Guide for Authors
Aims and scope
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “The Gray Journal”, covers the full spectrum of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The aim of the Journal is to publish original research (clinical and translational), reviews, opinions, video clips, podcasts and interviews that will have an impact on the understanding of health and disease and that has the potential to change the practice of women's health care. An important focus is the diagnosis, treatment, prediction and prevention of obstetrical and gynecological disorders. The Journal also publishes work on the biology of reproduction, and content which provides insight into the physiology and mechanisms of obstetrical and gynecological diseases.
Benefits to authors
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Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support Center
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has two companion titles:
Manuscripts with a focus on maternal-fetal medicine or high-risk pregnancy can be submitted to AJOG MFM.
Manuscripts with a focus on regional reports and cross-border healthcare delivery can be submitted to the open access AJOG Global Reports.
AUTHOR UPDATES AND KEY POINTS
Due to the volume of papers submitted to AJOG and time constraints involved in the peer review process the Journal does not accept pre-submission inquiries.
AJOG has new requirements for manuscripts that describe results from randomized controlled trials and for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses (see 'Trial and Research Guidelines' section).
Please submit your paper for review via Editorial Manager (https://www.editorialmanager.com/AJOG/default.aspx).
Every submission must include a title page with a disclosure statement and a signed Statement of Authorship form . This requirement applies to ALL article types listed in the following section; including letters, replies, etc.
The editors encourage the supplementary use of multimedia components such as PowerPoint, additional images, or video clips. Color figures and images are free.
Overview
Original Research articles are published in 2 formats: 1) in the printed journal: in an abbreviated form, that includes the abstract and 1 figure or table, and 2) in full on the Journal website (ajog.org), where the abstract also appears. The full-length article is the official version and is linked to search engines. Systematic Reviews, Expert Reviews, and Clinical Opinion articles are published in full in both print and online versions. Print and online versions for other article types are specified below.
The full-length article becomes available online for citation before the print issue containing the abstract and accompanying material. Impact Factors and other citation indices are based on the full-length online article.
Translational science is typically presented in the form of an original research manuscript; however, the only type of non-clinical research considered must be translational in nature and contain biological implications for obstetrics and gynecology. Basic science without direct clinical relevance will not be considered; please see 'Trial and research guidelines' section for examples of acceptable translational science submissions.
For systematic review and meta-analysis studies, submit as a Systematic Review article type (instructions below; not as Original Research).
ARTICLE TYPES
Original Research
Original research manuscripts are limited to 3000 words of main text, must include all items listed under 'Article structure,' including a Title Page, Condensation, Short Title, AJOG at a Glance, Keywords, and structured Abstract (250-500 words). Detailed instructions for preparing and submitting manuscripts are included in 'Basic format' and 'Article structure' sections of this guide. See additional requirements based on the type of research performed (i.e. clinical trials) in the 'Trial and research guidelines' section. The type(s) of non-human animals or other species used in an investigation must be named in the Title, Abstract, and Materials and Methods sections of the manuscript.
The Original Research article includes a structured abstract of up to 500 words (250-word minimum) with the following required headings:
1. Background: an explanation of the basis for the study.
2. Objective(s): the purpose of the study (hypothesis being tested).
3. Study Design: the setting for the study, subjects (number and type), treatment or intervention, and type(s) of statistical analysis used.
4. Results: the outcome(s) of the study and, if appropriate, their statistical significance. If percentages are used, include the numerator/denominator in parenthesis. P-values (or confidence intervals) should be included for claims of statistical significance.
5. Conclusion(s): overall significance of the results Abbreviations and references are NOT permitted in the abstract (structured nor unstructured).
The main text of Original Research articles must be organized into sections with the following headings:
1. Introduction: State concisely the study's purpose and rationale. Present only the background, supported by a limited number of pertinent references necessary for the reader to understand why the study was conducted. Do not include study data or conclusions. Generally, the study objectives and hypothesis should be included at the end of this section.
2. Materials and Methods: Describe briefly, but in sufficient detail to permit others to replicate the study, its plan, patients, experimental animals or other species, materials, and controls; methods and procedures; and statistical method(s) employed. Institutional Review Board (IRB) information must be addressed here as stated under "Human and nonhuman experimentation" in the Editorial Policies section.
3. Results: This section includes detailed findings and must cite, in numerical order, all tables and/or figures, which should supplement, not reiterate, the text. Emphasize only the most important observations. Reserve any comparisons with others' observations for the Comment section.
4. Comment: Do not repeat the details of data presented under Results or present any new data here. A structured comment section must be included with the following subheadings.
a. Principal Findings - a brief statement of the principal findings, limiting claims to those strictly supported by the data, avoiding speculation and overgeneralization. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit, and results of primary outcomes/analyses must be included prior to presenting results of secondary or more exploratory analyses.
b. Results in the Context of What is Known - review results reported in the manuscript and compare with previously published studies. If there are differences please provide explanation.
c. Clinical Implications - the meaning of the study; e.g. hypothesized mechanisms that might explain the outcomes observed and/or the implications for clinicians or policy makers. Indicate whether additional research is required before the information can be confidently used in clinical settings.
d. Research Implications - Unanswered questions; proposals for future research.
e. Strengths and Limitations - Strengths and weaknesses of the study, both intrinsically and in relation to other studies, particularly any differences in results.
f. Conclusions The authors may include additional subheadings in the main text if appropriate and if needed to facilitate reading.
For examples of main text headings and structured Comment sections with subheadings, please see recently published Original Research articles in the Journal.
Systematic Review
Each article in this category provides a comprehensive and exhaustive systematic review of the literature related to the topic, collating all relevant evidence meeting pre-specified eligibility criteria. Systematic reviews may not be combined with other manuscript types.
Systematic reviews must include a clearly stated set of objectives with reproducible methodology, a systematic search, eligibility criteria for selecting studies, assessment of study quality (risk of bias), an assessment of the validity of the findings and systematic synthesis of these findings. Meta-analysis, the use of statistical techniques to combine and summarize results across studies, may or may not be contained within a systematic review.
Authors must adhere to the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines, and as of July 1, 2021, prospective registration in PROSPERO is required (for guidance see 'Trial and research guidelines' section).
Systematic Reviews are limited to 5000 words of main text (not counting the title page, abstract, condensation, acknowledgments, references, tables, legends, and figures). The title should identify the report as systematic review and/or meta-analysis. Include a structured abstract containing no more than 350 words and as many alphabetized key words or short phrases as needed for indexing. The type(s) of non-human animals or other species used in an investigation must be named in the Title, Abstract, and Materials and Methods sections of the manuscript.
Submissions must include a Title, Condensation, Short Title, AJOG at a Glance, and Keywords (see instructions under 'Article structure' below).
Abstract: Include a structured abstract containing no more than 350 words in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, and with the following specific headings:
1. Objective
2. Data sources (including years searched)
3. Study eligibility criteria (study design, populations, and interventions [if applicable])
4. Study appraisal and synthesis methods
5. Results
6. Conclusions
Main text: Headings and subheadings in the main text are specific to Systematic Review submissions and should include the following; note that subheadings may be modified to best represent the specific report.
1. Introduction (rationale, explain impetus for Review)
2. Objective(s)
3. Methods
a. Eligibility criteria, information sources, search strategy
b. Study selection
c. Data extraction
d. Assessment of risk of bias
e. Data synthesis
4. Results
a. Study selection
b. Study characteristics
c. Risk of bias of included studies
d. Synthesis of results
5. Comment
a. Principal Findings
b. Comparison with Existing Literature
c. Strengths and Limitations
d. Conclusions and Implications
Expert Review
These articles provide concise reviews on a topic in which the author has expertise. The manuscript should be comprehensive and balanced, but not exhaustive. Expert Reviews must be evidence based but may include some expert opinion and recommendations. The goal is to provide a concise update on the state of the art and guidelines for clinical care.
Expert Reviews are limited to 3500 words of main text (not counting the title page, abstract, condensation, acknowledgments, references, tables, legends, and figures). An unstructured abstract (1 paragraph, no categories) of no more than 350 words and as many alphabetized key words or short phrases as needed for indexing must be provided.
Subheadings to separate and identify sections of text should be unique to the topic; the 4 prescribed subheadings required for research articles do not apply. To prevent such subheadings from occupying many lines on a page, they should be as short as possible, not exceeding approximately 6 words, and preferably 1 to 4 words.
The full-length article appears both in print and on the Journal website.
Clinical Opinion
A Clinical Opinion paper presents a balanced, evidence-based discussion of a clinical issue pertinent to obstetricians and gynecologists. The paper may address an emerging or controversial topic or bring attention to a topic of increasing clinical significance. Opinions rendered must be based on an interpretation of available evidence.
Not appropriate for this category: 1) a review of an extensively researched subject (should be performed as a Systematic Review) and 2) an essay about issues for which minimal data exist, including certain clinical, ethical, educational, practice, and research issues.
A Clinical Opinion paper is limited to 3000 words of main text (not counting the title page, abstract, condensation, acknowledgments, references, tables, legends, and figures). An unstructured abstract (1 paragraph; no headings) of no more than 350 words and as many alphabetized key words or short phrases as needed for indexing must be provided.
Subheadings to separate and identify sections of the text should be unique to the topic; the 4 prescribed categories required for research articles do not apply. To prevent such subheadings from occupying many lines on a page, they should be as short as possible, not exceeding approximately 6 words and preferably 1 to 4 words.
The full-length article appears both in print and on the Journal website.
Special Report
A Special Report is released by a consensus committee, working group, task force, or similar group, or summarizes the findings of an important meeting. (Please note this is not a venue for case reports; the Journal does not publish case reports.)
Include a condensation, an unstructured abstract (1 paragraph, no subheadings) of no more than 350 words, and as many alphabetized key words or short phrases as needed for indexing.
Subheadings to separate and identify sections of the text should be unique to the topic; the 4 prescribed categories required for research articles do not apply. To prevent such subheadings from occupying too many lines on a page, they should be as short as possible, not exceeding approximately 6 words and preferably 1 to 4 words.
The full-length article appears both in print and on the Journal website.
Editorial
Editorials are written or solicited by the editors. Spontaneous submissions are not considered for publication.
Images in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Images articles present the opportunity to share an interesting, high-quality image related to obstetrics and gynecology and women's health. Priority will be given to those images of particular interest and quality, and those that provide the reader with key learning points to aid their practices. Up to 5 images may be included that exemplify the condition or case. One will be chosen for the print publication, and all will be published in full in the official on-line publication. Submissions must include a legend, not to exceed 150 words, to be printed in both the online and print versions. No condensation or abstract should be included. Supplementary material may include video.
Image submissions should include:
1) A title
2) No more than 5 authors
3) Refer to guidelines on submission of figures ('Figures' section of this guide), to ensure high resolution and quality.
4) Figures should be appropriately labeled with arrows or other indicators to identify key structures.
5) Any information that might identify the patient in the figure must be removed (including acquisition date).
6) If the patient is potentially identifiable from the image, authors must have obtained written permission from the patient. The author is responsible for filing this in a secure location. The scope of the consent should allow the author to explicitly disclose the information to Elsevier and for Elsevier to republish the information in print and electronic format including journal web and social media sites. Authors must attest to having obtained written consent upon submission of the Images piece and must be prepared to provide this documentation upon the editors' request.
7) A legend up to 150 words that summarizes succinctly, as appropriate, the clinical information including presentation, evaluation (including surgical findings), treatment, and follow-up status. The legend should refer to the Figures and explain all labeled structures.
8) No references are permitted.
9) If a video is included, please submit a high-resolution still image.
Image submissions will be reviewed by a team of Editors and their decision to accept or reject will be final.
Surgeon's Corner
A Surgeon's Corner article should provide high-quality instruction or an application of a procedure or part of a procedure, designed to aid the practicing obstetrician or gynecologist in improving care. Surgeon's Corner is published in full online; the abstract, manuscript, and one photo or graphic are published in the print journal.
The manuscript must include all of the following:
1. Title
2. Short title
3. Condensation: a 1-sentence condensation of the paper, consisting of no more than 25 words, to be placed in the Table of Contents.
4. An unstructured abstract of no more than 300 words that summarizes the clinical situation and surgical solution, explains the figure used in the print edition (see below), and refers to the video.
5. Manuscript text should include a description of the clinical situation or problem (under the heading: "Problem") followed by the surgical solution (under the heading: "Our solution"). The manuscript must be 600 words or less (not counting the title page, acknowledgement, references, tables, legends, and figures). Lists and bullet points may be used as appropriate. The text should refer to the figures/photos and video.
6. At least one high-quality photograph (300+ dpi; not taken from a website or cell phone), graphic, or figure, to be published in the print edition; this, plus up to 5 additional photos/figures may be included for the online version.
7. A video clip or computer graphic not longer than 5 minutes to be published in the online version.
8. Figure and video legends.
9. 7 or fewer references.
Research Letter
Research Letters are brief original research reports that summarize the results of original data. Each Research Letter is considered a scientific publication; authors must meet all requirements regarding responsible conduct of research (e.g., appropriate IRB approval, data integrity, data retention). Most undergo external peer review. Reviews, case reports, and opinion pieces are not considered for publication under this category.
Research Letters must include a title page, conflict of interest disclosure, and a Statement of Authorship signed by all authors. These submissions are limited to 7 authors, 500 words (not counting the title page, references, or legend) and 5 references and may include only 1 table or 1 figure. Online supplementary materials are not permitted. Research Letters should be formatted similar to the structured abstract guidelines for Original Research and divided into 4 sections: Objective, Study Design, Results, and Conclusion. Research Letters do not include an abstract or condensation.
Letter to the Editors and Reply
Every Letter to the Editors and Reply must include a title page, conflict of interest disclosure, and a Statement of Authorship signed by all authors. These submissions are subject to minor editorial alterations, may be shortened without the authors' approval, and are published both in print and on the Journal website.
Selected Letters to the Editors that focus on at least 1 article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology within the previous 12 issues are considered for publication. Letters to the Editors are limited to 3 authors, 400 words (not counting the title page or references), and 1 to 4 references. At least one of the references must cite the related Journal article(s). All data presented must be fully citable and cited in the supporting reference list (unpublished data must not be described in the letter).
The editors routinely invite the author(s) of the related article to respond in writing. Letters that include specific questions for the original article's authors are prioritized for publication. Published letters are accompanied by either a reply from the original authors or the statement "Reply declined."
Case Report
The Journal no longer publishes Case Reports. Submissions of this sort will NOT be considered.
EDITORIAL POLICIES
Queries about submission requirements may be addressed to either of the managing editors:
Sandra Perrine • Sandra.perrine@cox.net
Phone 480-749-2880 Donna L. Stroud • ajog@rrohio.com
Phone 614-915-9327
Trial and research guidelines
Authors must adhere to the following guidelines both when formulating the study and in reporting the results in the Journal.
Randomized controlled trial
All Randomized Clinical Trials require registration with clinicaltrials.gov (or other registered authority), prior to enrollment of the first participant.
On the manuscript title page include the:
1) Date of registration,
2) Date of initial participant enrollment,
3) Clinical trial identification number
4) URL of the registration site
5) Data sharing information (include responses to the five questions listed below).
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