This page answers the most frequently asked questions by prospective and current authors. This guide helps you navigate the Journal's editorial policies. All editorial policies are published in full in the Editorial Policies hub on the Journal website.
CONTENTS
1. The journal at a glance
2. Fees and open access
3. Before you submit
4. Making a submission
5. Authorship and contributions
6. Ethics, consent and integrity
7. Peer review, appeals and complaints
8. Data and reproducibility
9. Preprints
10. Copyright, licensing and reuse
11. After publication
12. Metrics, advertising and journal integrity
13. Inclusive reporting and accessibility
14. Special issues
15. Contact
1. The journal at a glance
What is European Gynecology and Obstetrics and what is the journal's open access model?
European Gynecology and Obstetrics (EGO), founded in 2019, is the official peer-reviewed journal of the European Society of Gynecology.
The Journal is fully open access under a diamond model. All articles are freely available immediately upon publication, at no cost to either authors or readers, and are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0).
Reference: Open Access Policy; Copyright and Licensing Policy.
2. How is the journal funded if there are no author charges?
As a diamond open-access journal, the Journal's costs are covered by the Publisher and the scientific society rather than by author charges. This model removes financial barriers to both publishing and reading and is fully compatible with Plan S and cOAlition S requirements.
Reference: Open Access Policy; Author Fees and Publication Charges Policy.
3. Before you submit
What article types does the journal accept?
The Journal publishes Original Articles, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, Narrative Reviews, Protocols, Guidelines and Consensus Statements, Case Reports and Case Series, Data Notes, and editorial content such as Letters to the Editor, Commentaries and Perspectives. Word limits and structural requirements for each type are set out in full in the Submission Guidelines.
Reference: Submission Guidelines (Article Types); Editorial Policy Statement.
In what language must I submit, and is language editing required?
Manuscripts are accepted and published only in English (UK spelling). Language editing is not mandatory, but non-native English speakers are encouraged to have their manuscript edited before submission. Linguistic quality does not replace the assessment of scientific merit.
Reference: Submission Guidelines; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 4).
Which reporting guidelines should I follow?
Authors must follow the EQUATOR Network reporting guideline appropriate to the study design (for example, CONSORT for randomized trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies) and upload the completed checklist with the submission. Where no established guideline exists for the design, this must be stated in the Methods section.
Reference: Submission Guidelines; Statistical Reporting and Reproducibility Policy.
Can I send a pre-submission inquiry?
Yes. If you are unsure whether your work fits the scope of the Journal, you may send a pre-submission inquiry to the Editorial Office (egojournal@esgynecology.org), enclosing the title and a structured abstract, before preparing a full submission. The Editorial Office will advise whether the topic is within scope. A favorable reply does not prejudge the outcome of peer review.
4. Making a submission
How do I submit my manuscript?
All submissions are made through the Journal's online submission system. You will upload the anonymized main manuscript, a separate title page, figures, tables, supplementary files, the cover letter, the ICMJE conflict of interest form and the relevant reporting checklist, and complete the submission declarations. A manuscript may be submitted only by one of its authors, not by a third party.
Reference: Submission Guidelines (Submission Procedure).
What should the cover letter contain?
The cover letter should explain the relevance of the work to the Journal, confirm that the manuscript is original and not under consideration elsewhere, declare any potential conflicts of interest, and confirm that all authors have approved submission. Any preprint deposit or overlap with prior work should be disclosed here.
Reference: Submission Guidelines; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 12).
Is an ORCID iD required?
An ORCID iD is strongly recommended for all authors and can be entered in the submission system, but it is not a requirement for submission. Providing an ORCID iD improves the accuracy of author attribution and is encouraged by the main indexing bodies. Institutional affiliations should carry a ROR identifier where available.
Reference: Authorship Policy; Submission Guidelines (Section 6).
5. Authorship and contributions
What are the criteria for authorship?
The Journal applies the four ICMJE authorship criteria, which must all be met concurrently: substantial contribution to the work; drafting or critical revision; approval of the final version; and accountability for the work.
Reference: Authorship Policy (Section 3).
Do I need a CRediT contribution statement?
Yes. Every peer-reviewed manuscript must include a CRediT contributor roles statement that assigns one or more of the 14 standardized roles to each author. The corresponding author is responsible for the accuracy of this statement and must ensure all co-authors have approved it.
Reference: Authorship Policy (Sections 4-5); Submission Guidelines (Section 6.2).
Can the author list change after submission?
Changes during review require the written consent of all authors and editorial approval. After acceptance, changes are permitted only exceptionally, for example to correct a demonstrable error, and are implemented as a published Corrigendum. Changes made solely to qualify for institutional open access arrangements are not accepted.
Reference: Authorship Policy (Sections 10-12).
How are authorship disputes handled?
The Journal does not act as arbiter in authorship disputes between authors, consistent with COPE guidance. Where the authors cannot resolve a dispute, the matter may be referred to the authors' institutions, and the operational procedure is set out in the Complaints, Appeals and Whistleblowing Policy.
Reference: Authorship Policy (Section 13); Complaints, Appeals and Whistleblowing Policy.
6. Ethics, consent and integrity
Do I need ethics committee approval?
All research involving human participants, human material or identifiable human data must have received approval from an institutional review board or research ethics committee before the study began. The Methods section must state the approving body, the approval reference number and the date. Where formal review was not required, the reason for the exemption must be stated explicitly.
Reference: Research Ethics Policy; Submission Guidelines (Section 14).
How do I handle consent for case reports and identifiable images?
For case reports and any content in which a patient could be identified, including clinical images and photographs, you must obtain written informed consent for publication and upload the consent form as a supplementary file for editorial review. The form is not published. Clinical images must not permit identification unless explicit consent for identifiable images has been documented.
Reference: Submission Guidelines (Sections 14.2-14.3, 22.7); Research Ethics Policy.
Must I register a clinical trial?
Yes. Clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a recognized public registry (ClinicalTrials.gov or a WHO ICTRP-compliant registry) before enrolment of the first participant, and proof of registration must be provided with the submission.
Reference: Research Ethics Policy; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 10).
Is my manuscript screened for plagiarism and image manipulation?
Yes. Every manuscript undergoes automated similarity screening (Crossref Similarity Check/iThenticate) with an attention threshold of 20 percent, followed by a qualitative assessment by the Editorial Direction. Images are screened for manipulation using forensic tools. Original, unmodified image files may be requested at any stage.
Reference: Peer Review Policy (Phase 2); Corrections and Retractions Policy.
Do I need to declare conflicts of interest?
Yes. All authors must disclose any financial, institutional or personal interest that could influence the work, using the ICMJE disclosure form submitted with the manuscript. Disclosure applies equally to academic and industry-affiliated authors.
Reference: Conflict of Interest Policy; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 13).
Can I use AI tools in preparing my manuscript?
Generative AI tools may not be listed as authors and cannot bear responsibility for the work. Any use of AI in writing, analysis or image preparation must be disclosed in a dedicated statement. All AI-assisted references must be independently verified, since fabricated references are treated as a form of fabrication.
Reference: Artificial Intelligence Policy.
7. Peer review, appeals and complaints
What type of peer review does the journal use?
The Journal operates a double-anonymized peer review model: authors and reviewers are not disclosed to one another. Each manuscript, other than invited editorials, is assessed by at least two independent external reviewers.
Reference: Peer Review Policy; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 9).
How long does the first decision take?
The Journal sets a public service target of a first editorial decision within 30 to 45 days of submission, subject to quarterly monitoring. Actual times depend on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript.
Reference: Peer Review Policy.
Can I appeal an editorial decision?
Yes. You may submit a reasoned appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of the decision. Appeals are admissible on specific grounds, such as new substantial scientific arguments, manifest technical error, an undisclosed reviewer conflict of interest, or a procedural violation. Manuscripts rejected at desk stage are not eligible unless a procedural violation is alleged, and one appeal per decision is permitted.
Reference: Peer Review Policy (Section 16); Complaints, Appeals and Whistleblowing Policy.
How do I raise a complaint?
Complaints about the editorial process, handling times, reviewer conduct or the conduct of editors may be submitted to the Editorial Office (egojournal@esgynecology.org), which acknowledges submissions within five working days. The categories of complaint, the procedure and the timelines are set out in full in the Complaints, Appeals and Whistleblowing Policy, which also allows escalation to COPE.
Reference: Complaints, Appeals and Whistleblowing Policy.
8. Data and reproducibility
Do I need a data availability statement?
Yes. All empirical research articles must include a Data Availability Statement indicating where the underlying data can be found and under what conditions. Where data cannot be shared for ethical, legal, or privacy reasons, this must be stated explicitly, along with the applicable access route.
Reference: Data Availability and Sharing Policy; Open Access Policy (Section 7).
Where should I deposit my data?
Data should be deposited in a repository that assigns a persistent identifier and is registered in re3data.org or FAIRsharing.org, in accordance with the FAIR principles. Recognized general-purpose repositories include Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, the Open Science Framework and Harvard Dataverse. Datasets are best licensed under CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0.
Reference: Data Availability and Sharing Policy (Section 7).
Do I have to share my analytical code?
Authors must make analytical code, scripts, and pipelines available at publication unless legal, institutional, or ethical constraints prevent disclosure. Statistical reporting must meet the requirements on effect sizes, confidence intervals, software disclosure and sample size justification.
Reference: Statistical Reporting and Reproducibility Policy; Data Availability and Sharing Policy (Section 11).
9. Preprints
Can I post a preprint of my manuscript?
Yes. You may deposit a preprint on a recognized server before, during, or after submission, without embargo, provided the deposit is declared at submission. You are encouraged to update the preprint record with the DOI of the published version once available. Posting a preprint is not treated as prior publication.
Reference: Preprint Policy.
10. Copyright, licensing and reuse
Who holds the copyright to my article?
You do. Authors retain copyright in their articles. The Journal publishes the article under a CC BY 4.0 license, and no transfer of copyright to the Publisher is required.
Reference: Copyright and Licensing Policy (Sections 4, 17).
What does the CC BY 4.0 license allow?
Under CC BY 4.0, anyone may read, download, copy, distribute, translate, adapt and build upon the article, including for commercial purposes and for text and data mining, provided the original authors and source are credited. A link to the license is given.
Reference: Copyright and Licensing Policy (Sections 10, 18).
Can I deposit my article in a repository (self-archiving)?
Yes, without restriction. Because the Journal is diamond open access, you may deposit the submitted manuscript, the accepted manuscript, and the final Version of Record in any repository or on any website at any time, with no embargo. This is fully compatible with funder mandates, including cOAlition S rights retention.
Reference: Open Access Policy (Section 8); Copyright and Licensing Policy (Section 7).
What about third-party material in my article?
Third-party material (for example figures, images, scales or questionnaires from other sources) is not covered by the article's CC BY 4.0 license unless expressly stated. You are responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions and for identifying such material with an accurate credit line. Material that cannot be so identified must not be included.
Reference: Copyright and Licensing Policy (Section 8).
11. After publication
How is a DOI assigned to my article?
New content from issue 2/2026 onwards is assigned a Crossref DOI with the prefix 10.11138, ensuring persistent link resolution. Articles published under the previous publisher retain their original DOIs, which are not reassigned.
Reference: Indexing and Abstracting Policy; DOI and Crossref page.
How do I request a correction?
If you identify an error in a published article, contact the Editorial Office (egojournal@esgynecology.org). Depending on the nature of the error, the Journal may issue a corrigendum, an erratum, an expression of concern or a retraction, each published with its own DOI and permanently linked to the article. Articles remain accessible; retracted articles are marked but not removed.
Reference: Corrections and Retractions Policy.
How are articles archived and preserved?
Published articles, including corrections and retraction notices, are preserved through the digital preservation services declared by the Journal (including CLOCKSS and the PKP Preservation Network), so that the scientific record remains accessible even if the active platform is disrupted.
Reference: Digital Preservation Policy; Editorial Policy Statement (Section 25).
12. Metrics, advertising and journal integrity
Does the journal promote the Impact Factor?
No. Consistent with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the Journal does not present the Impact Factor or similar ranking metrics as measures of the quality of individual articles and assesses research on its own scientific merit.
Reference: Editorial Policy Statement (Section 19).
Does advertising influence editorial decisions?
No. A strict separation is maintained between commercial activity and editorial decision-making. Advertising and sponsorship do not influence the assessment or acceptance of manuscripts.
Reference: Editorial Policy Statement (Section 22); Advertising and Sponsorship Policy.
13. Inclusive reporting and accessibility
What are the sex and gender reporting requirements?
In line with the SAGER guidelines and the scope of the Journal, you must state whether sex and gender were analyzed as variables and how each was defined, report results stratified by sex or gender where sample sizes allow, and justify any absence of such analysis. The terms sex and gender must not be used interchangeably without definition.
Reference: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Policy (Section 6); Statistical Reporting and Reproducibility Policy (Section 13).
Is the journal's content accessible?
The Journal is committed to accessibility of its published content, including tagged PDFs conforming to PDF/UA, alternative text for figures, and compatibility with assistive technologies, on a comply-or-explain basis. Accessibility concerns can be raised with the Editorial Office.
Reference: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Policy.
14. Special issues
How can I contribute to or propose a special issue?
You may submit to an open special collection through the standard submission system, indicating the collection in your cover letter, or propose a new collection as a guest editor. Guest editor proposals are assessed and vetted by the Editorial Office, and all final editorial decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief.
Reference: Special Issues Policy.
15. Contact
Who do I contact for editorial questions?
Editorial questions, including pre-submission inquiries, may be addressed to the Editorial Office of the Journal (egojournal@esgynecology.org).