Health care implications and space allocation of research published in nursing journals.
OBJECTIVE
To examine how research is disseminated through nursing journals and to examine characteristics of published research.


METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted with manuscripts from 78 nursing journals that publish research.


METHODS
The final issue for 1999 was examined. Pairs of independent raters content-analyzed all research manuscripts.


CONCLUSIONS
Research studies comprised 241 (42.9%) of the manuscripts and 51.4% of the journal space. Many empirical studies omitted validity and reliability. Few manuscripts reported the date for completion of data collection, and fewer than one third contained the length of time from acceptance to publication.


CONCLUSIONS
Enhanced instrumentation reporting, shorter time from data collection to publication, and an increase in journal space devoted to research might enable nurses to make more cutting-edge clinical decisions.
Anderson
Elizabeth
E
University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs 06269, USA.
McDonald
Deborah Dillon
DD
Mikky
Ismat
I
Brewer
Thomas
T
Koscizewski
Cindy
C
Lacoursiere
Sheryl
S
Andrews
Laura
L
Delaney
Colleen
C
D015706:Bibliometrics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011643:Publishing; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D013997:Time Factors