Abstract
Since 1935, Lucina has represented a key reference for the Italian midwifery profession and the official journal of the National Federation of the Councils of Midwifery Profession (FNOPO). Throughout its history, the journal has accompanied the evolution of midwifery, preserving its professional identity while adapting to changing editorial and scientific contexts.
This editorial outlines the transition to a new phase, characterised by a commitment to achieving indexing and strengthening the journal’s scientific profile. This process reflects a broader recognition of midwives’ role not only in clinical practice but also in research, critical thinking, and the production of scientific knowledge in maternal and reproductive health.
By promoting methodological rigor, open access dissemination, and engagement with the wider scientific community, Lucina aims to provide a credible platform for research and professional development.
Since 1935, Lucina has been a leading reference for the midwifery profession in Italy and serves as the official journal of the National Federation of the Councils of the Midwifery Profession (FNOPO). A journal with nearly ninety years of history, accompanying the evolution of midwifery, documenting its changes, and preserving its professional memory.
Over time, Lucina has adapted to profound editorial and cultural transformations while preserving its identity. Even in the face of the challenges posed by digitalization and the evolving language of scientific communication, the journal has maintained its paper publication, thanks to the commitment of the Presidents of the Colleges, and later of the Councils, who have recognized Lucina as an essential space for professional development, dialogue, and a sense of professional community.
It is within this continuity that the journal’s new phase takes place. The aim of achieving indexing, which Lucina is now resolutely pursuing, was not a sudden turning point, but rather the natural culmination of a journey begun in the previous term and pursued with consistency and vision. This is a patient effort, built over time, which finds the conditions for its implementation in this new edition.
From the beginning of this journey, we believed that Lucina could be more than an information tool. We envisioned a journal able to express the scientific thinking of the midwifery profession, enhancing its contribution to research, and offering an authoritative platform for cultural development. Over the years, attention to content quality, methodological rigor, and editorial responsibility has been a conscious and strategic choice.
The challenge of indexing today represents recognition of midwives’ ability to produce scientific knowledge. The midwifery profession is not just healthcare practice, but also research, study, critical reflection, and a contribution to the scientific debate on sexual and reproductive health, childbirth, prevention, and health education. These are key areas for public health, requiring solid evidence and constant engagement with national and international scientific literature.
Through Lucina, we intend to strengthen this awareness by offering a structured and credible space for those who produce research, experimenting with innovative care models, and contributing to the development of evidence-based practices. Being an indexed journal means giving visibility and dignity to this wealth of knowledge, making it recognizable within the scientific community.
Research and quality of care are inextricably linked. Investing in a scientific journal means investing in the health of women, newborns, and families, promoting appropriate, safe, and respectful care. Science is not distant from the daily lives of midwives: it is their foundation and a guide for their choices.
The journal Lucina, as it takes shape in this new edition, is an open access journal, capable of engaging with the academic world, other healthcare professions, and public health. It is a journal that looks to new generations of midwives, supporting their scientific and professional growth, and aiming to be a place for rigorous and diverse debate.
This new mandate begins with a strong sense of responsibility and continuity: a commitment to consolidating what has been achieved while looking ahead to the future, strengthening the scientific identity of the midwifery profession and its role within the healthcare system. Lucina will be one of the key tools in this journey.
With this new edition, we renew a commitment rooted in history and looking with determination to the horizon that awaits us.
Silvia Vaccari
President FNOPO