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  Cluster 3: Health, Medicine & Life Sciences

Open Access Nursing Journals (2026 Guide)

Open access nursing journals are especially important for the nursing profession because they allow bedside nurses, community nurses, and nurse educators — who rarely have institutional access to expensive subscription journals — to read, apply, and build on the latest nursing research. This 2026 guide covers the best open access nursing journals available through Keith Publications, where all nursing and allied health research is published freely accessible.

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What to Look for When Choosing a Journal

Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:

  • Fully open access — no reader subscription, paywall, or institutional barrier
  • Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence allowing broad sharing and reuse
  • Indexed in Google Scholar, CrossRef, and open access health directories
  • Wide dissemination to both academic and clinical health audiences
  • DOI (CrossRef) assignment for permanent, citable article identification
  • Affordable APC with waiver options for eligible researchers

Recommended Journals — Cluster 3: Health, Medicine & Life Sciences

All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.

  • Health Sciences and Medical Research Journal (HSMRJ)

    Health sciences, clinical medicine, public health, epidemiology, biomedical research, and interdisciplinary studies advancing human health outcomes.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Health Sciences Clinical Medicine Public Health Epidemiology
  • Columbia Journal of Medicine and Healthcare (CJMH)

    Medical research, healthcare delivery, hospital management, clinical practice, health policy, and translational medicine bridging research and patient care.

    Review: 2–3 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Medical Research Healthcare Delivery Clinical Practice Health Policy
  • Journal of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (JNAHS)

    Nursing practice, allied health professions, patient care, clinical nursing research, health education, and evidence-based practice across healthcare settings.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Nursing Practice Allied Health Patient Care Health Education
  • Journal of Pharmacology and Biomedical Research (JPBR)

    Pharmacology, drug discovery, biomedical sciences, life sciences, oncology, biochemistry, and molecular medicine with clinical and applied relevance.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Pharmacology Drug Research Biomedical Sciences Life Sciences

Fast Publication: All Keith Publications journals complete initial review within 2–5 business days and full peer review within 2–4 weeks. Articles are published online within 5–10 days of acceptance — making us one of the fastest open access publishers in the health sciences and medicine field.

Why Open Access Publishing Benefits Health Sciences Researchers

Open access publication is especially powerful for health sciences and medical research. Your clinical findings, pharmacological discoveries, nursing practice evidence, and public health data become freely accessible to clinicians, policymakers, healthcare managers, and researchers worldwide — not just those at institutions with expensive journal subscriptions. A rural nurse in Tanzania, a community pharmacist in Vietnam, or a public health officer in Guatemala can access and apply your research if it is published open access. Studies consistently show that open access health research articles receive significantly more downloads and citations than subscription-based equivalents.

Understanding the CC BY 4.0 Licence for Health Research

All Keith Publications journals publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This means anyone — clinicians, researchers, health educators, pharmaceutical companies, or policymakers — can freely read, share, download, and adapt your research for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as they credit the original authors. This licence is endorsed by major research funders including Wellcome Trust, NIH, and research councils worldwide. It maximises the societal and clinical impact of your research and fully complies with open access mandates from health research funding bodies.

Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances

  1. Align your topic with the journal's scope — read the aims and scope carefully before submitting.
  2. Write a compelling abstract — clearly state your research question, methodology, key findings, and clinical or scientific significance.
  3. Ensure ethical compliance — include ethics committee approval, patient consent, and clinical trial registration details where applicable.
  4. Follow reporting guidelines — use CONSORT, STROBE, CARE, PRISMA, or other relevant Equator Network standards for your study design.
  5. Use current and relevant references — cite recent publications alongside seminal works in your health sciences discipline.
  6. Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts are often desk-rejected without peer review.
  7. State practical implications — explain how your health or medical findings can improve patient care or inform health policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best open access nursing journals in 2026?
The Journal of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (JNAHS) from Keith Publications is the premier open access nursing journal — covering clinical nursing, nursing education, allied health, and evidence-based practice, fully open access under CC BY 4.0 with CrossRef DOI and Google Scholar indexing.
Can nurses in developing countries access open access nursing journals?
Yes. That is the entire point of open access — nurses anywhere in the world, regardless of institutional affiliation or subscription access, can read, download, and apply open access nursing research. Keith Publications JNAHS is freely accessible to every nurse globally.
What is the APC for publishing in open access nursing journals?
Keith Publications operates transparent, competitive APCs for nursing journal publication. APC details are published on the journal website. Waiver requests are available for nurses from low-income countries or those facing genuine financial hardship — waiver decisions do not affect peer review outcomes.
Can nursing students publish in open access nursing journals?
Yes. Keith Publications open access nursing journals welcome submissions from nursing students, including undergraduate research projects, honours dissertations, and postgraduate nursing studies — provided the research meets the quality standards required for peer-reviewed publication.

Ready to Publish Your Research?

Submit your health sciences, medical, nursing, or life sciences manuscript to Keith Publications today. Fast peer review, open access, and global indexing — get your work published within weeks.

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