The Student Midwife – Writing for Us

Blogs

Blogs are online topical pieces and written in a different style to journal articles. The tone can be lighter and is more conversational. Please read the guides below:

Blogs can be about any aspect of midwifery and maternity and will be published on the Student Midwife Blog on All4Maternity. We are keen to:

• celebrate achievements
• disseminate clinical and academic innovation to support improvement
• highlight fundamental issues and adversity with a focus on finding solutions to support and sustain midwifery care for women.
• showcase structured reflections on personal and professional practice

Importantly our All4Maternity platform provides you with a voice to stand up and challenge the status quo. Please don’t be shy, we value your contributions.

• Submissions can vary in length from 500 to 1500 words.
• 100-word summary of the article at the start of the paper - avoid using the same language that is in the main text.
• Main body of article with appropriate subheadings, diagrams and figures if appropriate and the reference list positioned at the end (use sparingly).
• We encourage authors to add hyperlinks to appropriate words and phrases. This can be achieved by using the comments function in Microsoft Word: Highlight the word/term to hyperlink>add new comment>paste the correct URL. example here
• Conclusion.
• Reference list positioned at the end (use sparingly). See Writing Advice and References
• Images - See General Information>Photographs, headshots, diagrams and illustrations

Reflections

We welcome submissions from students about your clinical experiences on placement (or NQMs reflecting on your student experience and/or transition through preceptorship). Reflections are very helpful in refining your personal practice, and reflections published on All4Maternity can provide an excellent example for other students in how to write formal reflections. Reflection is also a necessary midwifery skill, as writing critical reflections is now part of midwifery revalidation with the NMC.

We are interested in hearing about experiences which surprised you, challenged you, increased your knowledge, or greatly impacted the way you personally practice or will practice in the future. Extra content/ videos can also be linked from the article if the word count runs over; since this is an online journal, there is greater flexibility with links.

Style-use a formal reflective cycle to structure your article, using the phases of the cycle as your subheadings.

For inclusion with your submission:

• Maximum of 1600 words including in-text references and the reference list.
• 100-word summary of the reflection, positioned at the start. Avoid using the same language that is in the main text.
• Main body of reflection with up to 5 practice challenge questions identified throughout the article.
• Conclusion.
• Reference list positioned at the end (use sparingly).  See Writing Advice and References
• Images - See General Information>Photographs, headshots, diagrams and illustrations

A journal article should be written in a different style from that of an academic essay. Aim for a clear, readable and accessible style, remembering that your readers will be busy student midwives (and midwives). If this is the first time you have submitted an article to a journal it may help to ask a colleague or tutor to read it.

You may also ask the Student Midwife Editorial Advisory Board members or the Editor-in-Chief for support and advice.

As you write, ask yourself:

• Is my article relevant to, and aimed at, student midwives?
• Does my article say something new?
• What question(s) am I trying to answer?
• Have I answered the question(s) accurately?
• Have I made clear what is personal opinion and what is evidence/research-based fact?
• Does the article flow in a logical progression?
• Could I improve it by rewriting or moving certain paragraphs?
• Have I helped the reader through the article with regular (short) subheadings?
• Is my language and level of argument appropriate for the broad readership?
• Are all the references complete and correct?

Please check your writing carefully for accuracy and ambiguity. A final edit, prior to submission, is essential to check spelling and remove any superfluous words or phrases. You may find it helpful to look at past issues to get an idea of the journal’s overall style and focus. The Student Midwife editorial team reserves the right to edit any article. Your article will be sent to you to check in its final form shortly before publication.

References

Please use this guide to fulfil our submission requirements:

We use AMA superscript numerical style, the following link can guide you.

https://www.bcit.ca/files/library/pdf/bcit-ama_citation_guide.pdf.

• We recommend the use of referencing management software, the inbuilt package in Microsoft Word is usually sufficient.
• Do not use footnotes.
• In general, aim to use references sparingly
• Note the positioning of numbers (eg after full points and commas)

An example of AMA style referencing: in-text and list:

Embryonic development has been described as occurring in two main phases: the pre-embryonic phase, which lasts from fertilisation up to the end of the second week; and the embryonic phase, which lasts from the beginning of week three to the end of week eight.¹ Fertilisation takes place most commonly in the ampulla of the fallopian tube and the newly fertilised oocyte becomes known as the zygote. The zygote is genetically unique as half of its chromosomal material is inherited from the father, and the other half is inherited from the mother. The zygote has no means of self-propulsion and so relies on the hair-like cilia lining the fallopian tube to waft it along towards the uterus.² This journey takes about five days, and several transformations occur along the way. Abnormalities can occur at any stage in the embryo’s development and those that arise early will be severe and usually fatal. It is estimated that up to 50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, often before the woman or birthing person knows they are pregnant.³

References:

1. Bailey J. Hormonal Cycles: Fertilization and Early Development. In: Marshall J; Raynor M, eds. Myles Textbook for Midwives. 17th Ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier; 2020: 91-99.
2.  Moore K, Persaud T, Torchia M. Before We are Born; Essentials of Embryology and Birth Defects. 10th Ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier; 2019.
3. Sadler T. Langman's Medical Embryology. 11th Ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2010.

Inclusivity 

1. We believe that diversity is our strength, and view All4Maternity as an inclusive platform to amplify the voices of women, birthing people and maternity professionals of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientations.
2. We believe that inclusion — honouring and celebrating the unique traits and contributions of each individual person — fosters creativity and growth. We are committed to creating a safe space for all. We are inclusive of the non-binary or transgender community, therefore, at All4Maternity, we will use both terms ‘women’ and ‘person/people’, sometimes written as birthing people, as well as referring to chest-feeding as appropriate.

Examples:

• ‘Childbearing women and people can be impacted by the consequences of COVID-19.’
• ‘Birthing women and people use information to make decisions’
• ‘Mothers, fathers and parents using perinatal mental health services can struggle to develop relationships’

Please note: This is a principled approach, but we have some minimum standards, see Inclusivity Principles and Statement on our About Us page. In addition, we endeavour to recognise and address our unconscious bias which may limit our inclusivity principles

1. We will work to uphold diversity in all levels of our publication, from authors and contributors to editors and section editors, in the spirit of participation and collaboration.
2. We believe that transparency — openness and honesty in our communication and actions—builds trust and underlies everything we do.
3. We believe that respect — for others, for ourselves, and for the work we do—is the foundation of our publication, and our work as midwives and healthcare practitioners.
4. We believe that kindness and compassion are powerful forces which promote healing and love, and should be present in the articles we publish, and in all of our interactions with others.
5. We believe that empathy — the ability to put ourselves in others’ shoes and understand and share others’ feelings—allows us to build bridges, and is the cornerstone of our publication, and of safe and effective midwifery care

Please ensure you respect all our guiding principles in your articles. The editors reserve the right to make necessary changes to articles to ensure our principles are upheld.

Bias free language

The Student Midwife treats all people with inclusivity and respect. To guide you with your use of bias free language in your article, currently we we are signposting you to this comprehensive resource. As you check what you write for spelling, grammar and wordiness, do practice reading your work for bias.

Using Maternity or Perinatal Services rather than Trusts

Required when describing generic service-providers or groups of maternity units/providers, this is to support our members and readers of articles who live/work outside the UK and NHS framework.

However do use the word Trust in your article if referring to an actual named maternity or perinatal organisation, if it is part of that organisation's name.

Photographs, headshots, diagrams and illustrations

Permissions

We use our own commissioned house style illustrations, however if you'd like to include illustrations from another source, it is your responsibility to obtain prior written permission to reproduce the material and to credit it accordingly. It will be at the Editor-in-Chief's discretion if your suppled illustrations are used in your article.

Photographs need the permission of both the photographer and all subjects within the images.

Format and quality

Please do not use screen grabs from websites or social media - the quality will not be acceptable for publication and there could be copyright issues.

Images (eg diagrams, charts, illustrations):

• Supplied as separate high resolution .jpg files at a size of 500kb+  Do not include in your Word document.
• Clearly highlight where in the article your submitted images to be placed.
• Label clearly and appropriately.

Author headshots:

• Supplied as separate high resolution .jpg files at a size of 500kb+  Do not include in your Word document.

• Head and shoulders on a plain background (if possible white) - nothing extra or cut off (eg your hair or head), be in focus and preferably smiling!
• Clearly label with full names.

Confidentiality

Please be aware of issues of confidentiality. You may require permission from individuals/institutions discussed in your article. We reserve the right to anonymise where appropriate before publication.

Copyright

All material is accepted for publication on the understanding that it has not been published before and is not due for publication elsewhere. The copyright of all material accepted for publication lies with the Publisher. Whilst welcoming all contributions, The Practising Midwife does not offer payment for unsolicited articles.

Peer review process

All original research and review papers submitted to The Student Midwife are subject to external peer review. Papers are acknowledged and assessed for general suitability for publication, then sent for anonymous external peer review by experts in the relevant field.

Following the review, the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to revise material or to return it to the author for amendments before accepting it for publication. We also reserve the right to amend material during production in accordance with house style and the demands of space and layout.

Sharing published articles - authors

Upon publication of your article, you will receive a PDF from The Student Midwife journal team. This is for your records and personal reference only.  Full copies of your article may be sent privately to interested parties but cannot be published in full publicly.

Open access published articles with prior written agreement from The Student Midwife, may be shared publicly. This is at the discretion of The Student Midwife Editor-in-Chief.

Promotion of products or services

We cannot include references to private companies, products or services. If you are writing as owner or employee of a company, brand names etc. will be changed to be more generic. Where a further resources section is included, this is designed to provide sources of information to the reader, not to list or promote products, companies or even particular books.

Charities can appear, at our discretion, within the further resources, but only alongside a variety of alternatives, usually based in the NHS or equivalent.

It's important you have read our guidelines before your submit your article, here is a check list to help you:

Article format:
•  Word document (not PDF), not password protected and no 'draft' watermark
•  Word file clearly labelled with (lead) author name and date of submission
•  Text formatting: Arial font size 12, text range left, line spacing: 1.15pt, no double spacing in between words
•  Author name(s) in correct order with job title(s) work place, pronoun(s), social media handle(s) at top of document
•  If article is part of a series, indicate this in the title - Part 1, Part 2
•  Article title to be brief - 8 words maximum
•  Word count is in accordance with the article type
• Includes a 100 word summary at the beginning and a conclusion at the end
• Uses AMA numerical reference style including in-text superscript numbers and numbered reference list at the end
• Do not include footnotes
• Other information:
• Written with reference to our Inclusivity Principles and Bias Free Language Guide
•  Images of tables/diagrams uploaded separately (not within the article) as hi-res .jpgs at a size of over 500kb in size
• Tables created in Word to be saved as text only, not as an image/picture or a PDF
• Bullet point lists to contain explanation and context
• Author photo (head and shoulders only) uploaded separately as .jpgs at a size of 500kb
•  Article complies with our informed consent policy and where women/families have provided permission to share their information, written consent is included with the submission.

The Student Midwife reserves the right to amend supplied content and assets during production in accordance with house style and the demands of space and layout.

Please note we may return your article submission for revisions, if it does not comply with the above guidelines.