Editorial Governance & Editorial Independence

Policy Statement

As the owner and publisher of PJN, PNA retains responsibility for the journal's institutional governance, sustainability, resources, and overall strategic direction. These responsibilities do not extend to interference with individual manuscript decisions or the scholarly conclusions expressed in published articles.

The Editor-in-Chief has editorial independence and final responsibility for decisions concerning the selection, peer review, acceptance, rejection, and publication of individual manuscripts. Such decisions are made without inappropriate influence from PNA, its officers or governing bodies, advertisers, sponsors, funders, commercial interests, political interests, or other external parties.

Editorial decisions are based on a manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, methodological or analytical rigor, clarity, ethical integrity, relevance to PJN's aims and scope, and potential contribution to nursing and health. The views and opinions expressed in published articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official positions of PJN or PNA, unless explicitly identified as such.

1. Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to every editorial decision made by the Editor-in-Chief and editorial team, and to the institutional relationship between PJN and PNA. It applies continuously, for as long as PJN operates as a publication of PNA.

2. Definitions

Editorial Independence: The principle that publishing decisions are made on scholarly merit alone, insulated from outside commercial, political, or organizational pressure.

Institutional Governance: PNA's ownership-level responsibilities for the journal's sustainability, resourcing, and strategic direction, distinct from day-to-day editorial decision-making.

Undue Influence: Any attempt by a non-editorial party to affect a specific publishing decision.