Submitting a Manuscript

The AANA Journal will not publish studies that have not been reviewed by your institution’s IRB, even if they are deemed QI projects. Please share this information with your IRB, so they can assist you with the appropriate review decision tree: exempt, expedited, or full review. Appropriate IRB documents will need to be submitted as part of your submission to the AANA Journal.

When submitting your manuscript, you may suggest up to four (4) potential reviewers. Please ensure that any suggested reviewers hold doctoral degrees (PhD, DNP, MD) and include their email addresses. The AANA Journal is not obligated to use these suggested reviewers.

Appropriate reviewers are experts in the topic area with proven expertise through publications and/or presentations. We recommend considering authors whom you have cited multiple times in your reference list.

Please avoid suggesting reviewers who have a conflict of interest, such as friends, coworkers, and current or recent co-authors.

Manuscript reviewers often suggest revisions before accepting manuscripts. When submitting a revised manuscript, please include the following:

• A clean copy of the revised manuscript
• A copy of the manuscript with the track changes that reflect the revisions
• An itemized, point-by-point response to the comments of the reviewers

The AANA Journal also seeks high-quality editorial submissions in the following areas:

• Perioperative care: inclusive of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases
• Basic sciences as they relate to anesthetic considerations: inclusive of physiology, pharmacology, chemistry, and physics
• Technological issues related to anesthetic considerations: engineering, mechanical, monitoring
• Management of perioperative pain with particular attention to mechanisms and multimodal therapies
• State-of-the-art reviews
• Simulation in anesthetic training
• Discovery research that illuminates important questions involving anesthetic management
• Computing, electronic recordkeeping, and information access that enhances communication and patient care
• Anesthetic subspecialty domains inclusive of cardiovascular, obstetrical, neurosurgical, and pediatric
• Innovations in the anesthetic care of patients
• Critical care and resuscitation
• Chronic pain mechanisms and management
• Regional anesthesia and ultrasound-guided nerve block

Research, quality improvement, and review articles submitted to the AANA Journal should adhere to the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) format for writing research reports. The AANA Journal uses the EQUATOR network (Enhancing the Quality and Transparency Of Health Research) reporting guidelines to evaluate manuscripts. Authors are strongly encouraged to adhere to  EQUATOR guidelines for reporting studies.

Research/QI/Survey/Reviews

• Title Page – The article should include a title page (including primary author information, short biographical statements, OrCID, and, if applicable, funding and acknowledgments). The name, mailing address, phone number, and email address of the corresponding author; only one corresponding author may be designated for the entirety of the review and publication process. Please refer to What is an Author section.
• Abstract (200 words maximum) – The unstructured abstract may be the only part of an article that is read, and it must stand alone while effectively conveying the key elements within. Ensure that the abstract communicates the research context, purpose or hypothesis, key methods, the most important findings (including numerical results and statistical significance of at least the primary outcome), and clear conclusions supported by those results.
• Keywords – Include 3 to 5 keywords that describe your work
• Body text – Adhere to the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, and Discussion) format. When applicable, a subsection titled “Statistical Analysis” should be included at the end of the Methods and Materials section. Additionally, include relevant statements regarding informed consent, animal care, IRB approval, and/or clinical trial registration.
• References – Include a maximum of 50 recent references
  • Follow the AMA manual of style
  • Include the DOIs
  • Reference management software such as EndNote may be used. Authors are responsible for correct formatting and deactivation of the software before submission.
• Tables –
  • Create tables using the table creation and editing features of your word processing software.
  • Please avoid embedding tables within the body of the manuscript.
  • Each table should include a title, appropriate column headings, footnotes, and an explanatory legend.
  • Provide each table in an editable format, not as an image file.
  • Cite all tables in the article text, numbering them consecutively in the order they appear.
• Figures/Artwork –
  • Each figure must include a title and legends.
  • Figures and artwork should be of high quality (a minimum of 350 dpi for simple pictures and 600 dpi for complex or fine artwork) submitted as separate files.
  • Charts, graphs, diagrams, and maps are best submitted as high-resolution graphics.
  • All figures and artwork must be cited in the article text and numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text.
• Supplemental Digital Content –
  • Supplemental materials are published electronically only.
  • Submit all supplemental material at the same time as the main manuscript.
  • Refer to supplemental material at the appropriate point in the text and number them consecutively.
  • Supplemental materials will not be copy edited.
  • You will not receive proof of supplemental materials.

 

Scholarly work in this category includes work that advances the clinical, educational, and administrative domains that define the practice of anesthesia. Reporting of EBP projects should include an abstract (200 words maximum), 3 to 5 keywords, and a systematic presentation of the project. Due to the broad and diverse nature of evidence-based practice, submissions may not be held to a rigid template, unlike other categories of submissions. However, we strongly recommend that the manuscript include the following headers: Introduction, EBP Design/Model, Methods to Generate Best Evidence, Evidence Findings, Implementation, and Conclusion. Authors can refer to EBP reporting guidelines (Table 3) by Whalen et al. 2024 for additional information. Any such project involving human or animal subjects must also include signed IRB approval.

The AANA Journal welcomes original manuscripts that are not under consideration by another journal. The article topics must be pertinent to the specialty of anesthesiology and those that relate to the broad professional domain of the practicing nurse anesthesiologist. Manuscripts published in the Journal become the sole property of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

• Manuscripts must be submitted in AMA Style
  • Please do not use EndNote to format your reference list
  • Include DOI numbers with references, if they exist (see References section below for proper AMA Style formatting)

Peer Review

Submitted articles undergo blind review by members of the AANA Journal reviewer corps. A double-blind process is used for objectivity. If accepted for publication, the manuscript will be edited using the AMA Manual of Style to improve presentation and clarity without altering the meaning of the text. In most cases, edited copy will be submitted to authors for final approval as a PDF received by email. Authors are responsible for all statements made in their work including changes made by the copy editor.

Consent

Signed consent forms are required and must be submitted with the submission for all use of photographs of identifiable individuals. Photographs of minors must be submitted with a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Permissions

When employing material previously published, written permission from the original author and publisher is required for the printed, as well as the AANA website (i.e. digital) version. Include all permissions with the submitted article. (Note: Copyright Clearance Center is a reliable source for obtaining permissions.)

Disclosure

Authors must disclose ALL commercial associations, perceived or otherwise, that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with submitted work. Such associations include consultancies, speaking on behalf of a vendor, equity interests, or patent licensing arrangements. Such disclosure will be noted on the published article.

Manuscript Preparation

To avoid delays in the review process, manuscripts should be carefully prepared according to these guidelines and proofread thoroughly for errors in grammar and spelling. The manuscript should be read for clarity and accuracy by colleagues and/or mentors before submission to the Please write simply and clearly, avoiding jargon and unfamiliar abbreviations; spell out all acronyms at first mention. Manuscripts should be set in 12-point type and not exceed 20 double-spaced pages, including references, figures, and tables. Number the pages from the first page of the text to the end of the references. Authors are invited to submit articles in the following categories and formats described below:

• Research – A report of an original investigation. The article should include a title page (including primary author information, short biographical statements and, if needed, an acknowledgments section), abstract (200 words maximum), 3 to 5 keywords, text (subdivided into Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion), and references including DOIs. If applicable, figures (with legends) and tables should be provided. Manuscripts describing investigations carried out in humans or animals must include a statement indicating that the study was approved by the authors’ institutional investigation committee, (i.e. signed IRB approval) and that written permission (i.e. signed approval) was obtained from human subjects.
• Survey/review – Collates, describes, and critically evaluates previously published
  material to aid in evaluating new concepts. The article should include a title page (including primary author information, short biographical statements, and an optional acknowledgments section), abstract (200 words maximum), 3 to 5 keywords, text (subdivided into Introduction, History and Review of Literature, Discussion of State of the Art, and Summary), and references including DOIs. If applicable, figures (with legends) and tables should be provided.
• Case report – A report of a clinical case that is uncommon or of exceptional
  educational value. This category may constitute a brief description of a clinical episode or an in-depth case presentation. The authors must have been personally associated with the case. The
  article should include a title page (including primary author information, short biographical statements, and an optional acknowledgment section), abstract (200 words maximum), 3 to 5 keywords, text (subdivided into Introduction, Case Summary, and Discussion), and references. If applicable, figures (with legends) and tables should be provided.
• Other – Evidence-based projects, including integrative and systematic reviews of the
  literature, interventions, and syntheses. This category includes work that advances the clinical, educational, and administrative domains that define the practice of anesthesia. Because of the broad and diverse nature of evidence-based practice, submissions may not necessarily be held to a rigid template, like other categories of submissions, but an abstract (200 words maximum), 3 to 5 keywords, and a systematic presentation that minimally includes an Introduction, Description of the project, and Discussion section must be included. Any such project involving human or animal subjects must also include signed IRB approval.
• Letters to the editor – Include brief constructive comments concerning previously published articles or brief notations of general interest. Length should not exceed 350 words. Abstract and keywords are not needed.

References

A maximum of 50 references (only those sources cited in the text) are allowed. Cite references in the numerical, sequential order that they appear in the text. References cited in the article should be of previously published articles or texts. Cite written or oral personal communications in parentheses in the text. Carefully check/validate all references to ensure that they are cited accurately, completely, and in AMA style. Include DOI numbers, if they exist, for all references. Cite up to 6 authors. If there are more than 6, cite the first 3 only and add “et al.” Consult the AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition, for the complete rules on references.

Here are a few examples:

Journal

Hussain R, Wark S, Müller A, Ryan P, Parmenter T. Personal relationships during end-of-life care: support staff views of issues for individuals with intellectual disability. Res Dev Disabil. 2019;87:21-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.01.005.

Book Chapter

Tunajek SK. Standards of care in anesthesia practice. In: Foster SD, Faut Callahan M, eds. A Professional Study and Resource Guide for the CRNA. 2nd ed. Park Ridge, IL: American Association of Nurse Anesthetists; 2011:149-174.

Website

S. Department of Veterans Affairs. National Center for PTSD Website. PTSD Overview. http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/fslist-PTSD-overview.asp. Accessed September 17, 2012.

Internet references should be kept to a minimum, and those cited must be from
established, peer-reviewed sources with stable archived information. In rare instances when non-peer-reviewed Internet sources need to be referenced, websites of long-standing, national stature, such as the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States or the National Patient Safety Foundation, may be appropriate.

Required Formatting

• Title page – Submitted as a separate file, include manuscript title, authors’ names and credentials, professional position, current employer, city, and state or country. Furnish a correspondence address, email address, telephone number, fax number, source of grant or financial support, and an acknowledgment section, if needed. Author identification should appear only on the title page of the manuscript because we use a blind review process.
• Author information – A short biographical sketch of each coauthor, with principal
  author indicated, must accompany the title page of the manuscript. Please include an email address that can be published for the principal author. Example: James R. Johnson, PhD, CRNA, is program director of ABC School of Anesthesia, Mountain View, Montana. Email: jrjohnson@mountainview.com.
• Keywords – Provide 3 to 5 alphabetized keywords or phrases for indexing purposes.
• Abstract – The abstract (maximum of 200 words) will appear as the italicized lead-in portion of the published manuscript. The abstract of the article should include 1 to 3 sentences describing the purpose, hypothesis, or theoretical orientation of the article, followed by 2 to 3 sentences describing the method of the study or the nature of the review. For a research article, include how the data were analyzed. Continue with 2 to 3 sentences devoted to the major points
  or results noted in the article and conclude with 1 to 2 sentences giving the conclusion or take-home message. An abstract of a case report should provide a summary of the case and a discussion. When abstracting a review article, provide a concise summary of the salient points addressed in the review.
• Figure legends – A legend should be provided for each figure. Initial cap each word in the legend.
• Figures – Clearly reproducible photographs, diagrams, and graphs should be labeled as “Figure 1,” “Figure 2,” etc., depending on their sequence in the manuscript, and on separate pages. Resolution of digital figures or photographs must be at least 300 dpi at 100% of image size (about 4” × 5”). Internet images are typically low resolution and are not reproducible. Submit JPG or TIFF files and not PNG files at a minimum of 300 dpi.
• Tables – Tables should be double-spaced and submitted separately from figures. Tables should be numbered as “Table 1,” “Table 2,” etc., depending on their sequence in the manuscript, on separate pages, and descriptively titled. Initial cap table titles.

Checklist

1. Cover letter of submission (optional)
2. Title page, includes article title, author(s’) name, credentials, affiliations, short biographical information, telephone number, email address, grant support, and any acknowledgments. Disclosure of any commercial affiliations, perceived or otherwise, and grant funding.
3. Three to 5 keywords or phrases
4. Abstract (maximum of 200 words)
5. Text, double-spaced throughout, pages numbered
6. References (maximum of 50, double-spaced, including DOI numbers)
7. Good quality, reproducible figures (i.e. at least 300 dpi)
8. Tables, figures, and legends, properly labeled
9. Permissions from original copyright holder to reproduce any previously published material and/or signed consent forms for any photographs of identifiable individuals for printed and digital versions. Consent forms for any minors pictured must be signed by parent or legal guardian.
10. Copy of signed institutional investigation committee/IRB approval (for all research articles)

Note: The AANA Journal complies with the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, as well as all ethics, consent, and disclosure guidelines of the American Medical Association. In addition, all research published in the AANA Journal requires institutional review board approval. Authors must disclose any conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, at the point of submission. These relationships, commercial or otherwise, if they exist, will be disclosed in the published article.

What Is an Author?

• All submissions to the AANA Journal must follow the guidelines on authorship provided by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the American Medical Association.

To be listed as a bylined author on a manuscript submission to the AANA Journal:
All bylined authors should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Substantial contributions must have been made in the following three areas according to the American Medical Association:

• Conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
• Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Approval of the version of the manuscript to be published
• Authors must also abide by the definition of authorship by the ICMJE: “Participation solely in the acquisition of funding, or the collection of data, or general supervision of the research group is not sufficient for authorship.”

Those who don’t satisfy the above three criteria may be thanked in an Acknowledgements section at the end of the manuscript but should not be listed as a bylined author.

AANA Journal editors who make decisions about manuscripts must recuse themselves from editorial decisions if they have conflicts of interest or relationships that pose potential conflicts related to an article under consideration.