OJIN: A 'labor of love' for Kent State nurses

by Michelle Slattery and George West

"The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) is a peer-reviewed publication that provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues in nursing. OJIN defines an issue as a topic about which there are no right or wrong opinions, but rather different viewpoints. The interactive format of the journal encourages a dynamic dialogue resulting in a comprehensive discussion of the topic, thereby building up the body of nursing knowledge and suggesting policy implications that enhance the health of the public."

Kent's School of Nursing, in cooperation with the ANA, launched the first ever World Wide Web-based nursing journal, the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) in 1996. Nursing faculty members who helped with the project are back row, from left to right: Peggy Doheny, Davina Gosnell, Susan Jones, Ruth Ludwick and Greer Glazer. Front row, from left to right: Karen Budd, Linda Thede and Harriet Coeling.

No one was less prepared for the success of the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) than those who gave it life. "If we had only known then how quickly we would grow and what a big undertaking publishing OJIN is," says Editor in Chief Harriet Coeling, PhD, RN. "I was surprised how quickly people caught on to the idea of an online journal with links to so many resources." Coeling and Co-editor Susan Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN, co-founders and Ohio Nurses Association members, soon realized that the combination of intellectual freedom and international nursing research was creating a scholarly, award-winning, free publication for all nurses.

OJIN, which is owned by Kent State University College of Nursing, is published three times a year online in partnership with ANA and NursingWorld. OJIN boasts a readership (user sessions) of 50,000 per issue.

"We were quite naive when we started, and this naivete allowed us to take risks we did not know we were taking," said Jones, professor and director of the graduate psychiatric mental health nursing program at Kent State. "We simply published the first issue, knowing that it was scholarly, but not knowing what the future would be."

Born of the excitement of the early Internet days when the possibilities were endless, the concept of an online journal was first discussed by a group of nurses at the Kent State University College of Nursing in December 1995. The project could be developed and produced at no cost — an imperative since there was no funding. OJIN continues to operate on a shoestring budget and relies on volunteer support for editing, writing and serving on the editorial board. ANA provides technical expertise, staffing and resources.

Around the same time, former ANA Director of Strategic Planning Judith Huntington, MN, RN, (presently executive director of Washington State Nurses Association) in discussions with Jones explained the inception of NursingWorld and her plans for a forum whereby ANA would be a broker of information. "Judy requested that we consider collaborating and publishing OJIN in partnership with ANA," Jones recalled.

"We couldn't help but believe in OJIN because Judy did so strongly, and she continues to be a real boost to our morale and our vision of how we can develop OJIN," Coeling said.

In retrospect, no single event led to the creation of the journal; it was a combination of the right people talking and willing to work together at the right time. After deciding to go for it, the nurses invited interested faculty to volunteer and participate. "We didn't have much to offer in those initial stages, so there weren't many takers," Jones said. "But now we have nurses asking us if they can volunteer."

Key to their success was their ability to work together. "We didn't keep score about who did what. We worked very hard toward our common goal," Jones explained. A chemistry sometimes forms in a group, and something magical happens — which is exactly what happened with this group of people — and the results are tremendous. The first topic was published in June 1996--just six months after the first brainstorming discussion.

While other well-funded online journals were failing, Jones and Coeling were convinced OJIN would succeed because of its focus as an "issues" journal. Three topics are posted each year focusing on a current nursing issue that touches the professional lives of all nurses. "We wanted to maximize this online potential by using it for a journal that discussed issues, defined as questions for which there are not clear right or wrong answers, but rather differences of opinion," said Coeling, associate professor and director of the graduate nursing of adult program at Kent State. OJIN provides all nurses with a free forum for discussing issues in nursing. Nurses can respond immediately with no page limitations — impossible with a print publication.

To maintain high standards, OJIN recruits the most qualified nurse experts available to author the initial articles. The first article on the issue, a historical review, is followed by several in-depth articles that lay the groundwork for the topic. As soon as these initial articles are posted, all authors are encouraged to share their research or experience. The initial article and all subsequent articles are peer-reviewed by three reviewers from the editorial review board. Letters to the editor are a less formal way for nurses to include their experiences and opinions into the ongoing discussion. With each issue, there is also a list of links to relevant sites and articles on the Internet.

Since OJIN's first issue three years ago, readership has continually increased, the site has been accepted for indexing by Medline as a scholarly resource and it has received numerous awards. "We have clearly grown into publishing a journal," Coeling said. "We're all exceeding our expectations and that motivates us onward." Coeling also said they have been motivated by the letters to the editor they've received. "The early letters to the editor convinced us that we were making a difference in nursing and nurses' lives, which is fulfilling."

The most recent issue of OJIN, "Multistate Licensure," was posted in May. In the future, Coeling said they plan to add an ethics column and to keep identifying topics that affect the lives of all nurses. "We also want to find more potential authors who have experience with or insights about research related to the topic, so we can provide multiple perspectives to round out the discussion and serve as a repository of ideas on this topic for years down the road," she said.

To view OJIN, visit: www.nursingworld.org/ojin

Michelle Slattery is a public relations specialist at the ANA, and George West is the director of online services/new media at the ANA.