ISSN 2305-8862 online version

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

• Editorial Policy
• Manuscript Preparation and Style
• Manuscript Submission

Refer to SAJOG Editorial Policies’ Section for complete Journal Editorial Policies and Guidelines.

General article format/layout
Submitted manuscripts that are not in the correct format specified in these guidelines will be returned to the author(s) for correction prior to being sent for review, which will delay publication.

General:

• Manuscripts must be written in UK English (this includes spelling).
• The manuscript must be in Microsoft Word or RTF document format. Text must be 1.5 line spaced, in 12–point Times New Roman font, and contain no unnecessary formatting (such as text in boxes). Pages and lines should be numbered consecutively.
• Please make your article concise, even if it is below the word limit.
• Qualifications, full affiliation (department, school/faculty, institution, city, country) and contact details of ALL authors must be provided in the manuscript and in the online submission process.
• Abbreviations should be spelt out when first used and thereafter used consistently, e.g. 'intravenous (IV)' or 'Department of Health (DoH)'.
• Numbers should be written as grouped per thousand–units, i.e. 4 000, 22 160.
• Quotes should be placed in single quotation marks: i.e. The respondent stated: '...'
• Round brackets (parentheses) should be used, as opposed to square brackets, which are reserved for denoting concentrations or insertions in direct quotes.
• If you wish material to be in a box, simply indicate this in the text. You may use the table format –this is the only exception. Please DO NOT use fill, format lines and so on.

SAJOG is a general specialist obstetrics and gynaecology journal, therefore for articles involving genetics, it is the responsibility of authors to apply the following:

• Please ensure that all genes are in italics, and proteins/enzymes/hormones are not.
• Ensure that all genes are presented in the correct case e.g. TP53 not Tp53.

** NB: Copyeditors cannot be expected to pick up and correct errors wrt the above, although they will raise queries where concerned.

• Define all genes, proteins and related shorthand terms at first mention, e.g. ‘188del11’ can be glossed as ‘an 11 bp deletion at nucleotide 188.’
• Use the latest approved gene or protein symbol as appropriate:
• Human Gene Mapping Workshop (HGMW): genetic notations and symbols
• HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee: approved gene symbols and nomenclature
• OMIM: Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (MIM) nomenclature and instructions
• Bennet et al. Standardized human pedigree nomenclature: Update and assessment of the recommendations of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. J Genet Counsel 2008;17:424–433: standard human pedigree nomenclature.

Refer to SAJOG Author Guidelines for more on formatting a specific article type.

Submission Preparation Checklist
As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

• Named authors consent to publication and meet the requirements of authorship as set out by the journal.
• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
• The text complies with the stylistic and bibliographic requirements in Author Guidelines.
• The research was approved by a Research Ethics Committee (if applicable)
• The authors are aware of the page fee costs associated with their submission. Please see Author Guidelines for more information.

Please view the Author Tutorial for submission guideline on Editorial Manager.
To submit a manuscript, please proceed to the SAJOG Editorial Manager website