Author Guidelines

Begin Submission | Submission Instructions

 

Journal Description

The Journal of Restorative Reproductive Medicine (JRRM) is an open access and peer-reviewed medical journal dedicated to building the scientific understanding of all aspects of human fertility and reproduction from a perspective of cooperation with or restoration of normal reproductive health, in clinical practice and public health.

 

Submitting to JRRM

Prior to submission, authors should review the Journal’s “Focus & Scope”. Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the focus and scope of the JRRM will be reviewed. Articles must meet all JRRM requirements and policies, including those for Ethics, Data Availability, and Open Access.

By submitting an article for publication, you confirm that you are the corresponding/submitting author and that JRRM may retain your email address for the purpose of communicating with you about the article, including a decision to reject or accept the article. Upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication in JRRM, authors will be invited to complete an online copyright license to publish form. The copyright is retained by the authors.

Before submitting your manuscript, please read the guidelines below. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned to the author. 

Please also be sure to look over the Journal’s submission checklist before submitting.

Once ready to submit, visit our “Submit Manuscript” page to upload your submission to our online system. The Journal uses Open Journal Systems (OJS) as our online submission and peer review system. For instructions on how to submit your manuscript through the OJS system, please visit our “Submission Instructions & Process” page.

 

All inquiries about the Journal should be addressed to the:

Journal of Restorative Reproductive Medicine Editorial Office

Email: editorial@rrmjournal.org

Phone: +44 1293 378476

 

Types of Submissions

JRRM considers for publication original research, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, RRM clinical practice surveys/reviews, RRM clinical guidelines, and letters to the editor. Commentaries are accepted by invitation only. Case reports are not accepted.

 

Manuscript Preparation

JRRM follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, which can be found at http://www.icmje.org. Authors should refer to ICMJE’s “Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal” guidelines in addition to the guidelines provided below. However, if you have an article that was previously formatted in a style required of a different journal that was not accepted and you would like to submit to JRRM, you do not need to reformat for submission to JRRM. Please note that if your article is accepted for publication, you will be required at that point to reformat according to these JRRM guidelines.

 

General Format and Presentation

Manuscripts can be any length. There are no restrictions on word count, number of figures, or amount of supporting information. However, we encourage you to present and discuss your findings concisely. Failure to restrict the length of manuscripts, especially Introduction and Discussion sections, can negatively influence the reviewers’ and the editor’s decisions.

Use double-spacing throughout (with the exception of tables). A page number is required on each page. Number lines should be added on the left margin and should be continuous/cumulative throughout the entire article. Avoid underlining. Differentiate clearly letters O, I and numbers 0, 1. Ensure unusual symbols are written clearly. Submissions are acceptable with either United Kingdom or United States English spelling, but please be consistent throughout. Abbreviations should be given in brackets after their first mention in the text, and used thereafter.

 

Cover Letter

Each manuscript submission should be accompanied by a cover letter. Please note in the cover letter any manuscripts that have been published, submitted, or are in press that are similar to the submission to Journal of Restorative Reproductive Medicine. Also please indicate any presentations at professional meetings of the material in the manuscript, in whole or part, indicating the place, date, and name of the association or meeting. Please describe any use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies, such as generative algorithms, chatbots, or language models used in preparing the manuscript (if applicable). Briefly describe any key points of information that provide important context for consideration of the manuscript.

 

Title Page

The title page may be more than one page if necessary, and should include:

Title

 The title should be concise, declarative, and informative. We recommend that it include the design of the study (e.g., cohort study, case control study, randomized trial, etc.). Do not include any abbreviations.

Running title

A short version of your title, consisting of 60 characters or less, including spaces.

Author names and affiliations

Please include each author's full name. Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the authors' affiliations below the names. Include the department (if applicable), institution name, city, and state/country. Link the authors to their designations using superscript numbers. We strongly encourage the use of ORCID for each author.  ORCID identifiers are required for the corresponding author of any manuscript submitted to JRRM and are recommended for all other authors. The Journal will include all supplied ORCIDs in the published paper. ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that is unique to individual authors. Learn more at orcid.org. ORCIDs can be requested for no cost at ORCID.org and linked to User Accounts on the journal's submission website.

Corresponding author

Only one corresponding author may be designated. Please include phone numbers (with country and area code), email, and complete postal address.

Funding Statement

Even if there is none to declare – see journal policies on Funding

Disclosure Statement

All authors are required to report potential conflicts of interest on the title page of the manuscript. The Conflict of Interest form can be found at: ICMJE | Disclosure of Interest. The full form for all authors is required at acceptance of the article, and prior to publication.

Author Contributions

Review JRRM’s criteria for authorship. Each manuscript must include a statement describing the specific contributions of each author. One acceptable way to meet this requirement is to use the CRediT author statement and resources can be found at CRediT – Contributor Role Taxonomy.

Acknowledgments

Please list acknowledgments (even if there are none to declare – see journal policies on acknowledgments.

Data Availability Statement

The inclusion of a Data Availability Statement is required for manuscripts published in JRRM. Data Availability Statements provide a standardized format for readers to understand the availability of data underlying the research results described in the article. Click here for more information and examples of Data Availability Statements.

Word Count

Include the word counts for the abstract and the main text of the manuscript.

Capsule

The capsule is a summary of the abstract of 30 words or less. Upon acceptance, it will be featured on the website article listings and may be used to promote your article. It should be a complete sentence and clearly describe the final conclusion(s) of the paper.

 

Structured Abstract and Key Words

The word limit for the abstract is 400 words. Do not include abbreviations, acronyms or commercial names in the abstract.

The structured abstract for most study types should include the sections: Objective, Design, Subjects, Intervention (for RCT) or Exposure (for observational studies), Main Outcome Measures, Results, Limitations, Conclusion.

The structured abstract for a Scoping or Systematic Review (with or without meta-analysis) should include the sections: Importance, Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Evidence Review and Synthesis, Main outcomes, Results, and Conclusion.

Keywords

Provide 3–5 keywords, adhering as closely as possible to established terminology, such as MeSH. Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.

 

Main Text

Organize the text using the applicable structure depending on the article type, as outlined below:

  • Original Research, Reviews, or RRM Guidelines: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, References, Appendices (Optional), Figure Legends, and Tables.  Additional descriptive subheadings should be used as appropriate.
  • Invited Commentaries and Guest Editorials: Text (with limited or no subheadings), References, Figures Legends, and Tables.
  • Letters to the Editor: Text (with limited or no subheadings), Acknowledgments, Funding, Conflict of Interest Disclosures, and References.

Use of English Language

All manuscripts are to be submitted and will be published in English, and authors who are not fluent in English are advised to seek editorial assistance before submitting their papers. This will help to ensure that the academic content of the paper is fully understood by the Journal’s editors and reviewers. Both United Kingdom and American spellings are acceptable but must be consistently used within the manuscript.

Units of Measurement

Use the SI system, and its standard symbols, throughout the manuscript. When units other than SI units are widely used, they can be indicated in parentheses after the SI unit.

 

References

JRRM uses the reference style outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), also referred to as “Vancouver Style”. The ICMJE list of sample references is the authoritative style and can be found at https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html. A complete guide to citing references can be found in the NLM’s Citing Medicine, 2nd edition (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7256/).

The accuracy of references is the responsibility of the author(s). Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). To allow the Journal to create links to abstracting and indexing services, including Crossref, PubMed Central, and PubMed, please ensure that data provided in the references are correct.

  • The manuscript’s reference list must be numbered (using Arabic numerals) consecutively in the order in which the references are first cited in the text. Citations appearing in tables and figures must fit into the numbering sequence from the point at which the table or figure is first mentioned in the text.
  • Within the text, use Arabic numerals as superscripts. The first reference used in the manuscript should be listed first on the reference list.
  • In the Reference List, list all authors when six or fewer; when seven or more, list only the first three and add et al.
  • Use journal abbreviations as provided by PubMed/Medline. An authoritative list of journal title abbreviations can be found online by searching the NLM Catalogue: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals
  • The reference list should only include articles that are published or accepted for publication.
  • The digital object identifier (DOI) should be included for each reference.
 

Tables

Please keep each table to a reasonable size; very large tables packed with data simply confuse the reader.

Tables are to be numbered using Arabic numerals in the order in which they are cited in the article text.

Tables should also have a title (above the table) that summarizes the whole table; it should be no longer than 15 words. Every table column and row should be provided with an explanatory title stub, with units of measure applicable to the row or column clearly indicated.

Tables must be formatted using the table tool in a word processing program to ensure that columns of data remain aligned when the file is sent electronically for review. Tables must not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.

Table legends follow the table body and should be as concise as possible. Footnotes follow the table legend and should be indicated using superscripted lowercase letters (a, b, c, and so on). Tables (together with their legends and footnotes) should be fully intelligible without reference to the text.

All tables (including their associated title, footnotes, and legends) should appear in consecutive numerical order after the references and any figure legends. Tables will be placed close to their text citations during article layout. All tables must be cited in the article text.

 

Figures

Illustrations, pictures, and graphs should be supplied in the highest quality and in an electronic format that helps us to publish your article in the best way possible. All images MUST be at or above intended display size. The following resolutions are optimal:

  • Line drawings, minimum 800 dpi
  • Combination (Line Art + Halftone), 600 dpi
  • Illustrations and photographs, 300 dpi

Authors should supply electronic versions of the figure files in TIFF, GIF, or JPEG (photo only) format. Other formats, such PDFs, may be used, but are not preferred. Microsoft Word and PowerPoint formats are discouraged, because there is no guarantee that such figures will reproduce exactly as intended by the author. Figures are not modified or enhanced by journal production staff.

Save each figure in a separate file without its title or legend and use simple file-naming conventions (for example, Figure 1, Figure 2A).

All figures are to be individually uploaded in the online submission process, and not embedded within the manuscript.

Figure Legends

Figures are to be numbered using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on) in the order in which they are cited in the article text. If a figure has several panels, each panel should be identified using an uppercase alphabetic character (A, B, C, and so on). Each figure should have a title and an explanatory legend that clearly identifies the meaning of any symbols, arrows, numbers, or abbreviations used in the illustration. The legend should permit the figure to be understood without reference to the text.

Title and legend information for each figure should be included with the article text, grouped, and placed at the end of the manuscript, after the reference list. All figures will be placed close to their text citations during article layout. Make sure that each figure is cited in the article text.

 

Appendices

Appendices appear at the end of the paper and allows an author to include more detailed information that would interrupt the flow of the main body of the article (i.e., survey/questionnaire sample, large data sets). Appendices are not typeset or edited, and are published “as is,” provided by the authors.

If you use appendices, label them sequentially with letters: Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. Start each appendix on a new page, and make sure each appendix is referenced in the text in alphabetical order. Appendices should be placed after the references.

If content included as appendices is not necessary to the understanding of a manuscript, the Editors may decline to publish it with the manuscript.

 

Reporting Guidelines

There are several reporting guidelines available for different types of studies. Authors are highly encouraged to review and follow the reporting standards that are enumerated in the appropriate peer guidelines, hosted by the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network when preparing their manuscript. The EQUATOR wizard can help you identify the appropriate guideline. Other resources can be found at NLM’s Research Reporting Guidelines and Initiatives.

 

Trial Registration

If applicable, provide trial registration number and URL to registration on the trial registry website. Also include date of registration and date of enrollment of the first subject. All clinical trials must be registered in advance of conducting the study.

 

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Ethics statements should be included in the methods section if relevant and must include the name and location of the review board, and date approved. Please view JRRM’s policy on Ethics Approval and Informed Consent.

 

Author Publication Charge

All articles published by the JRRM are open access and made freely available online. The article submission fee is $25 USD, and is nonrefundable, regardless of whether the article is accepted or rejected. This fee can be paid during submission, or after submission through the payment link sent to the submitting author after submission.  Articles will not proceed to the review stage until payment the submission fee is received. 

Article processing charges (APCs) apply to all manuscripts upon acceptance for publication. APF fees are $2000 USD for IIRRM members, and $2500 for nonmembers. The discounted rate for IIRRM members applies only if both the first author and the corresponding author (who may be the same person) have a current IIRRM membership.

Fees are reduced for author teams from middle and lower-income countries. For further information please consult Article Publishing Charges for Lower Income Countries. If authors are from different countries, the fees will be indexed to the country with the highest income. Letters to the Editor, and invited Commentaries are exempt from paying the APC fee.

Please note that all publication fees are waived for the first 12 articles accepted for publication, during the start-up phase of the journal. (Submission fees are not waived.)

When the Editor Decision email for accepted manuscripts, authors will be requested to pay the APC through the JRRM software or by direct invoice. Payment can be made by Paypal, credit card or direct bank transfer. The APC must be paid prior to publishing an article. If authors encounter technical difficulties with payment or require an alternate payment method (such as invoice by bank transfer), they may contact the editorial office (Email: editorial@rrmjournal.org).

 

Self-Archiving Policy

Authors may make their article available at any stage of development or review in any repository or website, provided that upon publication, the Article Version of Record is acknowledged with a note or citation that includes author, year of publication, article title, journal title, digital object identifier (DOI), and a hyperlink to the Article Version of Record on the Journal website. Authors may not claim that an article is associated with JRRM until it has been officially accepted for publication. After acceptance, the article must be clearly linked to the JRRM.

 

Preprint Policy

A preprint is an article that is made available publicly on a preprint or institutional server prior to or at the same time as submission to a journal. Preprint servers are becoming more common across a range of disciplines.

MedRxiv, created in 2019, is a commonly used preprint server in the medical health field. Some common general preprint servers which accept medical papers are:

The JRRM accepts submissions from articles made publicly available as a preprint. Allowing submission does not guarantee the article will be reviewed or published. Preprints may be posted at any time during the peer review process and are not considered prior publication.

Submissions of papers to JRRM previously or simultaneously submitted as a Preprint must follow the following guidelines:

  1. The preprint must be disclosed in writing to JRRM, in your submission materials. Authors should disclose details of preprint posting, including DOI and licensing terms.
  2. Once the preprint is published it is the author’s responsibility to ensure that the preprint record is updated with a publication reference to the final peer-reviewed article, including the DOI and a URL link to the published version of the article on the journal website. The following example statement can be used:
    “This article has been published in [insert full citation] following peer review and can also be viewed on the journal’s website at [insert DOI].”
  3. Authors should retain copyright in their work when posting to a preprint server.
  4. Conflicts of interest by the author(s) should be addressed in the pre-print article.
  5. Sources – including data sources – must be cited, and permission to use data sources obtained where required.

When discussing their preprint articles with the media, authors should be careful to identify their work as such, as the general public and media may not understand the difference between work that has and has not been peer-reviewed. For more information, see this link.

 

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts should be submitted to JRRM’s online submission system. The submitting author will receive an automated acknowledgment by email confirming the manuscript submission.

During the submission process, authors are required to submit the names and e-mail addresses of at least one and up to three individuals, who could, in their opinion, expertly review their manuscripts. They may also indicate names of those whom they wish not to review their manuscript. The Editors, however, reserve the right to choose all reviewers.

All manuscripts are initially reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, and if appropriate, will be assigned to an Associate Editor. If the paper is judged to be suitable for review, it will be sent to two or more external reviewers chosen by the Editors. All articles undergo this process with the exception of Letters to the Editor and Commentaries, which are based on the decision of the Editor, who may ask experts on the merit of their contents.

JRRM employs a single-anonymised review process. The identities of the reviewers are kept confidential, but the identity of the author or authors is made known to the reviewers. The manuscript under review is not revealed to anyone other than the reviewers and editorial staff. Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality about the manuscripts they review.

Authors should expect to receive an initial decision on their manuscript within 4-8 weeks of submission. If revision of the manuscript is required, the authors should submit within four weeks of the request. Once accepted for publication, articles are posted as manuscript drafts immediately, followed soon by publication in final edited form.

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