The Clinical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (CJOG) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly integrity, ethical conduct, and publication transparency. Our editorial policies follow international benchmarks established by COPE, ICMJE, WAME, DOAJ, and global open-access best practices. These policies guide the conduct of authors, reviewers, editors, and the journal’s administrative staff throughout the submission, review, acceptance, and publication lifecycle.

Editorial Mission

CJOG’s editorial mission is to promote excellence in obstetrics and gynecology scholarship through fair evaluation, robust peer review, ethical oversight, and complete transparency in decision-making. The editors ensure that every manuscript is assessed solely on scholarly merit, originality, methodological soundness, and relevance to the field of women’s health.

Editorial Independence

CJOG maintains full editorial independence. Decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection are made without influence from commercial partners, advertisers, sponsors, institutional affiliations, or political considerations. The Editor-in-Chief has ultimate authority over editorial decisions, supported by Associate Editors and members of the Editorial Board who follow the journal’s guidelines and ethical principles.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team adheres to strict responsibilities aimed at protecting the integrity of the journal. Editors are responsible for:

Ensuring that manuscripts receive fair, unbiased, and timely evaluation.
Selecting qualified reviewers with relevant expertise and no conflicts of interest.
Maintaining confidentiality of submitted materials.
Handling appeals and complaints in a transparent and documented manner.
Correcting the scholarly record when errors, omissions, or ethical issues arise.
Ensuring that all editorial decisions are supported by documented rationale.

Transparency in Editorial Decision-Making

All decisions follow a structured editorial workflow:

Manuscript Screening: Initial assessment for scope, plagiarism, formatting, and ethical compliance.
Peer Review Assignment: Based on expertise, availability, and conflict-free status.
Evaluator Recommendations: Reviewers provide structured reports and confidential comments to editors.
Decision Synthesis: Editors weigh reviewer comments, scientific merit, ethical concerns, and clarity.
Author Communication: Editors provide clear, actionable feedback whether accepted, revised, or rejected.
Post-Decision Oversight: Ensuring corrections, retractions, or updates are published when needed.

Peer Review Model

CJOG follows a double-blind peer review model:

The identity of authors and reviewers remains hidden throughout review.
Reviews are conducted objectively with constructive feedback.
Manuscripts are evaluated on scientific rigor, novelty, clarity, ethics, and contribution to the field.

Criteria for Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are chosen based on:

Demonstrated expertise in a relevant specialization.
A track record of published scholarship.
No direct conflicts of interest with the manuscript or authors.
Diversity across institutional, geographical, and methodological backgrounds.

Ethical Publishing Framework

CJOG follows COPE’s Core Practices and ICMJE Recommendations. All manuscript submissions must meet ethical expectations in:

Human subjects research and protection of patient confidentiality.
Informed consent documentation and secure handling of data.
IRB or ethics committee approval for applicable research designs.
Animal research compliance where relevant.

Data Integrity and Misconduct Prevention

The journal maintains zero tolerance for:

Fabrication or falsification of data.
Plagiarism, text recycling, or image manipulation.
Improper authorship claims or ghostwriting.
Undeclared conflicts of interest.

Authorship Criteria

CJOG follows the ICMJE authorship criteria requiring that every listed author:

Substantially contributed to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
Drafted or revised the manuscript critically.
Approved the final version before submission.
Agrees to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Contributors that do not meet authorship criteria should be included under “Acknowledgments” with their specific role described.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest, including:

Funding sources related to the work.
Institutional connections that may bias interpretation.
Personal relationships or competing commitments.
Consulting fees, grants, or industry affiliations.

Editorial COI Handling

If an editor has a conflict of interest:

They are recused from handling the manuscript.
The Editor-in-Chief assigns another editor with no competing interests.

Plagiarism Screening

All submissions undergo plagiarism detection using similarity-checking software. Editors evaluate:

Overlapping text.
Duplicated figures or tables.
Improperly paraphrased or unattributed content.

Manuscripts failing plagiarism standards are either corrected, revised, or rejected based on severity.

Data Sharing Expectations

Authors are encouraged to:

Share datasets in open repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Dryad).
Provide replication files where appropriate.
Include a data-availability statement in every manuscript.

Corrections, Retractions, and Updates

CJOG maintains the integrity of the scholarly record through:

Corrections: For minor errors not affecting scientific validity.
Retractions: For ethical issues, invalid data, or major inaccuracies.
Expressions of Concern: When investigations are pending.
Article Replacements: When revised versions replace previous ones due to significant errors.

Appeals & Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting:

A detailed rebuttal letter.
Point-by-point responses to reviewer critique.
Additional supporting evidence where applicable.

Appeals are reviewed by a senior editor not involved in the initial decision.

Inclusivity & Global Representation

The editorial board values diversity in geography, discipline, methodology, gender, and institutional backgrounds. CJOG is particularly committed to amplifying research from low- and middle-income countries and ensuring equitable representation among reviewers and authors.

Language, Clarity, and Accessibility

Editors may request language polishing to improve clarity, coherence, and readability. CJOG supports authors by recommending language editing services when needed. Clear communication strengthens scientific impact and accessibility.

Preprints & Prior Dissemination

CJOG allows submissions previously posted as preprints, provided:

The preprint version is declared upon submission.
Authors provide DOI or link to the preprint.
The manuscript is substantially revised based on peer feedback.

Editorial Board Governance

The Editorial Board provides scientific leadership and contributes to journal development. Responsibilities include:

Advising on journal scope and directions.
Recommending expert reviewers.
Maintaining high standards of scholarship.

Machine-Readable Transparency

CJOG supports structured metadata standards:

Schema.org
Dublin Core
Crossref XML
ORCID integration
OAI-PMH repository sync

These metadata frameworks ensure the journal’s editorial policies and research articles are highly discoverable, indexable, and interoperable across digital systems.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

CJOG continuously reviews and updates its editorial policies to align with evolving global standards, new ethical insights, and emerging trends in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and readers are encouraged to provide feedback.

Editorial Policies