The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) as a professional organization supports educators and other health care providers who believe in "freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care." ICEA's goals are to provide: professional certification programs, professional training and continuing education programs, and quality educational resources.

ICEA promotes these goals by publishing the International Journal of Childbirth Education, sponsoring international conventions and workshops, publishing booklets and pamphlets concerning the childbearing year, providing a wide selection of books and resources through the ICEA Bookcenter, and offering the ICEA Childbirth Educator Certification, Postnatal Educator, and Doula Certification programs.

Types of Articles

Informal articles: "In my opinion," "The way I teach," "Birth story"

These articles (minimum 500 words) express an opinion, share a teaching technique or describe a birth experience. References are usually not required because the writing is solely from the author's opinions or experience. Accompanying photographs of the people and activities involved are welcomed.

Research articles should be four to eight pages in length and either

1. report on scientific advances related to the childbearing year
   
2. discuss recent developments or newly designed programs which deal with alternatives to medically-based childbirth systems, or
   
3. review programs, methodologies, or studies which are analytic in nature, rather than descriptive. Placement of tables and charts should be identified in the contents. In keeping with ICEA Advertising Guidelines, any mention of purchase information for books and publications carried by the ICEA Bookcenter must list the Bookcenter as the source.
   Regular columns are written by Journal staff members.

Submission Statement

In accordance with the Copyright Revision Act of 1976, the following statement must be submitted in the cover letter and signed by all authors and coauthors before a manuscript will be accepted:

"In consideration of the International Childbirth Education Association taking action in reviewing and editing my submission, the author(s) undersigned hereby transfer, assign, or otherwise convey all copyright ownership to the International Journal of Childbirth Education in the event such work is published in the Journal. This manuscript or its essence has not been accepted or published previously and is not under simultaneous consideration for publication elsewhere. All submitted photographs are for single use only and the photographer has obtained permission from the subjects to publish the photos."

Submitting Material

Papers will be considered for publication only if they are contributed solely to the International Journal of Childbirth Education. Submissions should be typed on white paper and double-spaced with a one-inch margin on all four sides. Writers are asked to submit a file attachment by e-mail (preferred) or a diskette (Mac- or PC-formatted, with files saved as text only or in MicrosoftWord, if possible) in addition to a paper copy of the material. Diskettes labeled with a name and mailing address can be returned.

A title page should include:

• Title and author's name
  
• Academic and professional degrees, institutional affiliations, and status
  
• Mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address
  

Writers are asked to include a photograph, a two- to three-sentence biography, and a 50-100 word abstract of the article.

Review

All submissions are reviewed by the International Journal of Childbirth Education editorial board and, if necessary, additional expert reviewers.

References

The Chicago Manual of Style is used for references. Authors must attribute all quotations and borrowed materials to the author and source and are responsible for the accuracy of references. The following citation style examples should be followed:

Book

Author's last name, first initial, year of publication, title of book in italics (with first word and proper nouns capitalized), publication location, publisher

Examples:

Young, D. 1982. Changing childbirth: Family birth in the hospital. New York: Childbirth Graphics.

Purnell, L., and M. Counts. 1998. "Appalachians." In Transcultural health care, edited by L. Purnell and B. Paulanka, 107-133. Philadelphia, PA: Davis.

Magazine

Author's last name, first initial, year of publication, title of magazine article (with first word and proper nouns capitalized), name of magazine in italics (with all major words capitalized), volume, number (if given), page numbers

Examples:

Haller, K. 1996. Drive-through deliveries. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing 25, no. 1: 289-294.

Newman, J., and E. Sterken. 1990. Establishing breastfeeding - Starting off right. The Canadian Journal of Pediatrics 4, no. 2: 112-117.

Reprints and Editorial Address

Authors receive one complimentary copy of the International Journal of Childbirth Education in which their article appears. Additional copies can be purchased from the ICEA Central Office, 1500 Sunday Dr. Suite 102, Raleigh, NC 27607 USA.

Articles, letters, and other editorial correspondence should be addressed to the Journal Managing Editor, c/o ICEA, 1500 Sunday Dr. Suite 102, Raleigh, NC 27607 USA. Messages can also be left at e-mail address: info@icea.org, telephone 919/863-9487, or fax 919/863-9487.

All photos that do not accompany articles should include the signed Submission Statement: "All submitted photographs are for single use only and the photographer has obtained permission from the subjects to publish the photos.