Journal profile · Nursing
Nursing Inquiry
ISSN 1320-7881 · eISSN 1440-1800 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · AUSTRALIA · Quarterly · Founded 1994
Nursing Inquiry: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.18; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,720; median 112 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 86 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Nursing Inquiry is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Nursing education and management, Nursing Education, Practice, and Leadership and Cultural Competency in Health Care, together about 27.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Nursing Inquiry aims to stimulate examination of nursing's current and emerging practices, conditions and contexts within an expanding international community of ideas. The journal aspires to excite thinking and stimulate action toward a preferred future for health and healthcare by encouraging critical reflection and lively debate on matters affecting and influenced by nursing from a range of disciplinary angles, scientific perspectives, analytic approaches, social locations and philosophical positions. Toward this end, the Editor welcomes original research and discussion articles on a wide range of topics. Examples of the kinds of manuscripts that may be considered for publication include the following: Substantive research that draws upon ideas from the humanities or social science perspectives to investigate and interpret nursing and healthcare practices, technologies and trends. Substantive research that uses methodological innovation within empirical investigation to shed new light on health phenomena. International or comparative perspectives on health, health care delivery, human health resources, health promotion or health planning from a global perspective. Policy analysis that critically examines controversial or timely matters such as evolving health labour workforce, transitions in service delivery systems, or trends in health funding patterns. Advancement of methodological approaches and frameworks to enrich and extend the capacity of nursing and healthcare inquiry. Ethical inquiry that illuminates or challenges the assumptions underlying the everyday practices and policies affecting nursing and healthcare. Philosophical inquiries that stimulate thought, deconstruct ideologies or challenge conformities related to the nature and expression of nursing and healthcare. Historical research that revisits the assumptions upon which professional narratives have been built. Critical integrative reviews of the current state of scientific and/or non-scientific knowledge in relation to conceptualization, practice, delivery or planning of health systems. Discussion or opinion papers providing critical commentary on current trends, policies or practices in nursing. Authors uncertain as to the fit between their ideas in progress and the journal's aims and scope are invided to send a letter of inquiry to NINedoffice@wiley.com
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Nursing
Editor-in-chief Sally ThornePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Canada 7, United States 5, United Kingdom 4, Australia 3, Brazil 2 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Nursing education and managementNursing10.6%
- Nursing Education, Practice, and LeadershipNursing9%
- Cultural Competency in Health CareSocial Sciences8%
- Ethics in medical practiceHealth Professions6.8%
- Palliative Care and End-of-Life IssuesMedicine5.4%
- Global Health Workforce IssuesHealth Professions5%
- Geriatric Care and Nursing HomesHealth Professions4.6%
- Empathy and Medical EducationMedicine4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Nursing | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedPsycINFOCINAHLCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.18LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 46LetPub ·
- h-index
- 84OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 831OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.66OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 67.98%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 52LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2Publisher website ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 73Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 435,682Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,837 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 102 | 86 | 51 |
| 2025 | 86 | 70 | 287 |
| 2024 | 80 | 63 | 374 |
| 2023 | 83 | 70 | 846 |
| 2022 | 67 | 37 | 803 |
| 2021 | 81 | 39 | 926 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
112 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 73 days – 178 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (94 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 129 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (196 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 10%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 10%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 116 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,720 / EUR 3,930 / GBP 3,150 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted7
- commentaryArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
- critical commentaryCritical Commentary Critical Commentaries are usually invited pieces of a discursive or rhetorical nature, but unsolicited material may be considered on occasio…Length not stated
- editorialArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
- meta-analysisArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
- original articleArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
- reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
- systematic reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit Abstract / Structure Original Article Reports of new research findings, discursive essays or discussion papers that make a s…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of criteria for authorship.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
This journal expects data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
This journal is a Subscription journal that offers an open access option. If your manuscript is accepted for publication, you will have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an Article Processing Charge (APC). You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a count…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review Process
Please check to ensure that your proposed submission is in alignment with the Aims and Scope of this journal. Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, new submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal https://authors.wiley.com/journal/NIN. Should your manuscript proceed to the revision stage, you will be directed to make yo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- AUSTRALIA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1994
- ISSN
- 1320-7881
- Electronic ISSN
- 1440-1800
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nursing Inquiry
What CAS zone is Nursing Inquiry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Nursing Inquiry is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Nursing. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Nursing Inquiry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.18; CiteScore 5.5, h-index 84.
How long does peer review take at Nursing Inquiry?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 112 days (interquartile range 73–178 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 10% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Nursing Inquiry based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Canada (7), United States (5) and United Kingdom (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Nursing Inquiry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Nursing Inquiry is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Nursing Inquiry open access, and what is the APC?
Nursing Inquiry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,720.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .