Avoid repeating words already contained in the title where more specific terms are available.

Clinical Implications

Peer-reviewed clinical and research articles must include a brief Clinical Implications section consisting of three concise bullet points:

  • what is already known about the topic;
  • what the study adds to current knowledge;
  • how the findings may influence clinical practice, education, research, organization, or policy.

Clinical implications must be supported by the findings and must not overstate the significance or generalizability of the study.

Units, Statistics, and Nomenclature

Use the International System of Units (SI) consistently. Define all abbreviations and specialist terms at first use.

Statistical methods must be described in sufficient detail to permit evaluation and, where possible, replication. Authors should report:

  • the statistical software and version;
  • effect sizes and confidence intervals where appropriate;
  • exact p values, except where values are extremely small;
  • the handling of missing data;
  • assumptions, corrections, and sensitivity analyses;
  • methods used for qualitative or mixed-methods analysis.

Statistical significance must not be presented as equivalent to clinical significance.

Products, Devices, and Commercial Names

Generic or descriptive names should be used whenever possible.

Where identification of a medical device, pharmaceutical product, software application, monitoring system, rehabilitation technology, or other proprietary technology is necessary for reproducibility, authors should provide:

  • the commercial name;
  • manufacturer or provider;
  • city and country of the manufacturer, where relevant;
  • model, version, or software release;
  • relevant regulatory status, where applicable.

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or intellectual relationship with the manufacturer or provider. Products supplied free of charge, at a discount, or through an educational or research grant must also be disclosed.

Research Data

All research articles must include a Data Availability Statement.

Authors should indicate whether the data are:

  • publicly available in a repository;
  • available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request;
  • subject to ethical, legal, contractual, commercial, or confidentiality restrictions;
  • not applicable, with justification.

Where possible, datasets, protocols, statistical code, software, and supplementary materials should be deposited in repositories that support FAIR principles and persistent identifiers.

Identifiable patient information, clinical photographs, neuroimaging, or audiovisual recordings must not be deposited publicly unless explicit consent for that form of disclosure has been obtained and all applicable ethical and legal requirements have been satisfied.

Submitting Your Manuscript

All manuscripts must be submitted through the NEU online submission system.

The submission should include:

  1. Cover Letter: explaining the relevance and originality of the work and confirming that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
  2. Title Page: containing author information and required declarations.
  3. Blinded Manuscript: prepared without author-identifying information.
  4. Figures: uploaded as separate high-resolution files and included in the manuscript for review.
  5. Tables: included as editable tables within the manuscript.
  6. Reporting Checklist: the appropriate EQUATOR checklist for the study design, where applicable.
  7. Supplementary Material: where applicable.
  8. Graphical Abstract: optional unless specifically requested.

Authors may be asked to provide the names and institutional email addresses of up to three potential reviewers. Suggested reviewers must have relevant expertise and must not:

  • belong to the same institution as any author;
  • have collaborated or published with the authors recently;
  • have a personal, professional, financial, or institutional conflict of interest;
  • have participated in the preparation of the manuscript.

The journal independently verifies suggested reviewers and may select other reviewers.

NEU does not charge submission fees, article processing charges, publication fees, page charges, colour figure fees, or supplementary material fees.

Submission Checklist

Before completing the submission, authors must confirm that:

  • the manuscript is original and is not under consideration by another journal;
  • all authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria and have approved the submission;
  • the manuscript is written in English and submitted in .docx format;
  • the title page and blinded manuscript have been uploaded separately;
  • the blinded manuscript contains no identifying author information;
  • references follow APA Style, 7th edition;
  • the appropriate EQUATOR reporting checklist has been included where applicable;
  • ethical approval and informed consent information have been provided where applicable;
  • written consent for publication has been obtained for identifiable patient information or images;
  • funding and conflicts of interest have been fully disclosed;
  • a Data Availability Statement has been included;
  • relevant use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies has been disclosed;
  • tables are editable and placed within the manuscript;
  • figures are included in the manuscript and uploaded separately at the required resolution;
  • permissions have been obtained for previously published or third-party material;
  • original, unmodified clinical image files have been retained.

Revised Manuscript Submission

When submitting a revised manuscript, authors must upload:

  1. Clean Revised Manuscript: a complete version without tracked changes, named MANUSCRIPT_REVISED.docx.
  2. Marked Revised Manuscript: a version showing modifications using Track Changes or red text, named MANUSCRIPT_REVISED_MARKED.docx.
  3. Response to Reviewers: a separate point-by-point response addressing every reviewer and editor comment, named Response_to_Reviewers.docx.

The response document should reproduce each comment followed by the authors’ response and indicate the page and line numbers where changes were made.

Where an author does not agree with a requested change, the response should provide a clear, respectful, and evidence-based explanation.

Author-identifying information must remain excluded from files that will be returned to reviewers.

After Acceptance

Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting, typesetting, metadata verification, author proofreading, and final editorial quality checks.

Authors will receive proofs for final verification. Proof corrections should normally be limited to:

  • typographical errors;
  • formatting errors;
  • minor factual corrections;
  • author names and affiliations;
  • bibliographic and metadata inaccuracies.

Substantial changes to data, analyses, interpretation, authorship, or conclusions after acceptance require editorial approval and may result in additional review.

Following completion of production and quality-control procedures, articles may be published online as Versions of Record before assignment to a regular issue.

Article Requirements

Word limits normally apply to the main text and exclude the abstract, references, tables, figure legends, and supplementary material unless otherwise stated.

NEU endorses the EQUATOR Network. Authors must identify and submit the reporting checklist appropriate to the study design.

1. Original Scientific Research

Original Scientific Research articles report new quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods findings relevant to nursing science and practice in neurological, neurosurgical, neurorehabilitation, and psychiatric settings.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 6,000 words for quantitative research and up to 8,000 words for qualitative research. Mixed-methods submissions should normally remain within 6,000 words.
  • Structured abstract: Up to 400 words following the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
  • Structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions.
  • Reporting guidelines: CONSORT 2025 for randomized trials; STROBE, COREQ, SRQR, STARD, TRIPOD, or another appropriate EQUATOR guideline for other designs.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.
  • Ethics approval: Required where applicable.
  • Trial registration: Required for clinical trials.

2. Quality Improvement Reports

Quality Improvement Reports describe systematic initiatives designed to improve patient safety, care processes, clinical outcomes, service organization, or implementation in neuroscience nursing.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 4,000 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 300 words following headings: Background, Local Problem, Methods, Interventions, Results, Conclusions.
  • Reporting guideline: SQUIRE.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

Authors should describe the local problem, available knowledge, rationale, intervention, context, measures, analysis, ethical considerations, outcomes, limitations, and sustainability.

3. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Systematic reviews should address a clearly defined question using transparent and reproducible methods.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 7,000 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 400 words following the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
  • Reporting guideline: PRISMA.
  • Protocol registration: The registration number should be reported where applicable.
  • Flow diagram: Required.
  • Search strategy: Complete search strategies should be provided in the manuscript or supplementary material.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

4. Narrative, Integrative, Rapid, and Scoping Reviews

These reviews should address a focused question, explain the rationale for the selected review methodology, and describe the search, selection, appraisal, and synthesis procedures transparently.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 5,000 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 400 words following the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
  • Reporting guidelines: PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews, ENTREQ for qualitative evidence synthesis, or another relevant guideline.
  • Flow diagram: Required where applicable.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

5. Case Reports and Case Series

Case Reports and Case Series describe clinically important, unusual, educational, or novel presentations, interventions, complications, or outcomes.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 800 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 300 words, using the following headings: Background, Case Presentation, Intervention and Outcomes, Conclusions.
  • Authors: A maximum of three.
  • References: A maximum of 15.
  • Tables or figures: A maximum of one.
  • Reporting guideline: CARE.
  • Written consent for publication: Mandatory where an individual patient is described or may be identifiable.
  • Clinical timeline: Recommended.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

Clinical images must comply with the requirements on patient confidentiality, consent for publication, image integrity, and clinical photography set out below.

6. Study Protocols

Study Protocols describe the rationale, objectives, design, methodology, ethics, data management, and analysis plan of a planned or ongoing study.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 5,000 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 250 words including: Background, Objectives, Study Design, Participants and Setting, Intervention or Exposure where applicable, Primary and Secondary Outcomes where applicable, and Conclusions.
  • Reporting guideline: SPIRIT 2025 for randomized clinical trial protocols, or another appropriate guideline for the protocol design, such as PRISMA-P for systematic-review protocols.
  • Ethics approval: Required where applicable.
  • Registration: Required for clinical trials and recommended for other prospectively registered studies.
  • Flow diagram: Recommended.

Protocols should normally be submitted before completion of data collection and must disclose any material deviation from the registered or approved protocol.

7. Brief Reports

Brief Reports present concise original findings, pilot studies, feasibility studies, preliminary investigations, methodological innovations, or focused clinical observations.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 3,000 words, including references.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 150 words following the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion).
  • Tables and figures: Limited to those essential to support the text.
  • Reporting guideline: The relevant EQUATOR checklist must be submitted.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

8. Procedure Updates

Procedure Updates describe evidence-based developments, innovations, or changes in neuroscience nursing procedures, protocols, clinical pathways, techniques, technologies, or interventions.

  • Review status: Double-anonymous external peer review.
  • Word limit: Up to 4,000 words.
  • Structured Abstract: Up to 300 words, using the following headings: Background, Procedure or Intervention, Key Updates, Clinical Implications, Conclusions.
  • Clinical Implications: Required.

Authors must describe the procedure in sufficient detail to permit evaluation and replication, including indications, contraindications, materials, equipment, setting, professional competencies, sequence of actions, safety considerations, monitoring, and outcome assessment.

9. Editorials

Editorials provide authoritative, critical, or forward-looking perspectives on issues relevant to neuroscience nursing research, practice, policy, education, or the content of a journal issue.

  • Review status: Editorial review; external review may be requested where appropriate.
  • Word limit: Up to 1,000 words.
  • Abstract: Unstructured, up to 300 words, providing a concise overview of the topic, the main perspective or argument developed in the editorial, and its relevance to neuroscience nursing research, clinical practice, education, or policy.
  • Authors: A maximum of three.
  • References: Normally no more than 15.
  • Tables or figures: Normally no more than one.

Editorials are usually commissioned. Unsolicited proposals may be submitted to the Editorial Office before preparation of the full manuscript.

10. Comments and Commentaries

Commentaries provide focused, critical, interpretive, or professional discussion of a current scientific, clinical, educational, organizational, or policy issue.

  • Review status: Editorial review; normally not externally peer reviewed.
  • Word limit: Up to 1,000 words.
  • Abstract: Unstructured, up to 150 words, summarizing the topic addressed, the main argument or interpretation presented, and its relevance to current neuroscience nursing research, clinical practice, education, organization, or policy.
  • References: A maximum of ten.

Commentaries are often commissioned, but unsolicited submissions may be considered.

11. Letters to the Editor

Letters may address recently published NEU articles, clarify or challenge scientific interpretations, present concise observations, or contribute to an ongoing scholarly debate.

  • Review status: Editorial review.
  • Word limit: Up to 500 words.
  • Authors: A maximum of five.
  • References: A maximum of five.
  • Tables or figures: Normally no more than one.
  • Abstract: Not required.

The authors of the article being discussed may be invited to respond. Accepted letters and responses may be linked to the original article.

12. Cultural and Educational Articles

Cultural and Educational Articles explore historical, ethical, social, professional, artistic, educational, or cultural dimensions of neuroscience nursing, professional identity, and patients’ and caregivers’ experiences.

  • Review status: Editorial review unless otherwise stated.
  • Word limit: Normally 1,500–3,000 words.
  • Abstract: Unstructured, up to 300 words, summarizing the cultural, historical, ethical, educational, or professional issue addressed, the main perspective or message of the article, and its relevance to neuroscience nursing, professional practice, education, or patient and caregiver experience.

These articles must remain evidence-informed, accurately referenced, and clearly distinguished from original scientific research.

13. Conference Abstracts

Conference Abstracts may be published in dedicated supplements or conference sections following evaluation by the Scientific Committee of the relevant event.

  • Review status: Scientific Committee review; not the journal’s standard external peer-review process.
  • Length and structure: Determined by the relevant call for abstracts.
  • Publication format: Clearly identified as conference content.

Editorial responsibility for the transparency, identification, and publication of conference content remains with NEU.

Technical Requirements for Tables, Figures, and Files

Tables

Tables must be:

  • included in the manuscript at the appropriate location;
  • created using the Microsoft Word table function;
  • fully editable;
  • numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited;
  • provided with a concise title above the table;
  • accompanied by explanatory notes below the table where necessary.

Units of measurement, abbreviations, statistical indicators, and symbols must be defined. Avoid unnecessary merged cells, colour shading, screenshots, pasted spreadsheet images, and duplication of information already presented in the text or figures.

Figures and Images

Figures must be included in the manuscript for review and uploaded separately as high-resolution files.

Accepted formats include:

  • JPEG or TIFF for photographs;
  • PNG for high-quality digital graphics;
  • PDF or EPS for vector graphics and line drawings.

Minimum recommended resolution:

  • 300 dpi for photographs and clinical images;
  • 500 dpi for combinations of line art and photographs;
  • 1,000 dpi for pure black-and-white line art.

Figures must be numbered consecutively and cited in the manuscript. Each figure must have a legend included in the manuscript rather than embedded within the image file.

Colour figures are published online without additional charges.

Clinical Images and Photography

Clinical photographs must be scientifically or educationally necessary, accurately represent the patient’s condition, and comply with the journal’s requirements for confidentiality and written consent for publication.

Where photographs document progression or treatment outcomes, authors should use consistent acquisition methods and report relevant information where appropriate, including:

  • anatomical site;
  • image date or study time point;
  • patient position;
  • camera angle and distance;
  • lighting conditions;
  • measurement scale or calibration method;
  • image-acquisition device or software;
  • any permitted technical adjustment.

Images must not be misleadingly cropped, enhanced, reconstructed, selectively presented, or altered in a way that affects clinical interpretation.

Minor technical adjustments to brightness, contrast, orientation, or image size are permitted only when they do not add, remove, conceal, or distort clinically relevant information.

Authors must retain original, unmodified image files and provide them to the editors upon request.

Generative AI must not be used to create, reconstruct, simulate, or materially alter clinical images presented as records of actual patients, treatments, or outcomes. Any use of AI-assisted image processing must comply with the journal’s Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Graphical Quality and Accessibility

Figures and graphical abstracts should remain legible when viewed on screen or printed.

  • Use fonts of at least 8-point size in the final publication dimensions.
  • Use adequate contrast between text, symbols, lines, and background.
  • Do not rely exclusively on colour to communicate meaning.
  • Avoid unnecessary decoration, gradients, shadows, and three-dimensional effects.
  • Use consistent symbols, scales, units, and terminology.
  • Ensure that all text within figures is in English.

File Naming Conventions

Use clear and consistent filenames, for example:

  • TitlePage.docx
  • MANUSCRIPT.docx
  • MANUSCRIPT_REVISED.docx
  • MANUSCRIPT_REVISED_MARKED.docx
  • Response_to_Reviewers.docx
  • Fig1.jpg
  • Fig2.png
  • Table1.docx
  • SuppFile1.pdf
  • Dataset1.csv

Video and Multimedia

NEU accepts video, audio, animation, and other multimedia files that meaningfully support the scientific or educational content of an article.

Accepted video formats include MP4 and MOV. Files must not exceed 1 GB in size.

Authors must:

  • identify where the file should be cited in the manuscript;
  • provide a concise title and description;
  • obtain written consent where a patient or identifiable individual appears;
  • obtain permission for third-party material;
  • ensure that the content does not disclose confidential information;
  • provide subtitles or a transcript where appropriate for accessibility.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material may include:

  • extended methods;
  • search strategies;
  • reporting checklists;
  • questionnaires and data-collection instruments;
  • datasets;
  • statistical code;
  • additional tables or figures;
  • multimedia files;
  • protocols and supporting documentation suitable for publication.

Supplementary files are normally published in the format supplied by the authors and may not undergo copyediting or typesetting. Authors must therefore ensure that files are complete, accurate, anonymized where necessary, and free from tracked changes or comments.

Confidential ethics documents, signed consent forms, identifiable patient information, and internal correspondence must not be submitted as publicly accessible supplementary material.

References: APA 7th Edition

All in-text citations and reference-list entries must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference-management software such as Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley and must verify every reference against the original source.

In-Text Citations

Use the author–date system:

  • One author: (Smith, 2025) or Smith (2025)
  • Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2025) or Smith and Jones (2025)
  • Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2025) or Smith et al. (2025)
  • Direct quotation: (Smith, 2025, p. 24)
  • Organization as author: (World Health Organization, 2025)

Multiple citations within the same parentheses should be arranged alphabetically and separated by semicolons:

(Brown et al., 2023; Smith & Jones, 2025)

Reference List

References must:

  • be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author;
  • use a hanging indent;
  • list all authors when there are up to 20; for 21 or more authors, list the first 19, insert an ellipsis, and add the final author;
  • present article and chapter titles in sentence case;
  • present journal titles and volume numbers in italics;
  • include the issue number in parentheses where available;
  • present DOI links in the format https://doi.org/...;
  • avoid adding a period after a DOI or URL.

Journal Article

Sun, J. C., Davidson, M. J., Lamy, A., & Eikelboom, J. W. (2009). Antithrombotic management of patients with prosthetic heart valves: Current evidence and future trends. The Lancet, 374(9689), 565–576. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60780-7

Journal Article With an Article Number

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of the article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), Article number. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Brewer, L., Boulware, A. L., & Boss, B. J. (2007). Cardiac and cardiovascular rehabilitation. In S. P. Hoeman (Ed.), Rehabilitation nursing: Prevention, intervention, and outcomes (4th ed., pp. 674–696). Mosby Elsevier.

Institutional Guideline or Report

Organization Name. (Year). Title of the guideline or report (Report or guideline number, if applicable). URL

Webpage

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Medical Subject Headings. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html

Dataset

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of dataset (Version) [Data set]. Repository Name. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Software

Author or Organization. (Year). Name of software (Version) [Computer software]. Publisher or Repository. URL

Preprint

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of preprint [Preprint]. Repository Name. https://doi.org/xxxxx

References generated by AI tools must not be included unless the authors have independently verified the existence, accuracy, relevance, and bibliographic details of the source.

Authors retain copyright and publishing rights in their work and grant iEditore a non-exclusive right of first publication and distribution.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce or adapt previously published or third-party material when the intended use is not already permitted by the material’s licence or another applicable authorization. Such material may include:

  • figures;
  • tables;
  • photographs;
  • questionnaires;
  • measurement instruments;
  • clinical scales;
  • substantial text extracts;
  • copyrighted multimedia material.

Permission documentation must be uploaded during submission where required, and the original source must be fully acknowledged in accordance with APA Style, 7th edition.

For complete licensing and reuse conditions, please refer to the journal’s Open Access Policy.

Editorial Office Contact Information

For submission enquiries, technical support, and questions not addressed in these Guidelines for Authors, please contact:

Editorial Office
NEU
Email: redazioneneu@anin.it

Publishing and technical enquiries: info@ieditore.com.

Audience

The readership of NEU includes neuroscience nurses, advanced practice nurses, healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, healthcare managers, policymakers, public health professionals, scientific societies, and other stakeholders involved in neurology, neurosurgery, neurorehabilitation, psychiatry, and nursing care within the neurosciences.