Guide for Author

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Napande: Jurnal Bidan publishes scientific articles in the fields of midwifery, maternal and child health, reproductive health, family planning, community midwifery, midwifery education, and evidence-based midwifery practice. Manuscripts should present original, scientifically sound, relevant, and clearly reported findings that contribute to the development of midwifery knowledge and professional practice.

Manuscripts must be written in clear academic English or Indonesian, subject to the journal's language policy. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the language, originality of the work, ethical conduct of the research, and compliance with the journal's submission requirements.

Manuscripts must be original, have not been published previously, and not be under consideration for publication in another journal. All submissions are subject to editorial screening and peer review. Authors must ensure that the manuscript follows the journal's formatting requirements and publication ethics policies.

2. TITLE

The manuscript title must be clear, informative, concise, and specific, accurately reflecting the main focus of the study. The title should preferably contain no more than 20 words and identify the principal variables, population, intervention, or key concepts investigated.

Authors should avoid unnecessary abbreviations, vague expressions, and redundant words. The title should be written in sentence case and formatted in Arial, 12-point, bold font, with single spacing (1.0).

3. ABSTRACT AND KEYWORDS

The abstract must be written in English and contain 150–250 words. It should be presented as one paragraph without subheadings, citations, references, tables, figures, or undefined abbreviations.

For original research articles, the abstract should briefly describe the background, research objective, methods, principal results, and conclusion. The methods should identify the study design, setting, participants or samples, and analytical methods. The results should include the most important quantitative findings, where applicable, rather than general statements alone.

The conclusion should directly reflect the findings and explain their relevance to midwifery practice, maternal and child health, reproductive health, education, or health service development, as appropriate.

The abstract must accurately represent the content of the manuscript and must not include information absent from the main text.

Authors must provide 3–5 keywords immediately after the abstract. Keywords should represent the main concepts of the study and preferably use standardized terminology, such as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), where applicable. Authors should avoid unnecessary repetition of words already included in the title.

4. INTRODUCTION

The Introduction should explain the background, significance, and rationale of the study. It should begin by presenting the relevant public health or midwifery problem, supported by current epidemiological data and appropriate scientific literature.

Authors should critically synthesize previous research to establish the current state of knowledge and identify gaps in existing evidence. The Introduction should explain why the research is necessary and how the findings may contribute to midwifery practice, maternal and child health, reproductive health services, health education, or community health.

The research gap and novelty must be clearly articulated. Novelty may relate to the study population, geographical setting, intervention, clinical or educational approach, research methodology, analytical model, or new empirical evidence. Claims of novelty must be supported by a review of relevant literature.

The final paragraph should explicitly state the research objective and, where appropriate, the research questions or hypotheses.

The Introduction should be concise and focused. It should not become an extensive literature review or include detailed descriptions of the study methods or results.

Authors are encouraged to prioritize relevant, peer-reviewed literature published within the last 10 years, while retaining older seminal references when scientifically justified.

5. METHODS

The Methods section must provide sufficient detail to enable readers to understand, evaluate, and, where feasible, reproduce the study.

Authors should include the following information, as applicable:

1. Study design: Identify the research design and explain its suitability for addressing the research objective.

2. Study setting and period: Specify the location, institution, community, or health service where the study was conducted and the data collection period.

3. Population and participants: Describe the target population, sample size, sampling technique, recruitment procedures, and inclusion and exclusion criteria.

4. Variables and measurements: Define the principal variables, outcomes, exposures, interventions, and operational definitions. Explain the instruments, measurement procedures, and assessment criteria used.

5. Research instruments: Describe questionnaires, observation checklists, clinical instruments, educational materials, or other tools. Report relevant evidence of validity and reliability.

6. Data collection procedures: Explain the sequence of activities, intervention delivery, participant assessment, and quality control procedures.

7. Data analysis: Describe the statistical tests or qualitative analytical methods used, including the software and version where applicable. Report the significance threshold and relevant assumptions when appropriate.

For qualitative research, authors should describe the sampling approach, data collection process, analytical framework, coding procedures, and strategies used to establish credibility and trustworthiness.

For intervention studies, authors should describe the intervention sufficiently to enable evaluation and replication, including its content, duration, frequency, delivery personnel, and comparison conditions where applicable.

For systematic reviews, authors should report the databases searched, search strategy, eligibility criteria, study selection process, data extraction, quality appraisal, and synthesis methods. Authors should follow PRISMA or another appropriate reporting guideline.

For studies involving human participants, authors must state the name of the research ethics committee or institutional review board, the ethics approval number, and the approval date where applicable. Authors must also explain how informed consent was obtained and how participant confidentiality was protected.

Research involving clinical procedures, vulnerable populations, or health-related interventions must comply with applicable ethical and regulatory requirements. Where formal ethics review was not required, authors should explain the applicable institutional or regulatory basis rather than omit the information.

Authors are encouraged to follow appropriate reporting guidelines, including STROBE for observational studies, CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, CARE for case reports, and COREQ for qualitative interviews or focus groups.

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Results and Discussion section should present the findings systematically and interpret their scientific and practical significance. The presentation must be consistent with the research objectives and the methods described.

6.1. Results

Results should be organized logically, beginning with the most relevant findings. Authors should report participant characteristics, outcome measures, intervention results, or qualitative themes as appropriate to the study design.

Tables and figures may be used to present complex information clearly. Each table and figure must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the manuscript text. Titles should be concise and informative, and abbreviations, measurement units, and statistical symbols should be explained in notes when necessary.

Authors should avoid repeating all the information in tables or figures in the narrative text. Instead, the text should highlight the most important findings.

For quantitative research, authors should report appropriate statistical results, including descriptive statistics, effect estimates, confidence intervals, and p-values where applicable. Statistical significance should not be interpreted as equivalent to clinical or practical importance.

For qualitative research, authors should present the main themes or categories supported by relevant participant quotations or other appropriate evidence.

Results should be reported objectively without introducing interpretations that belong in the Discussion.

6.2. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the principal findings in relation to the research objectives and existing scientific evidence. Authors should explain the meaning of the results rather than merely restating them.

The Discussion should:

1. Explain the principal findings and their relevance to the research objectives.

2. Compare the findings with previous studies and relevant scientific literature.

3. Discuss similarities, differences, and plausible explanations for the findings.

4. Explain the implications for midwifery practice, maternal and child health services, reproductive health, health education, community interventions, or health policy, as appropriate.

5. Identify the study's contribution to scientific knowledge and professional practice.

6. Acknowledge methodological limitations and explain how they may affect the interpretation or generalizability of the findings.

Interpretations must be supported by the study results and relevant literature. Authors should avoid unsupported causal claims, overgeneralization, and conclusions that extend beyond the study design or available evidence.

The Discussion should demonstrate critical analysis and synthesis rather than provide a sequence of unrelated literature summaries. Authors should emphasize the contribution of their findings to evidence-based midwifery and identify relevant implications for clinical practice, education, research, or community health services.

6.3. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures must be clear, readable, and necessary to support the presentation of the findings. They should be placed near their first mention in the manuscript or according to the journal template.

Examples:

Table 1. Distribution of respondents according to selected characteristics

Figure 1. Flow diagram of participant recruitment and study selection

All tables and figures must have appropriate titles and explanatory notes. Authors must obtain permission for copyrighted material where required and provide appropriate attribution.

7. CONCLUSION

The Conclusion should provide a concise synthesis of the main findings and directly address the research objective. It should emphasize the most important contribution of the study to midwifery knowledge, clinical practice, education, or health services, as applicable.

The Conclusion should be written in one concise paragraph, without numbered points, bullet points, new data, or references. It must be based exclusively on the findings reported in the manuscript.

Recommendations, when necessary, should be presented in a separate paragraph immediately after the conclusion, without introducing an additional heading unless required by the journal template. Recommendations should be practical, evidence-based, and appropriate to the study's findings and limitations.

8. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, institutional, or professional relationships that could inappropriately influence the research or its interpretation.

If no competing interests exist, authors should include the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest."

9. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Authors must clearly describe their individual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. Contributions may include conceptualization, methodology, data collection, formal analysis, investigation, supervision, project administration, writing the original draft, reviewing and editing, and final approval.

Each author must have made a meaningful contribution to the work, approved the final manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for the integrity and accuracy of their contributions.

The journal encourages the use of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), where appropriate.

Example:

"Author A contributed to conceptualization, methodology, data collection, and manuscript drafting. Author B contributed to data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript revision. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript."

The statement must accurately reflect the actual contributions of each author.

10. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Acknowledgments section may recognize individuals, institutions, organizations, or other parties who provided substantial assistance but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Acknowledgments may include technical assistance, administrative support, access to research facilities, or other relevant contributions. Financial support should be reported in the Funding section.

Authors must obtain permission from individuals named in the Acknowledgments, where appropriate. Authors should not acknowledge themselves or list contributions that have not been authorized.

11. FUNDING

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support for the research, including the funding agency, grant number, and contract number, where applicable.

Authors should indicate whether the funding organization had any role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of findings, manuscript preparation, or decision to publish.

If the study received no external funding, authors should state:

"This research received no external funding."

12. DECLARATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE

Authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies in preparing the manuscript when required by the journal's publication policy.

AI tools may be used for appropriate purposes, such as language editing, grammar correction, readability improvement, or organizational assistance. AI-generated content must be critically evaluated and verified by the authors.

AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the submitted manuscript, including the verification of references, data, and scientific claims.

AI tools must not replace the authors' responsibility for research design, data interpretation, scientific judgment, or accountability for the reported findings. Authors must not upload confidential participant information or sensitive research data to AI systems without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

Where applicable, authors should identify the AI tool used and briefly describe its purpose.

Example:

"During manuscript preparation, the authors used [name of tool] to assist with language editing and grammar correction. The authors reviewed and revised the resulting text and take full responsibility for the content of the manuscript."

If no AI tools were used, authors may state:

"No generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript."

The journal's editorial policy will determine whether this declaration is mandatory for every submission.

13. REFERENCES

The reference list must contain only sources cited in the manuscript. References must be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text and formatted using the Vancouver referencing style.

In-text citations should use Arabic numerals in square brackets, for example [1], [2,3], or [4–6], consistently throughout the manuscript.

Authors should ensure that every in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the reference list and that all bibliographic information is accurate. DOI links should be included whenever available.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software, such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote, to improve citation accuracy and consistency.

As a recommended editorial standard, at least 80% of references should be published within the last 10 years, and at least 80% should consist of primary research sources. Exceptions may be appropriate for foundational theories, clinical guidelines, legislation, and other authoritative documents when scientifically justified.

Authors should prioritize relevant, high-quality, peer-reviewed publications and official guidelines or reports. Excessive self-citation, irrelevant references, predatory journals, and unsupported citations must be avoided.

Authors may cite relevant articles previously published in Napande: Jurnal Bidan when those articles genuinely contribute to the scientific discussion. Citation to the journal must not be imposed merely to increase citation counts.

Examples of Vancouver References

1. Journal article

Format:

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Title of article. Journal Name. Year;volume(issue) range. doi: DOI.

Example:

Author AA, Author BB. Example title of a research article. Example Journal. 2024;12(2):100-8. doi:10.xxxx/example.

2. Journal article with an electronic article number

Format:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of article. Journal Name. Year;volume number. doi: DOI.

3. Book

Format:

Author AA. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.

4. Book chapter

Format:

Author AA. Title of chapter. In: Editor AA, editor. Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. xx-xx.

5. Website or online report

Format:

Organization Name. Title of webpage or report [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher; Year [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available from: URL.

6. Clinical practice guideline

Format:

Organization Name. Title of guideline [Internet]. Place of publication: Publisher; Year [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available from: URL.

The examples above illustrate the required reference structure. Authors must replace illustrative information with verified bibliographic details from the actual source.

14. RECOMMENDED MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

For original research articles, authors should organize their manuscripts using the following structure:

1. Title

2. Abstract

3. Keywords

4. Introduction

5. Methods

6. Results and Discussion

7. Conclusion

8. Conflict of Interest

9. Author Contributions

10. Acknowledgments, if applicable

11. Funding

12. Declaration of Artificial Intelligence Use, according to journal policy

13. References

The journal may establish different structures for review articles, case reports, or community service articles. Authors should follow the specific instructions for the article type selected during submission.

15. FINAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Before submitting a manuscript to Napande: Jurnal Bidan, authors should confirm that:

• The manuscript falls within the journal's scope.

• The title accurately represents the study.

• The abstract and keywords meet the journal's requirements.

• The research objectives, methods, results, and conclusions are consistent.

• Ethical approval and informed consent are reported where applicable.

• Tables and figures are clearly presented and cited in the text.

• The Discussion critically interprets the findings and acknowledges study limitations.

• Conflict of interest, author contributions, funding, and AI-use declarations are included as applicable.

• All references are accurate, relevant, and consistently formatted in Vancouver style.

• The manuscript is original and is not under consideration by another journal.

• All authors have approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

• The manuscript follows the journal's current template and submission policies.

Authors are encouraged to consult the latest instructions and manuscript template provided by Napande: Jurnal Bidan before submitting their work.