​​​Instructions for Authors

Updated October 21, 2024. This version of the Instructions for Authors replaces all other preceding versions. Note the addition of section I.U. on cascading to O&G Open.

The following text outlines Obstetrics & Gynecology's instructions for submitting a manuscript. To simplify this process for authors, the journal has set of essential requirements for authors to abide by when submitting a manuscript for consideration (Figure 1). Also available is a Submission Checklist, accessible at http://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/AOG_Submission-checklist-new-2022.pdf.

Submit all manuscripts at https://www.editorialmanager.com/ong/ (Editorial Manager). Once a manuscript is submitted through Editorial Manager, it will be assigned a number and the corresponding author will be notified by email.

Authors with questions may contact the Editorial Office by phone (202-314-2317) or email ([email protected]). The journal's mailing address is Obstetrics & Gynecology, 409 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024-2188.

This text is organized as follows:

1. Policies
   1. Author Appeals
   2. Authorship
   3. Clinical Trials
   4. Corrections
   5. Disclosure of Potential Competing or Conflicts of Interests
   6. Industry-Sponsored Research
   7. Double-Anonymized Peer Review
   8. Institutional and Ethical Approval
   9. Open Access
   10. Patient Privacy and Consent
   11. Permissions
   12. Plagiarism
       
   13. Prior Publication
   14. Race and Ethnicity in Studies
   15. Reporting Guidelines
   16. reVITALize Data Definitions
   17. Survey Response Rates
   18. Transparent Peer Review
       
   19. Portable Peer Review
       
   20. Fast-track Publication
   21. Cascade to O&G Open
2. Article Formats
   1. Original Research
      
   2. Research Letter
   3. Case Report
   4. Systematic Review
      
   5. Narrative ​Review
      
   6. Clinical Perspective
      
   7. Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, and Guidelines
   8. Procedures and Instruments
   9. Personal Perspectives
   10. Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives
       
   11. Clinical Conundrums
   12. Questioning Clinical Practice
   13. Letters to the Editor
3. Videos
4. Cover Letter Structure
5. Manuscript Structure
1. Title Page
   
2. Manuscript
3. Abstract
4. Text
5. References
6. Tables
7. Figures
8. Figure Legends
6. Supplemental Digital Content
7. What to Expect After Submission

I. POLICIES

The following policies apply to all manuscripts submitted to Obstetrics & Gynecology. The journal follows recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (http://www.publicationethics.org), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (http://www.icmje.org), and the Council of Science Editors (https://www.councilscienceeditors.org/); these also guide the journal's response to allegations of scientific misconduct. If the Editors discover or are notified of a serious problem with a published article, the journal will follow the guidelines on retraction published by the Committee on Publication Ethics.¹

Articles published in Obstetrics & Gynecology are evaluated by different methods prior to publication. The following article types are evaluated using a double-anonymized peer review process, which means that authors and reviewers do not know each other's identities: Original Research, Research Letters, Case Reports, Systematic Reviews, Narrative Reviews, Clinical Perspectives, Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, Guidelines, Procedures and Instruments, Personal Perspectives, Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives, Clinical Conundrums, Questioning Clinical Practice, and Clinical Expert Series.

The following article types undergo Editor review only: Editorials, Presidential Address, Announcements, Junior Fellow Essays, Junior Fellow Toolkits, Letters to the Editor, Corrections, and Retractions.

Although Obstetrics & Gynecology is the official publication of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Editors make editorial decisions independent of ACOG. The following ACOG publications are not evaluated by the Editors of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and instead undergo committee review as part of ACOG's Practice Activities; they receive final approval from the ACOG Board of Directors: Clinical Practice Guidelines, Clinical Consensus, Committee Statements, Practice Bulletins, Committee Opinions, Obstetric Care Consensus, Technology Assessments, and ACOG Executive Summaries.

Manuscripts are evaluated by peer reviewers who have consented to review for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' portfolio of journals. Completed reviews submitted in Editorial Manager may be cascaded to an open access journal within the Obstetrics & Gynecology brand for a subsequent publication decision.

A. Author Appeals

The decisions of the Editors are final, except if the authors can demonstrate that the peer review process was flawed (eg, by reviewer bias) or that substantive factual errors were made by the reviewers or Editors. In these cases, authors who receive a rejection letter may appeal the decision within 30 days of receipt of the email notification. All appeals will be discussed during the journal’s weekly Editors’ conference call.

B. Authorship

The role of authorship is reserved for those individuals who meet the criteria recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE; http://www.icmje.org):²

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
3. Final approval of the version to be published; and
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

All persons who contributed to the work reported in the manuscript, but not sufficiently to be authors, must be acknowledged in a separate paragraph on the title page of the manuscript. All individuals named in the acknowledgments must give written permission to be named. Documentation of that permission should remain in the author’s files unless requested by the Editorial Office. Verification that permission has been obtained from all named persons should be included in the cover letter.

Ghost Authorship

A ghost author is someone who participates in one or more of the following–research, data analysis, or writing of a manuscript–but is not named or disclosed in the author byline or acknowledgments.³ Ghost authorship is prohibited by the journal. Authors must disclose whether any manuscript preparation assistance was received—including but not limited to topic development, data collection, analysis, writing, or editorial assistance—and, if so, who provided and who paid for the assistance (see section V. Manuscript Structure, part A. Title Page).

Group Authorship

If authorship is attributed to a group or collective, there must be at least one individual name included. List the names of the individuals in the group or collective in an appendix, which will be published online. A reference to the online appendix will appear in the print journal.

Number of Authors

For unsolicited submissions, there are no limits to the number of authors that may appear in the byline of an article. However, all authors listed in the byline must meet the criteria recommended by the ICMJE.

Statements about equal contributions, such as co-first authors or co-senior authors, may be considered. Notes in the manuscript describing the degree of author contribution are not permitted. 

C. Clinical Trials

Obstetrics & Gynecology's policies regarding clinical trial registration and data sharing statements are detailed below.

Clinical Trial Registration

Obstetrics & Gynecology complies with the ICMJE requirement that clinical trials be registered in a public trials registry at or before the time of first patient enrollment in order to be considered for publication.^4–6 Notably, not all clinical trials are randomized trials (eg, observational studies can be clinical trials if there is an intervention).

Obstetrics & Gynecology follows the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) definition of a clinical trial: “A research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes."⁷ The NIH encourages researchers to use the following questions to determine whether a study meets the NIH clinical trial definition:

1. Does the study involve human participants?
2. Are the participants prospectively assigned to an intervention?
3. Is the study designed to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the participants?
4. Is the effect being evaluated a health-related biomedical or behavioral outcome?

If the answers to 1–4 are all yes, the study is a clinical trial. For more information, see the NIH website, https://www.grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/definition.htm.

Clinical trials that are not registered at or before the time of first patient enrollment will be rejected. Registries approved by the ICMJE are ClinicalTrials.gov or any registry that is a primary register of the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP; https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform).

Provide the trial registry name, URL, and the registration number at the end of the abstract. In the cover letter, the corresponding author must attest to registering the trial and that the protocol they are reporting to Obstetrics & Gynecology is identical to the posted trial and, if not, precisely where and why it varies. Any changes in protocol should also be discussed in the manuscript itself as well as documented on the trial registry website.

Per ICMJE recommendations, the journal “expects authors to ensure that they have met the requirements of their funding and regulatory agencies regarding aggregate clinical trial results reporting in clinical trial registries.⁸

Data Sharing Statements for Clinical Trials

Obstetrics & Gynecology complies with the ICMJE requirement that manuscripts reporting clinical trials results submitted as of July 1, 2018, must include a data sharing statement. Data sharing statements must indicate the following, per ICMJE⁸:​

• whether individual deidentified participant data (including data dictionaries) will be shared;
• what data in particular will be shared;
• whether additional, related documents will be available (eg, study protocol, statistical analysis plan, etc.);
• when the data will become available and for how long; and
• by what access criteria data will be shared (including with whom, for what types of analyses, and by what mechanism).

Responses to the five bullet points should be provided in a box at the end of the article.

Finally, authors should note that the ICMJE requires clinical trials that began enrolling participants on or after January 1, 2019, to include a data sharing plan in the trial's registration.

Authors' Data Sharing Statement* Will individual participant data be available (including data dictionaries)? What data in particular will be shared? What other documents will be available? When will data be available (start and end dates)? ​By what access criteria will data be shared (including with whom, for what types of analyses, and by what mechanism)? *Authors should reply to each question. This box appears at the end of the article.

D. Corrections

To submit a request for a correction, please send an email to [email protected].

E. Disclosure of Potential Competing or Conflicts of Interest

At submission, the corresponding author must identify potential competing or conflicts of interest of a financial or other nature in the electronic Copyright Transfer Agreement. This form includes a section on the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest based on the recommendations of the ICMJE, “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” (http://www.icmje.org/conflicts-of-interest/). Authors should err on the side of full disclosure and provide as much information as possible, whether or not they think the disclosure is relevant. Co-authors will receive a link to the Copyright Transfer Agreement by email if the Editors request a revised manuscript.

In addition, on the title page, author(s) must:

• Identify all sources of financial support of the study, including provision of supplies or services or financial compensation (eg, salary) from a commercial organization.
• Provide a listing of all sponsor names. Include an explanation of any role the sponsor(s) had in the study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the report; the decision to submit the report for publication; or a statement that the sponsor(s) had no such involvement.
• Disclose any financial involvement that could represent potential conflicts of interest for each author.

F. Industry-Sponsored Research

For research-based submissions, Obstetrics & Gynecology follows the Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guideline for manuscripts that report results that are supported or sponsored by pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and biotechnology companies.⁹ The GPP3 is designed to help individuals and organizations maintain ethical and transparent publication practices. Adherence to the GPP3 guideline should be noted in the cover letter. The title page should contain all the requirements listed in section V. Manuscript Structure, part A. Title Page.

For perspectives, narrative reviews, and other article types that are not research-based, Obstetrics & Gynecology will decline to consider submissions when any of the authors are directly employed by a pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, or biotechnology company and the manuscript discusses a topic of interest to that company. Financial support and writing assistance for non-research article types by pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, or biotechnology companies will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

G. Double-Anonymized Peer Review

As of July 2021, the following submission types are subject to a double-anonymized peer review process:

Original Research, Research Letter, Case Report, Systematic Review, Narrative Review, Clinical Perspective, Executive Summaries, Consensus Statement, Guidelines, Procedures and Instruments, Personal Perspectives, Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives, Clinical Conundrums, Questioning Clinical Practice, and Clinical Expert Series. Double-anonymized peer review means that authors and reviewers do not know each other's identities. The journal's implementation of the double-anonymized peer review system is intended to help minimize potential reviewer bias. Prior to July 2021, the journal used a single-anonymized peer review process. Single-anonymized peer review means that reviewers know the identity of the authors, but the authors do not know the identities of the reviewers.

Authors should carefully read section V., Manuscript Structure, for specific directions.

H. Institutional and Ethical Approval

All studies should follow the principles set forth in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2013, and manuscripts should be approved by the necessary authority before submission. Applicable studies should be reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB).¹⁰ This review should be documented in your cover letter as well in the Methods section, with an explanation if the study was considered exempt. Insert a sentence in the Methods section stating that the study was approved or why it was deemed exempt from approval. In all cases, the complete name of the IRB should be provided in the cover letter.

During consideration of a manuscript, it may become necessary to examine original source documents such as signed consent forms, IRB minutes, research data books or logs, and statistical calculations. If the Editor requests any such material, and the author is unable or unwilling to produce it, the manuscript will be withdrawn.​

I. Open Access

Authors of accepted articles have the option to pay a fee to allow perpetual unrestricted online access to their published article to readers globally, immediately upon publication. This choice has no influence on the peer review and acceptance process. An information sheet is available at http://links.lww.com/LWW-ES/A48. The cost for publishing an article as open access can be found at https://www.wkauthorservices.editage.com/open-access/hybrid.html.

Open access articles will be freely available to read, download, and share from the time of publication. Authors retain their copyright for all articles they opt to publish open access. Each author must complete and submit the journal's Copyright Transfer Agreement. After acceptance, the corresponding author will then sign the License to Publish form, where they will then own the copyright but grant Wolters Kluwer Health (WKH), the journal's publisher, a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.

Obstetrics & Gynecology publishes most open access articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license, which allows readers to disseminate and reuse the article, as well as share and reuse of the scientific material. It does not permit commercial exploitation or the creation of derivative works without specific permission from the journal. To view a copy of this license, visit http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.

The CC BY (Gold route) and CC BY-NC (Green route) licenses are available only to authors who received funding from entities who require these licenses, such as RCUK and Wellcome Trust. Please contact the Editorial Office ([email protected]) if you have a question about which open access license we may offer based on the funding for your manuscript.

Compliance With Research Funding Agency Accessibility Requirements

A number of research funding agencies now require or request authors to submit the postprint (the article after peer review and acceptance but not the final published article) to a repository that is accessible online by all without charge. As a service to our authors, WKH identifies to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) articles that require deposit and transmits the postprint of an article based on research funded in whole or in part by the National Institutes of Health, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or other funding agencies to PubMed Central. The Copyright Transfer Agreement provides the mechanism. Wolters Kluwer Health ensures that authors can fully comply with the public access requirements of major funding bodies worldwide. Additionally, all authors who choose the open access option will have their final published article deposited into PubMed Central.

It is the responsibility of the author to inform the Editorial Office and/or WKH that they have funding in their submitted Copyright Transfer Agreement. Wolters Kluwer Health will not be held responsible for retroactive deposits to PubMed Central if the author has not completed the proper forms.

J. Patient Privacy and Consent

​Some article types—such as Case Reports, Procedures and Instruments, and Personal Perspectives—may contain descriptions of individual patients. In these cases, a signed consent form must be obtained from each patient described in the manuscript and retained by the authors. The same rule applies to an image of a patient shown (in part or whole) in a photograph or video. It is preferable to give patients the opportunity to read the manuscript and/or view the images or video containing their image. A sample form is available online at http://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/release.pdf.

Please state in the cover letter with your submitted manuscript that you have obtained a signed consent form (eg. written consent) and that this form will be filed with your records. Unless the Editorial Office requests that you do so, please do not submit upload the signed consent form to the journal in Editorial Manager, or send the form by email.

In some cases, non-patients (eg, a physician or nurse) are visible in a photograph or video. In these cases, the Editorial Office will request and collect consent forms from those people.​

K. Permissions

Tables and figures should be original. The use of borrowed material (eg, lengthy direct quotations, tables, or figures) or material adapted or modified from another source is strongly discouraged.

If borrowed material is used, written permission of the copyright holder must be obtained by the authors and credit to the original source indicated. Both print and electronic rights must be obtained. Authors must include this documentation with the submitted manuscript (eg, by uploading scanned copies of forms or by emailing the forms to the Editorial Office). Authors are responsible for any associated permission fees.​

L. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting “the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person."¹¹ All potentially acceptable manuscripts are screened for plagiarism by using the CrossCheck/iThenticate software, which compares the manuscript to material uploaded to CrossCheck's own database, articles published on PubMed, and text appearing on the Internet. Manuscripts that are to be rejected usually are not checked for plagiarism unless a reviewer has raised concerns about the manuscript.

Please note that CrossCheck/iThenticate also checks for self-plagiarism or text recycling. Authors should be careful to rework and/or cite text from their previously published works.

If the Editors discover plagiarism in a submitted or published article, the journal will follow the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics for addressing this type of misconduct.^1,12,13​

M. Prior Publication

Original submissions will be considered for publication with the understanding that they are contributed solely to Obstetrics & Gynecology. If any of the material in the manuscript is submitted or planned for publication elsewhere in any form (including electronic media), or if the information appeared in a previous publication, identify the other submission in the cover letter and include a copy of that publication. This does not apply to documented materials from other sources such as quotations, figures, and tables. Failure to comply with this stipulation may lead to a judgment of redundant publication.

Preprint Servers

The journal will consider a manuscript that has been posted on a community preprint server. Please provide details about the preprint server posting in your cover letter and title page and include the DOI. Note that the peer reviewed, edited, and typeset version of the manuscript may not be deposited to a preprint server.

Presentation at Meetings

The journal will consider a complete report that follows presentation at a scientific meeting (eg, abstract, oral presentation, or poster). Researchers who present their work at such a meeting may discuss their presentations with the media. However, offering more detail about the study than was presented in the abstract or poster (eg, providing additional data or copies of tables and figures) is prohibited.¹⁴ Indicate such presentations in your cover letter and on the title page by providing the full name of the meeting, as well as the city, state, and dates. If your submission to the journal could conflict with a future scientific meeting presentation, please notify the Editorial Office so that journal does not unintentionally break the meeting's embargo.

Previous Submission to Obstetrics & Gynecology

If a version of the manuscript has previously been submitted for publication to Obstetrics & Gynecology, authors must include a point-by-point response to the comments from the previous round of peer review. Manuscripts that are resubmitted without a cover letter addressing the previous peer reviewers' comments will be returned to the author.​

N. Race and Ethnicity in Studies

For studies that report on the topic of race or ethnicity or include it as a variable, authors must provide an explanation in the manuscript of who classified individuals' race, ethnicity, or both, the classifications used, and whether the options were defined by the investigator or the participant. In addition, the reasons that race and ethnicity were assessed in the study also should be described (eg, in the Methods section and/or in table footnotes). Race and ethnicity must have been collected in a formal or validated way. If it was not, it should be omitted. Authors must enumerate all missing data regarding race and ethnicity as in some cases, missing data may comprise a high enough proportion that it compromises statistical precision and bias of analyses by race.

Use “Black" and “White" (capitalized) when used to refer to racial categories. The nonspecific category of “Other" is a convenience grouping/label that should be avoided, unless it was a prespecified formal category in a database or research instrument. If you use “Other" in your study, please add detail to the manuscript (and the tables, if applicable) to describe which patients were included in that category.

List racial and ethnic categories in tables alphabetically.

An Equity Rubric (https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Pages/specialissue.aspx) and guidelines on how to report race and ethnicity (https://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/Race_and_Ethnicity.pdf) in articles submitted to Obstetrics & Gynecology are available for authors and reviewers to use.​

O. Reporting Guidelines

Obstetrics & Gynecology supports initiatives aimed at improving the reporting of health research. For manuscripts that require reporting guidelines, a checklist or explanation in the cover letter must accompany the submission. The manuscript will be returned to the author if this information is not included in the initial submission. We ask authors to use the following guidelines when drafting their manuscripts:

​

• CONSORT⁴ (for reporting randomized controlled trials): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/.
• STROBE^15,16 (for reporting observational studies): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/.
• PRISMA¹⁷ (for reporting meta-analyses and systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma/.
• PRISMA for harms¹⁸ (for reporting harms in systematic reviews, whether harms are a primary or secondary outcome). Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma-harms/.
• STARD¹⁹ (for reporting studies of diagnostic accuracy): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/stard/.
• MOOSE²⁰ (for reporting meta-analyses and systematic reviews of observational studies): Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.15.2008.
• CHEERS²¹ (for reporting economic evaluations of health interventions): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/cheers/. Of particular importance for articles submitted to Obstetrics & Gynecology are the following items on the checklist:
• Item 15 (choice of model): Please justify the model used, describe the software, and provide a figure showing a summary of the model. The figure should clearly show how the various factors or processes lead to the outcome of interest.
• Items 16 and 18 (assumptions): Please include a Table citing all assumptions of parameter values, with justification from either references or a footnote explaining the rationale for that value. In addition, please include a description of and justification for the range of values around the parameter estimate.
• SQUIRE 2.0²² (for reporting on quality improvement in health care): Available at http://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/squire/.
• CHERRIES²³ (for reporting results of Internet e-surveys): Available at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/improving-the-quality-of-web-surveys-the-checklist-for-reporting-results-of-internet-e-surveys-cherries/).
• RECORD²⁴ (for reporting International Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes): Available at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/record/.
• CONSERVE²⁵ (for reporting of trials and trial protocols that undergo important modifications in response to extenuating circumstances): Available at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/guidelines-for-reporting-trial-protocols-and-completed-trials-modified-due-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-and-other-extenuating-circumstances-the-conserve-2021-statement/.
• CARE²⁶ (for completeness, transparency and data analysis in case reports and data from the point of care): Available at https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/care/

Obstetrics & Gynecology does not require use of other reporting guidelines. However, authors may wish to search http://www.equator-network.org for guidelines for other types of studies to facilitate complete, transparent, and accurate reporting of their work.

Authors should address all items recommended by the guidelines. Where this is not possible, please provide an explanation in the text to give a transparent account of your study. If there are items on the checklist that you cannot attest to, please itemize these in your cover letter with an explanation.​

Guidelines for Reporting Multivariable Prediction Models

The Editors strongly suggest referring to “Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD): Explanation and Elaboration.²⁷ Often authors use a nomogram (Figure 7 in reference 26; doi: 10.7326/M14-0698), which is a useful visual aid for showing the various model inputs, but we also encourage use of a visual display of a calibration curve (Figure 8 in reference 27; doi: 10.7326/M14-0698). This figure allows the reader to see the relationship of observed versus predicted probabilities along the spectrum of probabilities from the data, along with confidence intervals for those prediction estimates. An added feature is the display below the x-axis of the relative counts of adverse versus non-adverse outcomes. Alternatively, those could be displayed (similar to survival analysis graphs) with numerical counts of adverse versus non-adverse outcomes at the intervals referred by the graph. The advantage to this level of detail is that it would convey to the reader the strength of association at various model scores, along with their relative uncertainty, reflecting how many data were available at various cut points.

Guidelines for Reporting Cost-Effectiveness Analyses

Cost-effectiveness analyses should be reported in accord with the recommendations of the Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine.²⁸ The panel recommends that cost-effectiveness analyses report two reference case analyses, one based on a societal perspective and one based on a health care sector perspective. Health effects are most commonly reported in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) while the health care sector reference case may be summarized as an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Guidelines for International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)

Transparency regarding data sources for observational studies is critical for understanding the patient population to which the results may apply. In addition to STROBE, the Editors extend this effort by incorporating additional requirements for transparency for studies using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes through the requirement of RECORD.²⁴ This is important, given the increased complexity of ICD-10 compared to ICD-9 coding and some difficulties with crosswalking between them. The Editors strongly encourage authors to read two publications related to this topic and to incorporate the recommendations in them. Utter et al²⁹ articulate issues related to ICD-10 coding. Benchimol et al²⁴ describe the RECORD extension to the STROBE statement, which includes 13 items that add nuance to observational studies using routinely collected health data.

Authors are encouraged to do the following in their manuscript:​

1. State which ICD-10-CM/PCS codes or algorithms were used as Supplemental Digital Content.
2. Use both the diagnosis and procedure codes.
3. Verify the selected codes apply for all years of the study.
4. Conduct sensitivity analyses using definitions based on alternative codes.
5. For studies incorporating both ICD-9 and ICD-10-CM/PCS codes, the Discussion section should acknowledge there may be disruptions in observed rates related to the coding transition and that coding errors could contribute to limitations of the study.²⁹ The limitations section should include the implications of using data not created or collected to answer a specific research question, including possible unmeasured confounding, misclassification bias, missing data, and changing participant eligibility over time.²⁴
6. The journal does not require that the title include the name of the database, geographic region or dates, or use of database linkage, but this data should be included in the abstract.
7. Include RECORD items 6.3 and 7.1, which relate to transparency about which codes, validation method, and linkage were used to identify participants and variables collected.

P. reVITALize Data Definitions

Standard obstetrics and gynecology data definitions have been developed through the reVITALize initiative,^30–31 which was convened by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the members of the Women’s Health Registry Alliance. Obstetrics & Gynecology adopted the use of these definitions, and they are available at https://www.acog.org/practice-management/health-it-and-clinical-informatics/revitalize-gynecology-data-definitions (gynecology) and https://www.acog.org/practice-management/health-it-and-clinical-informatics/revitalize-obstetrics-data-definitions (obstetrics). ^30–31 If using the reVITALize definitions is problematic, please contact the Editorial Office at [email protected].

Q. Survey Response Rates

The Editors rarely consider a survey study with a response rate of less than 60%. A response rate below 60% increases the risk of a sampling error that can result in biased survey estimates. The journal infrequently makes exceptions for outstanding studies, and only when non-responders have been well-characterized and there is clear evidence that nonresponse is not linked to the information sought in the survey. The authors need to demonstrate that respondents were representative of all those who were eligible to take the survey.

R. Transparent Peer Review

In order to increase transparency around the peer review process, the journal has implemented the following policies and procedures for accepted articles:

• The dates of submission, revision, and acceptance will be published at the end of the article.
• The peer reviewers' and Editor's comments to the author, along with the authors' responses to these comments, will be published as supplemental digital content to the online version of the article. Reviewers will not be identified by name.

Authors can opt out of having their responses published if they wish to do so. However, even if the authors decline to have their responses published, the reviewer and editor comments will be posted online.

S. Portable Peer Review

Obstetrics & Gynecology offers “portable peer review,” an expedited peer review process on a very selective basis for high-priority submissions. This process entails the Editors using completed peer reviews from another journal. In cases of portable peer review, the Editors will make an initial decision within 14 days based on those previous peer review comments, review from an Editorial Board member, and review by the journal’s Editors.  If you are interested in submitting a manuscript for portable peer review, please contact the Editorial Office at [email protected]. Submissions that are not selected for portable peer review may be submitted through the standard peer review process. The journal will not post the reviewer comments from other journals as supplemental digital content in the Peer Review History.

T. Fast-track Online Publication

For timely topics of importance to clinical care, the Editors will consider offering online fast-track publication, following peer review and formal acceptance. To be considered, please submit a presubmission inquiry to the Editors at [email protected].

U. Cascade to O&G Open

As of January 2024, any author who submits to Obstetrics & Gynecology may receive an offer to transfer their work for consideration in O&G Open , ACOG’s open access companion journal. Following peer review, authors who are selected for the transfer process will receive an email from the Editorial Office. Authors who agree to transfer their work will receive additional guidelines for updating their submission prior to completing the formal submission in O&G Open’s Editorial Manager site . Authors have 14 days to respond to the transfer offer, and then will have 21 days to submit an updated manuscript for consideration. Authors who agree to transfer their manuscript will be responsible for paying the article processing charge  if the manuscript is accepted for publication. Questions about this process should be directed to [email protected].

Table 1. Manuscript Length at a Glance

Article Type	Manuscript Word Count*	​​Maximum References​	​Maximum Figures and Tables (combined)
Original Research	3,000 words†​​	​30	​5
Research Letter	750 words	10​	​2
Case Report	1,500 words	​NA	​NA
Systematic Review	4,000 words	​NA	​5
Narrative Review	3,000 words	​NA	5​
Clinical Perspective	3,000 words	​NA	​NA​
Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, and Guidelines	NA	​NA	​NA
Procedures and Instruments	2,000 words	​NA	​NA
Personal Perspectives	2,000 words	​NA	​NA
​Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives	​2,000 words	​NA	​NA
Clinical Conundrums	1,500 words	​NA	​NA
Questioning Clinical Practice	1,500 words	​NA	​NA
Letters to the Editor	350 words	​NA	NA​​

II. ARTICLE FORMATS

Several types of articles can be submitted for publication in Obstetrics & Gynecology: Original Research, Research Letter, Case Report, Systematic Review, Narrative Review, Clinical Perspective, Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, Guidelines, Procedures and Instruments, Junior Personal Perspectives​, Personal Perspectives, Clinical Conundrums, Questioning Clinical Practice, and Letters to the Editor. Select article types, such as Editorials and Clinical Expert Series articles, are solicited by the Editors. Stated word limits in II.A–L include the text, but excludes the title page, abstract, precis, tables, boxes, figures, figure legends, reference list, and supplemental digital content. Reporting Guideline checklists, the cover letter, title page, figures, and supplemental digital content do not contribute to the word limits. See Table 1. All unsolicited article types in this section, except Letters to the Editor, must follow the journal's formatting guidance for double-anonymized peer review (see V. Manuscript Structure, Formatting for Double-Anonymized Submissions).​

Causal language is reserved for results of randomized controlled trials. Avoid using language such as “effects of" or “impact on" when “association with" is meant.​​

Gender-Inclusive Language

The journal follows ACOG’s Statement of Policy on Inclusive Language (https://www.acog.org/clinical-information/policy-and-position-statements/statements-of-policy/2022/inclusive-language). Please be mindful of using gendered descriptors in your manuscript. Instead of “women” and “females,” consider using the following:
•    “Individuals”
•    “Patients”
•    “Participants”
•    “People” (not “persons”)
•    “Women and transgender men”
•    “Women and gender-expansive patients”
•    “Women and all those seeking gynecologic care”

In secondary analyses or database studies, please retain the language used by parent study or database source for consistency.

Person-First Language

The journal uses person-first language. Please review your submission to make sure to center the person before anything else. Examples include:
•    “Patients with obesity” instead of “obese patients”
•    “Women with disabilities” instead of “disabled women”
•    “Participants with HIV” instead of “HIV-positive participants”
•    “Women who are blind” instead of “blind women”
•    “People with diabetes” instead of “diabetics”
•    “Women with hypertension” instead of “hypertensives”

​
​

A. Original Research

An Original Research article is a full-length report of an original clinical or basic investigation. Length should not exceed 3,000 words (Table 1). References should not exceed 30. Figures or tables are limited to five, total. Original Research articles must follow the reporting guideline applicable to the study type (see I. Policies, O. Reporting Guidelines, for more information). 

1) Abstract: Original Research articles should have a structured abstract using the following headings:

• Objective: Main question, objective, or hypothesis (single phrase starting with, for example, “To evaluate" or “To estimate" [never start with “To determine"]).
• Methods: Study design, participants, outcome measures, and, in the case of a negative study, statistical power.
  
• Results: Measurements expressed in absolute numbers and percentages, and when appropriate indicate relative risks or odds ratios with confidence intervals and level of statistical significance; any results contained in the abstract should also be presented in the body of the manuscript, tables, or figures.
• Conclusion: Directly supported by data, along with clinical implications. Do not include statements such as “further research is needed."
• Funding Source: This heading is needed only for manuscripts with industry funding. This paragraph contains an abbreviated list of the funders.
  

2) Manuscript Sections: Organize Original Research articles in a manner similar to their structured abstract.

• Introduction: Orients the reader to the problem(s) addressed by the report, preferably in one page or less, and clearly states the hypothesis or objective of the research. Avoid a detailed literature review in this section.
• Methods: States the type of study conducted and describes the research methodology in sufficient detail so that others could duplicate the work. This section should address IRB approval (see I. Policies, H. Institutional and Ethical Approval). Identify methods of statistical analysis and, when appropriate, state the basis (including alpha and beta error estimates) for their selection. Cite any statistical software programs used in the text. In most cases, express P values to no more than three decimal places. Indicate your study's power to detect statistical difference. Authors of clinical trials should include a data sharing statement in a box at the end of the article (see I. Policies, C. Data Sharing Statements for Clinical Trials).​
• Results: Presents the findings in appropriate detail. Tables and figures may be used, but take care to minimize duplication between the text and tables or figures. Clinical studies (observational or randomized) must include a flow diagram describing patient accrual or inclusion. Authors should report outcome data as both absolute and relative effects, since information presented this way is much more useful for clinicians. Actual numbers and percentages should be given in addition to odds ratios or relative risk. When comparing the cost of two procedures, please express the outcome of the comparison in U.S. dollar amounts.​
• Discussion: Begin with a description of what your study found in relation to the purpose or objectives as stated in the Introduction. Address the primary outcome first, followed by the secondary outcomes (if appropriate). Describe rather than repeat results given earlier. The findings should be compared to previous studies with explanations in cases where they differ, although a complete review of the literature is not necessary. Comment on the limitations of your study. Clearly state the importance of these findings to clinicians and actual patient care. Although some degree of speculation as to the importance of the observations is permissible, avoid making conclusions unrelated to the data presented. Primacy claims purporting that your study is the first or largest of its type should either be supported by a description of your search strategy or omitted. A final summary is not necessary, as this information should be provided in the abstract and the first paragraph of the Discussion. Although topics that require future research can be mentioned, it is unnecessary to state that “further research is needed."

B. Research Letter

The Research Letter is a concise, focused report of original research (including pre–clinical research, subanalyses, or updates of previously published research, small studies, or pilot studies). Length should not exceed 750 words (Table 1). Figures or tables are limited to two, total. References should not exceed 10. Supplemental digital content is allowed. Submitted Research Letters undergo the same external peer review as other article types, and the policies outlined in the journal's Information for Authors likewise apply.

1. Abstract: Research Letters should have an unstructured abstract. This should appear as a single paragraph. Length should not exceed 125 words.
   
2. Manuscript Sections: Research Letters should be organized using the following headings: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

C. Case Report

A Case Report is a brief description of up to five cases of a particular condition that reports an unusual case presentation or novel diagnostic or therapeutic approach. Length should not exceed 1,500 words (Table 1). Write the case in a way that preserves the confidentiality of the participants. The report should have a clear purpose and teaching point; simply being the first case reported does not usually justify publication. Case Reports are published online only.

1. Abstract: Case Reports should have a structured abstract, using the following headings:
   • Background: Importance of the subject matter and specific purpose of the report.
     
   • Case(s): Summary of pertinent features of the clinical findings, important laboratory abnormalities, treatment, and outcome.
   • Conclusion: Summary of the principal finding and why it is unique or worthy of mention, indicating relevance to clinical practice.
2. Teaching Points: Please include a list of one to three lessons for clinical management that derive from your manuscript.
3. Manuscript Sections: Case Report articles have three basic components:
   • Introduction: Gives a brief background about why the case is important.
   • Case(s): Describes the case(s) in a narrative format and includes the essential findings and patient management.
   • Discussion: Includes a brief review of the literature but focuses primarily on the clinical implications of the case(s) presented.

Please note that the Editors may consider case reports that contain a longer review of the literature. If authors include such a review, please include a note to the Editors in the cover letter, explaining why such a review is important for the case presented.

D. Systematic Review

A Systematic Review article is a comprehensive review of publications relating to a specific clinical subject accompanied by critical analysis and conclusions. The manuscript should not exceed 4,000 words (Table 1). Figures or tables are limited to five, total. Systematic Review articles must follow the PRISMA,^17,18 PRISMA for harms,^18, or MOOSE²⁰ guidelines. The Editors prefer that systematic reviews be prospectively registered in PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/), an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews. Please refer to the PROSPERO registration number in your submitted cover letter. Finally, authors must search, at a minimum, MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).​ Systematic Reviews are published in print or online at the discretion of the Editors.

1. Abstract: Systematic Review articles should have a structured abstract using the following headings:
   • ​ Objective: Statement of purpose of the review.
   • Data Sources: Sources searched, including dates, terms, and constraints.
   • Methods of Study Selection: Number of studies reviewed and selection criteria, as well as any software used to assist with the review process.
   • Tabulation, Integration, and Results: Guidelines for extracting data, methods of correlating, and results of review.
   • Conclusion: Primary conclusions and their clinical applications.
2. Manuscript Sections: Systemic Review articles should be organized in a manner similar to their structured abstract.
   • Introduction: Indicates why the topic is important and states the specific objective(s) of the review.
   • Sources: Identifies what was searched and how; if a computerized system was used, specify the dates searched, the language(s) covered, and the search terms used.
   • Study Selection: Identifies the number and nature of reports reviewed, the basis of any selection (ie, exclusion and inclusion criteria), and the reports in the final tabulation.
   • Results: Describes how observations across studies were tabulated and integrated into a cohesive whole.
   • Discussion: Includes what can be concluded from the review, along with clinical implications and need for additional research.
     

E. Narrative Review

A Narrative Review article is a comprehensive, non-systematic (or general) review of a topic relating to a specific clinical subject accompanied by critical analysis and conclusions. Length should not exceed 3,000 words ​(Table 1). Figures or tables are limited to five, total. The abstract should be a single paragraph that states what was done, what was found, and what the findings mean. Headings are not necessary in the body of the article but may be used if needed. Authors should emphasize high-quality sources in their references. Original figures and videos are encouraged. Narrative reviews are limited to 4 authors. Narrative Reviews are published in print or online at the discretion of the Editors.

F. Clinical Perspective

Clinical Perspective submissions are opinion pieces that address issues, experiences, or perspectives of clinical relevance to the field of obstetrics and gynecology and obstetrician–gynecologists. Length should not exceed 3,000 words (Table 1). The abstract should be a single paragraph that states what was done, what was found, and what the findings mean. Headings are not necessary in the body of the article but may be used if needed.

G. Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, and Guidelines

Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, and Guidelines should be submitted as drafted by their respective author groups or organizations. Authors should attempt to be concise and limit the manuscript length to what is required to sufficiently discuss the topic. The abstract should be a single paragraph that states what was done, what was found, and what the findings mean. Headings are not necessary in the body of the article but may be used if needed. Executive Summaries, Consensus Statements, and Guidelines are published online only.

H. Procedures and Instruments

Procedures and Instruments articles detail novel methods or applications of methods, treatments, interventions, instruments, or applications of instruments for clinical care or research in obstetrics and gynecology. Length should not exceed 2,000 words (Table 1). Authors are strongly encouraged to include a video suitable for posting on the Obstetrics & Gynecology website.​ Procedures and Instruments are published online only.

1. Abstract: Procedures and Instruments articles should have a structured abstract using the following headings:
   • Background: Information as to why the technique may be important.
   • Instrument, Method, or Technique (choose one): A summary description of what is being reported.
   • Experience: A summary of the author's experience with the technique.
   • Conclusion: A simple statement of what can be concluded from the report.
2. Manuscript Sections: Procedures and Instruments articles have four components:
   • Introduction: Outlines the need for the new development.
   • Method or Technique (choose one): Describes the innovation, usually with illustrations and video.
   • Experience: Reports experience with the technique and what the general outcomes were.
   • Discussion: Describes the implications of the findings.

I. Personal Perspectives

Personal Perspectives essays offer insights into the practice of medicine, with an emphasis on the unique physician–patient relationship. Essays from various viewpoints—physician, nurse, patient—are welcome. A short essay for light reading addressing a topic pertinent to the discipline, including humor or satire, is also appropriate for this section. Length should not exceed 2,000 words (Table 1). Abstracts are not included in this feature, and headings are not needed in the body of the article.​ Personal Perspectives are published online only.

J. Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives

The Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives article type is reserved for Junior Fellows of ACOG. These essays offer insights into the practice of medicine, with an emphasis on the unique physician–patient relationship. Essays from various viewpoints—physician, nurse, patient—are welcome. A short essay for light reading addressing a topic pertinent to the discipline, including humor or satire, is also appropriate for this section. Length should not exceed 2,000 words (Table 1). Abstracts are not included in this feature, and headings are not needed in the body of the article.​ Junior Fellow Personal Perspectives are published online only.

K. Clinical Conundrums

The Clinical Conundrums feature focuses on a specific clinical question that the obstetrician–gynecologist faces in day-to-day clinical practice for which evidence for diagnosis, management options, or prognosis are deficient. The intent of this feature is not to do an exhaustive review of a topic but to concentrate on that one query that has no straightforward answer (ie, a clinical conundrum) and to provide a reasonable course of action. Length should not exceed 1,500 words (Table 1). There is no abstract.​ Clinical Conundrums are published online only.

1. Manuscript Sections: Clinical Conundrums have four components:
   • Clinical Vignette: A brief, 1–3 sentence description of the clinical dilemma.
   • The Conundrum: Describes the clinical problem.
   • The Data: Discussion in response to 3 questions:
     • How should the patient be evaluated?
     • What is the evidence to counsel your patient?
     • What is a reasonable course of action?
   • The Bottom Line: A brief conclusion based on the available data.

Clinical Conundrums is an invited feature. If you are interested in submitting a Clinical Conundrums article, please submit a brief proposal to the Editorial Office at [email protected].

L. Questioning Clinical Practice

The Questioning Clinical Practice feature examines tests or procedures that have become the standard of care in obstetrics and gynecology despite a lack of evidence to support their use or the availability of better or less-expensive options. Length should not exceed 1,500 words (Table 1). There is no abstract. Questioning Clinical Practice is published online only.

1) Manuscript Sections: Questioning Clinical Practice articles have four components:

• Clinical Vignette: A brief, 1–3 sentence description of the clinical dilemma.
• Current Practice: Describes current practice around the test or procedure.
• Why Do We Do [Topic]? The Data: Discussion in response to 4 questions:
• How did this practice get started?
• How is it used to make decisions about the patient's care?
  
• What's the cost of the procedure or test?
• Are there alternatives?
• The Bottom Line: A brief conclusion based on the available data.​
  

M. Letters to the Editor

Letters posing a question or challenge to an article appearing in Obstetrics & Gynecology within 6 weeks of the article's issue publication date will be considered for publication. Letters received after 6 weeks will rarely be considered.

Submit letters at https://www.editorialmanager.com/ong/. Letters are limited to a maximum of 350 words. A word count should be provided. A corresponding author should be designated. All authors' full names, degrees, and affiliations (including city, state, and country) should be included. The corresponding author's department and institution name, city, state, and email address should appear at the end of the letter.​

Letters will be published at the discretion of the Editor. The Editor may send the letter to the authors of the original article so their comments may be published simultaneously. The Editor reserves the right to edit and shorten letters.​ Letters to the Editors are published online only.

III. Videos

The Editors encourage authors to submit original videos as an accompaniment to the manuscript. Article types such as Case Reports or Procedures and Instruments, in particular, may be enhanced by the inclusion of an explanatory video.

     In addition, original videos may be submitted for consideration in the journal's stand-alone video gallery and on its YouTube channel. These videos will undergo review by an Editor before being posted online. If you are interested in submitting a video for consideration, please submit your written proposal to the Editorial Office at [email protected].​

IV. COVER LETTER STRUCTURE

Each manuscript should include a cover letter to the Editors addressing the following points:

1. The authors' intent to submit solely to Obstetrics & Gynecology (see I. Policies, M. Prior Publication)
2. Verification that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere, and indication from the authors that it will not be submitted elsewhere unless a final negative decision is made by the Editors of Obstetrics & Gynecology
3. Clinical Trial Registration (if applicable): Registry name, URL, and registration number. Note that abstracts for randomized controlled trials should be structured similarly to the example provided online (see http://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/sampleabstract_RCT.pdf) and should include the primary outcome and sample size justification in the Methods. The Results should begin with the dates of enrollment to the study, a description of demographics, and the primary outcome analysis. (see I. Policies, C. Clinical Trials)
4. For industry-sponsored research, verification that the authors have maintained ethical and transparent publication practices as outlined in I. Policies, F. Industry-Sponsored Research.
5. The name of the institutional review board (IRB) and indication of approval or exemption (see I. Policies, H. Institutional and Ethical Approval)
6. Verification that permission has been obtained from all persons named in the acknowledgments (see V. Manuscript Structure, A. Title Page)
7. For case reports, verification that signed consent has been obtained from the patient(s) (see I. Policies, J. Patient Privacy and Consent)
8. Previous presentation at a meeting or the posting of an earlier version on a preprint server (see I. Policies, M. Prior Publication)
9. Any explanations related to reporting guidelines discrepancies (see I. Policies, O. Reporting Guidelines)
   
10. For invited submissions or instances where the author previously received permission to submit the manuscript, state the name of the Editor who approved the planned the submission.​
    

V. MANUSCRIPT STRUCTURE

All manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Open Document word processing (.odt) files. All manuscript pages (including references, tables, and figure legends) should be double-spaced. To assist with peer review, each page and line should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the first page of the manuscript file. The use of subheadings is discouraged in all but the most complex of manuscripts. Footnotes are not allowed except in tables or figures. Authors must include the following in the manuscript file:​​

​

A. Title Page

The title page should be submitted separately from the main manuscript file in Editorial Manager and list:

1. The manuscript title, which should contain no more than a total of 100 characters (counting letters and spaces) and should not be declarative or pose a question; do not use abbreviations or commercial names in the title.
2. All author name(s), their institutional, corporate, or commercial affiliations, and up to two major degree(s) per author.
3. Corresponding author's name, department and institution name, city, state, and email address (the corresponding author will be responsible for all corres​pondence and other matters relating to the manuscript).
4. Disclosure of any source of financial support of the study, including provision of supplies or services from a commercial organization (see sections I. Policies, E. Disclosure of Potential Competing or Conflicts of Interests, and I. Policies, F. Industry-Sponsored Research for more information).
5. Disclosure of funding received for this work from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, or the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
6. A short title of no more than 45 characters, including spaces, for use as a running foot.
7. Acknowledgments, which should list:
   1. All financial support of the study, such as grant numbers or industry funding (refer to sections I. Policies, E. Disclosure of Potential Competing or Conflicts of Interests, and I. Policies, F. Industry-Sponsored Research for more information).
   2. Any and all manuscript preparation assistance (refer to section I. Policies, B. Authorship for more information). Such acknowledgments must identify the entities that provided and paid for this assistance, whether directly or indirectly. The journal strongly discourages citing an anonymous donor due to concerns about conflicts of interest. If you have questions, please contact the Editorial Office at [email protected].
   3. The full name of all persons who contributed to the work reported in the manuscript, but not sufficiently to be authors (refer to section I. Policies, B. Authorship for more information). Obtain written permission from all individuals named in the acknowledgments. Acknowledgment permissions need not be submitted to the journal; rather, the corresponding author should keep them on file. The cover letter should include verification that permission has been obtained from all named persons.
   4. Information about presentation at a meeting, including the dates and location of the meeting (see section I. Policies, M. Prior Publication).
   5. Information about posting of an earlier version on a preprint server, including the DOI.
8. Clinical trial registration number or PROSPERO registration number, if applicable.
9. Include manuscript word count. Word count includes text (see manuscript sections for each article type), but excludes the title page, abstract, precis, tables, boxes, figures, figure legends, reference list, and supplemental digital content.
   

B. Manuscript

The first page of the manuscript file should contain the title of the manuscript and the précis, for use in the Table of Contents. The précis is a single sentence of no more than 25 words that states the conclusion(s) of the report (ie, the bottom line). The précis should be similar to the abstract’s conclusion. Do not use commercial names, abbreviations, or acronyms in the précis. Continuous line numbers should start on this page.

C. Abstract

The abstract should appear after the précis. All information in the abstract should be consistent with the information in the text, tables, or figures. Avoid use of commercial names in the abstract. See Section II., Article Formats, for more information on how to format the abstract based on article type.​

D. Text

The main body of the article appears after the abstract. See Section II., Article Formats, for more information on how to format the body based on article type. Continuous line numbering should be used throughout the text. Authors should also keep the following style considerations in mind:

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Only standard abbreviations and acronyms are allowed. A selected list is available online at https://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/abbreviations.pdf. Abbreviations and acronyms cannot be used in the title or précis. Abbreviations and acronyms must be spelled out the first time they are used in the abstract and again in the body of the manuscript.

Commercial Names

The commercial name (with the generic name in parentheses) may be used once in the body of the manuscript; use the generic name at each mention thereafter. Commercial names should not be used in the title, précis, or abstract.

E. References

F. Tables

Authors are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the format of tables published in Obstetrics & Gynecology by reviewing recently published tables. The publisher formats wide tables so that they appear on one printed page in the published article. The journal does not print tables in “landscape” orientation, nor do we print tables across two pages. If a table is too wide for one printed page, the first column will repeat on the next page with the remaining columns. For more information on how to format your tables for the journal, see the tables checklist online at http://edmgr.ovid.com/ong/accounts/table_checklist.pdf.

G. Figures

At first submission, please submit your figures with their accompanying figure legends within the manuscript. If your manuscript is peer reviewed and deemed potentially acceptable for publication, you will be asked to submit your figures as individual files separate from the manuscript file in Editorial Manager. Source files, EPS or PDF files, or higher resolution TIFFs may be requested. Art that is low resolution, digitized, or downloaded from the Internet will not reproduce well. Graphs created in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel should be submitted as .doc or .docx, .xls or .xlsx, or .ppt or .pptx files. Original, high-resolution, or editable files are needed. Unacceptable art may be redrawn or removed from the article.

H. Figure Legends

Each figure should have an accompanying legend. For purposes of the initial submission and peer review process, please include each legend with its figure on a separate page of the manuscript. A sentence or two is usually sufficient. Identify any abbreviations or symbols in the legend. In the case of photomicrographs, provide magnification and stain data.

VI. SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL CONTENT

Authors may submit supplemental digital content to enhance their article's text. All supplemental digital content will be reviewed by the Editors and editorial staff before posting. Supplemental digital content may include the following types of content: text documents, graphs, tables, figures, graphics, illustrations, audio, PowerPoint, and video. Content should be original and not previously published or posted elsewhere.

When submitting supplemental digital content online to Editorial Manager, the digital files should be uploaded along with your other submission items.

Supplemental digital content that comprises text, tables, or figures should be cited consecutively in the text as “Appendix 1," “Appendix 2," etc. Do not number supplemental text, figures, or tables separately—order them in the way they are cited at first mention. In addition, any references cited in appendixes should be added to a separate References list in the appendixes file. For video files, provide a legend that includes the title of the video, brief summary of the content, and the name of the creator(s). Authors should ensure that patients are not identifiable in the supplemental digital content unless they obtain written consent from the patients and document that they have obtained consent in the cover letter submitted with the manuscript. To ensure a quality experience for those viewing supplemental digital content, the journal's publisher suggests that authors submit supplemental digital files no larger than 10 MB each. The exceptions to this rule are audio or video files, which are acceptable up to 100 MB. See the box for a list of acceptable file types for supplemental digital content.

VII. WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER SUBMISSION

After submitting a manuscript to Editorial Manager, the corresponding author can expect to receive notification of receipt by email within 2 business days. Approximately 40% of submitted manuscripts are rejected without formal peer review. The remainder are sent to peer reviewers.

The Editors use reviewer comments as well as their own evaluation to arrive at an initial disposition—accept, decline, or revise. The journal's goal is to arrive at the disposition within 6 weeks of submission.

Authors who are invited to submit a revised version of their manuscript will receive the reviewers' critiques, the Statistical Editor's comments, and the Editor's analysis. This action should not be interpreted as a commitment to accept the manuscript. Authors are asked to submit the revised manuscript within 21 days; requests for extension of the deadline may be granted.

The revision is evaluated by the Editor and may be sent back to the reviewers to see if the concerns have been addressed satisfactorily. Additional revisions may be necessary before the manuscript is considered for publication. 

Upon acceptance, the manuscript is processed for publication. The usual length of time between acceptance and publication is approximately 1 month.

The corresponding author will receive an email requesting that he or she review the page proofs online. The author(s) should respond to all queries and check the proofs carefully. If comments are not received within 48 hours, it is the policy of the journal to proceed with publication.

Authors of accepted articles should consult the article sharing guidelines provided by Wolters Kluwer Health, the journal's publisher (see https://shop.lww.com/journal-permission), as well as the website “How Can I Share It" (https://www.howcanishareit.com/) for guidance on how, when, and where they can share each version of their work. Wolters Kluwer endorses the STM “Voluntary principles for article sharing on scholarly collaboration networks,"³² which enables and encourages the collaboration necessary to advance research.

Authors are encouraged to work with their institution's press office to promote their article following embargo. The College's Communication Department is able to provide embargoed articles to press and answer any questions surrounding embargo ([email protected]).

REFERENCES

1. COPE. Retraction guidelines. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines
2. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the role of authors and contributors. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authors-and-contributors.html
3. Council of Science Editors. White Paper on Publication Ethics: Authorship and authorship responsibilities. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.councilscienceeditors.org/resourcelibrary/editorial-policies/white-paper-on-publication-ethics/
4. Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D; for the CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomized trials. Obstet Gynecol 2010;115:1063–70. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c332
5. DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Frizelle FA, Haug C, Hoey J, Horton R. Clinical trial registration: a statement from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. JAMA 2004;292:1363–4. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.11.1363
6. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Clinical Trials Registration. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://www.icmje.org/abouticmje/faqs/clinical-trials-registration/
7. National Institutes of Health Grants & Funding. NIH's Definition of a Clinical Trial. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/definition.htm
8. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Clinical Trials. Accessed November 4, 2021. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/clinical-trial-registration.html
9. Battisti WP, Wager E, Baltzer L, Bridges D, Cairns A, Carswell CI. Good publication practice for communicating company-sponsored medical research: GPP3. Ann Intern Med 2015;163:461–4. doi: 10.7326/M15-0288
10. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office for Human Research Protections. Title 45 Public Welfare. Department of Health and Human Services. Part 46: Protection of Human Subjects. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.html
11. Merriam-Webster. Plagiarism. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism
12. Committee on Publication Ethics. What to do if you suspect plagiarism: (a) suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript. Accessed September 23, 2019. https://publicationethics.org/files/plagiarism%20A.pdf
13. Committee on Publication Ethics. Plagiarism in a published article. Accessed November 4, 2021. https://publicationethics.org/node/34581
14. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/
15. von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP; for the STROBE initiative. The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Lancet 2007;370:1453–57. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61602-X
16. Vandenbroucke JP, von Elm E, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Mulrow CD, Pocock SJ. Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE): explanation and elaboration. PLoS Med 2007;4:e297. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040297
17. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG; the PRISMA Group. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. Ann Intern Med 2009;151:264–9. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135
18. Zorzela L, Loke YK, Ioannidis JP, Golder S, Santaguida P, Altman DG, Moher D, Vohra S; PRISMA Harms Group. PRISMA harms checklist: improving harms reporting in systematic reviews. BMJ 2016;352:i157. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i157
19. Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM. Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: The STARD Initiative. Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:40–44. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-138-1-200301070-00010
20. Stroup DF, Berlin JA, Morton SC, Olkin I, Williamson GD, Rennie D. Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) group. JAMA 2000;283:2008–12. doi: 10.1001/jama.283.15.2008
21. Husereau D, Drummond M, Petrou S, Carswell C, Moher D, Greenberg D; CHEERS Task Force. Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) statement. BMJ 2013;346:f1049. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f1049
22. Ogrinc G, Davies L, Goodman D, Batalden P, Davidoff F, Stevens D. SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence): revised publication guidelines from a detailed consensus process. BMJ Qual Saf 2016;25:986–92. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004411
23. Eysenbach G. Improving the quality of web surveys: the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). J Med Internet Res 2004;6:e34 [erratum in J Med Internet Res 2012;14(1): e8.]. doi: 10.2196/jmir.6.3.e34
24. Benchimol EI, Smeeth L, Guttmann A, Harron K, Moher D, Petersen I, et al; RECORD Working Committee. The Reporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected health Data (RECORD) statement. PLoS Med 2015;12:e1001885. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001885
25. Orkin AM, Gill PJ, Ghersi D. Guidelines for reporting trial protocols and completed trials modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other extenuating circumstances: The CONSERVE 2021 Statement. JAMA 2021;326:257–265. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.9941
26. Gagnier JJ, Kienle G, Altman DG, Moher D, Sox H, Riley D; CARE Group. The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development. BMJ Case Rep. 2013 Oct 23;2013:bcr2013201554. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-201554
    
27. Moons KG, Altman DG, Reitsma JB, Ioannidis JP, Macaskill P, Steyerberg EW. Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD): explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2015;162:W1–73. doi: 10.7326/M14-0698
28. Sanders GD, Neumann PJ, Basu A, Brock DW, Feeny D, Krahn M, et al. Recommendations for Conduct, Methodological Practices, and Reporting of Cost-effectiveness Analyses: Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. JAMA 2016;316:1093-103. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.12195. Erratum in: JAMA 2016;316:1924.
29. Utter GH, Atolagbe OO, Cooke DT. The use of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and Procedure Classification System in clinical and health services research: the devil is in the details. JAMA Surg 2019;154:1089–90. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.2899
30. Menard MK, Main EK, Currigan SM. Executive summary of the reVITALize initiative: standardizing obstetric data definitions. Obstet Gynecol 2014;124:150–3. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000322
31. Sharp HT, Johnson JV, Lemieux LA, Currigan SM. Executive summary of the reVITALize initiative: standardizing gynecologic data definitions [published erratum appears in Obstet Gynecol 2019;133:382]. Obstet Gynecol 2017;129:603–7. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001939
32. STM. Voluntary Principles for Article Sharing on Scholarly Collaboration Networks (Revised 8 June 2015). Accessed October 21, 2019. https://www.stm-assoc.org/2015_06_08_Voluntary_principles_for_article_sharing_on_scholarly_collaboration_networks.pdf