Author guidelines

 
Ready to submit? Go straight to submission.
 
 

Overview

Before submitting

Manuscript formatting

Article types

Supplementary data

Editorial policies

 
 

Overview

 
Submissions are assessed by the Editorial Board and are subject to external peer review using the single anonymous method whereby the identity of the reviewers and editors is not disclosed to the authors.
 
Papers are seen by editors prior to being sent to full peer-review, and those that are not in the remit of the journal or that do not meet the standards of science required may be rejected without full review. Only the top 50% of papers undergo full external peer review.
 
On average the journal returns a decision on a peer-reviewed paper in 30 days. Those that are not sent for full review are usually returned to the author within a few days to a week.
 
Fast-track submissions: We will consider rapid assessment of exceptional papers that have already undergone rigorous peer-review in general interest journals.
 
 

Before submitting

 
  • Approval – Ensure all authors have seen and approved the final version of the article prior to submission and are aware it is being submitted to Reproduction.
  • Open access – The appropriate open-access option must be selected on submission. Authors are responsible for ensuring any funder mandates are followed. For further details, please see the open-access policy.
  • Charges – Reproduction does not charge for publication, but some charges may apply for Supplemental Data. Full details are available on our publication charges page.
  • Ethical compliance – All articles are required to meet the requirements outlined in our ethical policy. Ensure you have included all relevant ethical approval statements.
  • Author list – All authors must be listed on the title page and entered on the ScholarOne Manuscripts submission in the correct order. Ensure all author email addresses provided are valid. Author information entered into ScholarOne Manuscripts will be used to generate PubMed listings for published papers.
  • Cover letter – This letter should introduce your paper and outline why your work is important and suitable for publication at this time.
  • English language – Non-native English speakers are encouraged to have their manuscript professionally edited before submission. See Bioscientifica’s recommended English language editing services. Manuscripts may be written in either UK or US English.
 

User account details

 

ORCID iD

All submitting authors are required to link their ScholarOne account with their ORCID iD. The system will prompt the author to do this when creating the submission.
The journal also requests that all authors identified as ‘corresponding authors’ create and link an ORCID iD with their account on ScholarOne prior to article acceptance. We also encourage contributing authors to associate an ORCID iD with their ScholarOne account. Author ORCID iDs will be displayed on the published article.

Important: please ensure your ORCID ID is complete, with full publication history. If a blank ORCID ID is received, it is at the editors discretion to request an up to date publication history.

 

Author email addresses

The journal requires an institutional email address is associated with the account of both the submitting author and corresponding author; please edit the associated ScholarOne accounts to include this before pressing 'submit'. Alternatively please provide an explanation as to why this is not available to the Editorial Office by contacting reproduction@bioscientifica.com
This policy has been adopted in order to verify the authenticity of article submissions and protect the integrity of Reproduction.

 

Manuscript formatting

 
Reproduction offers a flexible submission process for first time submissions wherein authors can submit in any recognisable manuscript format, but should be complete such that editors and peer reviewers may easily assess the scientific merit of the study. Revisions, where invited, should follow the standard Reproduction formatting outlined below, using the highlighter function to indicate changes.
 
Accepted file types:
  • Please be aware that the combined size of your files should not exceed 40 MB
  • For article text: txt, doc, docx, rtf. We are unable to accept PDF files for article text for revised manuscripts, but can do so for first submissions.
  • For figures: eps, tiff, jpg
Changes within revised manuscripts should be highlighted using the highlighter function or coloured text, and should be accompanied by a full response letter to editor and reviewer comments. 
 
 

Article types

 

Research papers

 
Limited to 5000 words for Research submissions. Contain no more than 10 figures/tables and no more than approximately 60 references.
 
Fast-track submissions: We will consider rapid assessment of exceptional papers that have already undergone rigorous peer-review in general interest journals. If you would like to submit to the journal via this route, please contact the journal’s editorial office at reproduction@bioscientifica.com.
 
All research submission revisions should be formatted with the following sections:
 
 

1. Title Page

Include a separate title page with:
  • Title. The title should be short and informative, giving the main point of the paper (with a maximum of 85 characters). It should include species and avoid vague phrases such as 'The effect of', 'alters' etc. The main subjects of the paper (hormone, gene, tissue) should be included to increase discoverability of your work.
  • All authors' names and full addresses.
  • Corresponding author’s postal and email address.
  • A short title (maximum 46 characters, including spaces).
  • A minimum of four keywords describing the manuscript.
  • Word count of the full article, excluding references and figure legends.
 

2. Abstract

The abstract should be a single paragraph of not more than 250 words, clearly stating the objective of the study, the methods used (where applicable), and summarizing results and conclusions. Avoid abbreviations and references in this section.
 
 

3. In brief

As of April 3rd 2022, before final acceptance all manuscripts must contain a two-sentence summary of the work. Please provide two sentences to explain (1) the wider context of the research area and (2) the broad contribution of the research reported. This statement should be distinct from the title, and be used to stimulate interest in your paper, see two examples below. This statement will appear in PubMed search results above the article abstract, and may be used on social media (Twitter) to publicise your paper. In brief sentences are not mandatory for first submission.
 
Examples:
 
Title: Metformin attenuates steroidogenesis in ovarian follicles of the broiler breeder hen
In brief: Obese chickens display an ovarian disorder similar to PCOS in women, which is often treated with metformin. This study shows that metformin may also improve follicle function in hens.
 
Title: Pentraxin-3 mediates prosurvival actions of interferon tau in bovine luteinized granulosa cells
In brief: The establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in mammals require the continuous function of the corpus luteum (CL) and its ability to secrete progesterone. This paper reveals the role of a novel protein in CL survival in ruminants.
 
 

4. Introduction

The introduction should set the study in context by briefly reviewing relevant knowledge of the subject; follow this with a concise statement of the hypothesis and objectives of the study. The introduction should rarely exceed 3 pages of double-spaced text.
 
 

5. Materials and methods

Provide sufficient information for other workers to repeat the study. If well-established methods are used give a reference to the technique and provide full details of any modifications.
  • Include the source of chemicals, reagents and hormones and give the manufacturer’s name in parentheses.
  • Give the generic name, dose and route of administration for drugs.
  • Specify the composition of buffers, solutions and culture media.
  • Use SI symbols, give concentrations in mol/L and define the term % as w/v or v/v for all solutions. For international units use IU (U should be used for enzyme activity).
  • Specify the type of equipment (microscopes/objective lenses, cameras, detectors) used to obtain images.
  • RT-PCR methods should broadly follow the MIQE guidelines, see http://miqe.gene-quantification.info/ and Bustin et al 2009 Clin Chem 55:611-622.
  • Submissions using qPCR data and a single reference (normalization/housekeeping) gene must provide substantial evidence that the selected gene remains invariable under experimental conditions. Authors are directed to the MIQE guidelines for further detail when preparing their data.
  • Methods for extracellular vesicle purification and characterisation should follow the guidelines set out in the MISEV guidelines, Théry et al 2018, doi.org/10.1080/20013078.2018.1535750.
  • The EQUATOR network provides a database of reporting guidelines, aiming to improve the reliability of published health research literature by promoting transparent and accurate reporting. Authors may find this a useful resource.
  • Specify any image acquisition software used, and give a description of specialized techniques requiring large amounts of processing, such as confocal, deconvolution, 3D reconstructions, or surface and volume rendering.
 
 

6. Results

The results should read as a narrative leading the reader through the experiments and investigations performed. Referencing and mention of others studies is permitted in the Results section where necessary or helpful.
 
 

7. Discussion

Should not simply re-state results, but should put them in the broader context and highlight the importance and novelty of the work.
 
 

8. Declaration of interest, Funding, Contributions and Acknowledgements

 

Declaration of interest
Actual or perceived conflicts of interest for all authors must be declared in full.
Please either (a) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported; or (b) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest.

Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to:
  • Employment and consultancies
  • Grants, fees and honoraria
  • Ownership of stock or shares
  • Royalties
  • Patents (pending and actual)
  • Board membership
 
Funding
Please detail all of the sources of funding relevant to the research reported in the following format:
This work was supported by the Medical Research Council (grant numbers xxxx, yyyy); the Wellcome Trust (grant number xxxx); and Tommy’s Baby charity (grant number xxxx).
Where research has not been funded please state the following:
This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.
 
Author contribution statement (compulsory)
Please include a statement concisely specifying the contribution of each co-author. Use author initials to indicate contributions, for example:
CP conceived the study and wrote the paper. GF performed experiments and analysed data.
 
Acknowledgements
Please be as brief as possible.
 

9. References

All references cited in the text must be included in the reference list and vice versa. However, if a reference consists of only a web address do not include it in the reference list but cite it in the text, giving the date the page was accessed.
 
Unpublished work
Any unpublished work (personal communications, manuscripts in preparation and manuscripts submitted but not yet accepted for publication) must be referred to in the text and not listed in the references.
Give the full list of authors, including their initials. For example:
(A Stone, J Brown & MR Smith, unpublished observations)
(J Brown, personal communication)
Articles accepted for publication but not yet published may be listed as ‘in press’ in the reference list, using the current year as the publication year. If an ‘in press’ article is included in the Accepted Preprint service or a similar scheme, then the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) should be included; otherwise, provide a copy of the article as a supplementary file for reviewing purposes.
 
In the text
Cite references in the text using the authors’ names and publication year. Use et al. for articles with more than two authors. Where there are several citations, list them in chronological order.
 
In the reference list
List references in alphabetical order. Give articles by the same author in the order:
  • Single author
  • Two authors alphabetically according to the name of the second author
  • Three or more authors chronologically, with a, b and c etc for articles published in the same year, in the order in which they are cited in the text
List all authors in each reference in the reference list; do not use et al. in the reference list.
 
Reference in the following format:
See RH, Calvo D, Shi Y, Kawa H, Luke MP & Yuan Z 2001 Stimulation of p300-mediated transcription by the kinase MEKK1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 276 16310–16317.
Harvey SS 1975 Hypnotics and sedatives. The barbiturates. In The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, edn 5, pp 102–123. Eds LS Goodman & A Gilman. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.
 
EndNote
Please use Harvard style (Author, Year). Do not use an Endnote style which abbreviates the reference list in your submitted article.
 

10. Statistical analysis

It is the author’s responsibility to document that the results are reproducible and that the differences found are not due to random variation. No absolute rules can be applied but, in general, quantitative data should be from no fewer than three replicate experiments. Appropriate statistical methods should be used to test the significance of differences in results. The term ‘significant’ should not be used unless statistical analysis was performed, and the probability value used to identify significance (eg P < 0.05) should be specified.
 
When several t-tests are employed, authors should be aware that nominal probability levels no longer apply. Accordingly, the multiple t-test, multiple range test or similar techniques to permit simultaneous comparisons should be employed. Also, in lieu of using several t-tests, it is often more appropriate to utilize an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to permit pooling of data, increase the number of degrees of freedom, and improve reliability of results. Authors should use appropriate nonparametric tests when the data depart substantially from a normal distribution.
 
In presenting results of linear regression analyses, it is desirable to show 95% confidence limits.
 
Bar charts are discouraged; scatter plots more faithfully describe the data being presented. Please see the Editorial written by our Statistical Advisor for further guidance on this. When data points are fitted with lines, specify the method used for fitting (graphical, least squares, computer program). If differences in slopes and/or axis intercepts are claimed for plotted lines, these should be supported by statistical analysis.
Give sufficient details of the experimental design and analysis so that the reader can assess their adequacy and validity for testing the hypotheses of interest.
In particular:
  • Describe the numbers of experimental units used and the way in which they have been allocated to treatments
  • Justify the omission of any observations from the analysis
  • Describe methods of analysis precisely and state any necessary assumptions, as these may affect the conclusions that can be drawn from the experiment
Your article may be sent to the Statistical Advisor for comments.
 

11. Tables

Tables should be concise. Tables too large for print publication should be submitted as supplementary data.
  • Number tables in the order they are cited in the text
  • Include a title – a single sentence at the head of the table that includes the name of the organism studied
  • Use footnotes to provide any additional explanatory material, cross-referenced to the column entries
  • Give a short heading for each column
  • Do not use internal horizontal or vertical lines, colour or shading
  • Explain all abbreviations used in the table in the footnotes
Please note that the option to print large tables in a final article is subject to editorial approval. If the tables are deemed too large for the final article, you will be asked to publish your tables as supplementary data and charges will apply.
 

12. Figures

The journal has produced digital image guidelines in order to clarify the standards expected by the journal. All submitted digital images must adhere to these guidelines.
Colour figures are free where the use of colour is necessary, such as photographs and composite images. Colour printing is costly to the journal and colour should not be used for bar/line/pie charts if easily avoidable.
  • Number figures in the order they are cited in the text
  • Include legends to all figures, giving the figure number, keys to any symbols used, the name of the organism studied, the names of any statistical tests used and the probability levels used for comparisons
  • Label figure sections as A, B etc in the top left-hand corner
  • Use Arial or a similar sans-serif font for text labels
  • Do not enclose figures in boxes
  • Indicate magnification by a scale bar in the bottom right-hand corner of the image and give the measurement in the legend
  • Use the preferred symbols of closed and open circles, squares and triangles. Ensure that symbols are large enough to be read clearly when the figure is reduced for publication
  • Use Courier or a similar non-proportional font for amino acid, DNA, RNA and PCR primer sequences and highlight sections of homology between sequences with grey shading
  • Submissions containing images of electrophoretic blots, gels, and microscopy must provide original, uncropped and unadjusted images as additional files for review (please see the Supplementary data heading for further detail).
 
File types and resolution
Reproduction is committed to publishing high quality figures.
EPS or TIFF files are preferred. Files should be exported in Illustrator compatible format, avoiding PowerPoint or Word files:
  • Line images/graphs: EPS, TIFF, high-resolution PDF, AI (Adobe Illustrator).  Resolution at final published size: 1200 dpi.
  • Half-tone (greyscale) images: TIFF, high-resolution PDF, JPEG.  Resolution at final published size: 600 dpi.
  • Colour images: TIFF, high-resolution PDF, JPEG. EPS or AI files can be used for graphical data and illustrations that don’t include photographs.  Resolution at final published size: 300 dpi.  Colour format: CMYK (not RGB).
 

13. Videos

The journal is capable of incorporating videos into articles published online. Upload videos to represent those results which are best demonstrated by moving images, such as time-lapse photography, real-time intracellular trafficking or 3D molecular reconstructions. There is no charge for the publication of in-article videos.
 
Videos may still be published as supplementary data if they do not need to be part of the main manuscript; there is a charge for publication of supplementary materials.
 
Upload your video as a supplementary file when submitting through the ScholarOne Manuscripts system. Please specify in your covering letter if the video should be published in-article or as supplementary data. Videos should be less than 10 MB. Should you need to upload a larger file please contact the editorial office. Authors should keep copies of everything submitted as the editorial office will not retain files once a final decision has been confirmed.
 
The journal will accept video file submissions in the following formats: MP4, MOV, MPG and AVI file types. Please ensure video legends are included with the figure/table legends.
 
 

Reviews

 
Reproduction publishes reviews on mechanisms, recent developments and new hypotheses in reproductive biology.
 
The format of review articles is more fluid but should include the following: 
1. Title page
2. Abstract
3. Conclusions or future perspectives
4. Declaration of interest, Funding, Author contributions statements (where appropriate)
5. References
6. Figure legends
7. Figures/tables.
 
Review submissions should be limited to 6000 words. We recommend a maximum of 60 references for review articles, with 2–6 figures and tables. Original summary diagrams and illustrations of proposed models (in colour where appropriate) are encouraged. Line drawings may be redrawn. Boxes can be used to separate detailed explanations and background information from the main part of the text.
Articles are commissioned by the Reviews Editor and undergo peer review by experts in the field. If you would like to submit a review please email the editorial office with a brief outline (0.5–1 page) of your topic.
 
 

Point of view

 
These articles are to communicate new models, new ideas and new lines of thought. Whilst supporting data is encouraged, exciting new models or ideas may be welcomed without new data. They may also address perceived bias or imbalance in the published literature by, for example, stating the perceived imbalance and providing counterargument; however, authors should not single out recent publications for attack as in common ‘letters to the editor’ format. They are also not mini-reviews. These articles must advance the field.
 
Format:
Length – 1500 words (excluding abstract and references), no sections or subheadings.
Abstract – A short two sentence summary, maximum 50 words.
References – A maximum of 10.
Figures/Tables – A maximum of 1.
 
 

Supplementary data

 
Supplementary data too large for print publication or exceeding the bounds of the manuscript may be submitted for online publication.
 
Supplementary data files intended for online publication should be submitted online via ScholarOne Manuscripts as ‘Supplemental File for Review’, and referred to as supplementary data in the text:
(Supplementary Table 1)
(Supplementary Figures 1 and 2)
 
Supplementary information will be reviewed as part of the manuscript, evaluated for its importance and relevance and, if accepted, will be referenced in the text of the article, directing readers to the website. There is a charge for publication of supplementary data. Should authors not wish to publish their supplementary data, they must notify the editorial office prior to acceptance.

Submissions containing images of electrophoretic blots, gels, and microscopy must provide original, uncropped and unadjusted images as additional files for review. Please consider the provided examples before submitting your manuscript.

Below is an example of a vertically cropped western blot. It was cropped around the band of the predicted size of a protein of interest:

Below is an example of a vertically and horizontally cropped western blot. It was cropped around the band of the predicted size of a protein of interest and to only include a control and treatment group of interest:

Below is the uncropped blot. You can see the shadow of the ladder on the left, the edges of the membrane and non-specific bands. Highlight in red are the regions show in the cropped image. Depending on the experimental context, the authors may need to explain the other bands or specificity of the antibody. If a membrane is cut to probe different proteins of different sizes, this should be indicated in the supplemental data legend.

  

 

Editorial policies

 

Manuscript transfer to Reproduction and Fertility

 
If your paper is found to be outside the scope and priorities of Reproduction, you may be offered the opportunity to transfer it to Reproduction and Fertility for rapid consideration. The offer to transfer is made at the discretion of the Co-Editors-in-Chief, and may be made prior to or after full peer review. Authors may accept or decline the offer to transfer. If the offer is accepted after peer review, then the paper will be transferred along with the reviewer reports. This will assist an Editor-in-Chief of Reproduction and Fertility to assess the suitability of the article for the journal, meaning that it may be possible for your paper to be accepted and published rapidly without further peer review, although acceptance is not guaranteed. If you prefer that the reviewer comments not be forwarded to Reproduction and Fertility, you may decline the transfer and submit directly to Reproduction and Fertility. All decisions made by Co-Editors-in-Chief of either journal are final.
 

Human and animal studies

 
For research involving human samples or patients, include a statement that investigations have been approved by the local ethical committee. Authors must ensure research involving human subjects complies with the Declaration of Helsinki and, in particular, include a statement in the manuscript itself that the subjects have given their informed, written consent when required.
Experiments with animals must be performed in accordance with international, national and institutional requirements. Include a statement that investigations have been approved by the local ethical committee, along with the following:
  • Give the full binomial Latin names for all experimental animals other than common laboratory animals
  • State the breed or strain and source of animals, and give details of age, weight, sex and housing
  • Detail the procedures and anaesthetics used, including doses given
 
Articles will only be considered if the procedures used are clearly described and conformed with the international and national legal and ethical requirements, as well as the requirements outlined by the institution in which the work took place. A statement identifying the committee approving the study must also be included in the Methods section.
Authors are encouraged to refer to the ARRIVE guidelines, and in particular the checklist within them, when preparing manuscripts detailing animal experiments.
Editors reserve the right to request further information on the exact procedures and ethical approval obtained as part of the review process. Papers may be rejected on ethical grounds should the editors feel the study does not adequately meet current international guidelines for humane research.
 
 

Gene and protein nomenclature

 
Wherever possible, manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with approved gene nomenclature.
  • In gene and protein symbols, substitute Greek letters with the corresponding roman letter, e.g. TGFBR2 not TGFβR2
  • Avoid hyphens unless they are part of the approved symbol, e.g. IGF1 not IGF-1
  • Please use arabic rather than roman numerals, e.g. BMPR2 not BMPRII
Follow species-specific formatting standards as follows:
 

Mice and rats

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with only the first letter capitalised, eg Sox2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols except that all letters should be capitalised and in roman (ie not italicised), eg SOX2
  • Please use symbols approved by the International Committee on Standardized Genetic Nomenclature for Mice and the Rat Genome and Nomenclature Committee, which can be queried at the MGI website

Humans, non-human primates and domestic species

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with all letters capitalised, eg SOX2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols but not italicised, eg SOX2
  • Please use symbols approved by the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)

Fish

  • Gene symbols should be in italics with all letters in lower case, eg sox2
  • Protein designations should be the same as the gene symbols but not italicised and with the first letter capitalised, eg Sox2
  • Please use symbols approved by the Zebrafish Nomenclature Committee (ZNC), which can be queried at the ZFIN website
 
 

Digital image integrity

 
No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed or introduced. The groupings of images from different parts of the same gel, or from different gels, fields or exposures must be made explicit by the arrangement of the figure (eg using dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend. Adjustments of brightness, contrast or colour balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Nonlinear adjustments (eg changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend. Adjustments should be applied to the entire image. Threshold manipulation, expansion or contraction of signal ranges and the altering of high signals should be avoided.
 
 

Preprint repositories

 
A preprint is a version of the article prior to submission to the journal for peer review, and has not been copyedited or typeset.
Bioscientifica allows deposition of preprints to recognized repositories, such as bioRxiv, provided that Bioscientifica is informed of this at the time of submission and it does not infringe any subsequent copyright or licence agreement.
Upon final publication, authors are required to add a link from the preprint to the published article (version of record).
 
 

Depositing data in public databases

 
Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit data sets in appropriate public databases, such as GenBank or Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Authors should include the relevant database identifiers and accession numbers for deposited sequences within the manuscript using the following format: Database: xxxx, eg: GEO: GSE6364. Authors are also required to provide the URL for the sequence(s).
 
Please contact the editorial office if you have a query about relevant databases.
 
 

Licence and Copyright

 
During the publication process the contact author will be asked to complete a copyright transfer agreement on behalf of the copyright holder for the article. The terms of the agreement will differ depending on whether the article is to be published on a subscription or an open-access basis.
  • Subscription. The copyright holder will transfer copyright to the Society for Reproduction and Fertility and grant Bioscientifica an exclusive licence to publish the article.
  • Open Access. The copyright holder will grant the Society for Reproduction and Fertility and Bioscientifica a non-exclusive licence to publish the article. For open access, the copyright is retained by the original copyright holder and is not assigned to Society for Reproduction and Fertility or Bioscientifica.

Authors may download a copy of this agreement in advance.

 
 

Cover art competition

 
Readers are invited to submit reproductive biology images for consideration as the cover of Reproduction.
 
Figures must be of high quality and resolution of at least 300 dpi at the final published size (280 mm × 210 mm).
 
Winners will be selected by the Co-Editors-in-Chief and awarded a prize of 100 GBP. Winning images will be used on the cover of the journal for three issues, in print and online, and may be used in promotional material. Images not selected for use may still be used on the Society for Reproduction and Fertility and Bioscientifica websites for promotional purposes.
 
By submitting an image you warrant that you own the copyright and agree to the use of the image as described above.
 
Images should be accompanied by a short caption of 25–30 words explaining what the image depicts and who should be acknowledged for its production. For further information on how to submit an image please contact the editorial office.
 
 

SRF–Reproduction prize

 
This prize was launched to celebrate and distinguish excellence in reproductive biology research. The prize recognises the best research published in SRF's journal Reproduction.
The inaugural prize was presented at Fertility 2018 and the winner was selected from papers published between July 2016 and June 2017.
 
The winner will have the opportunity the present their work at a dedicated session in the Fertility programme.
 

Eligibility

  • All research papers published in the journal are automatically eligible
  • For the prize awarded at Fertility 2020 papers must be published between July 2018 and June 2019

Assessment

  • Associate Editors will nominate papers for further consideration by the Assessment Panel
  • They are asked to nominate papers with high novelty, high impact, an excellent contribution to the field and high quality data
  • The Assessment Panel will discuss all of the nominations and decide on a winner based upon the above criteria. The Assessment Panel will comprise of four Associate Editors. They will recommend a decision for verification by the Co-Editors-in-Chief

Prize

  • The award will be made to the whole author group and each author will receive a certificate
  • One author, preferably the first author, is invited to attend Fertility, with travel, registration and 3 nights' accommodation covered by SRF
  • The author will present their work in a dedicated award session in the Fertility programme
  • If the authors are not current members of SRF they will be given 1 year's membership

Conditions

  • The decision of the assessment panel is final and not subject to appeal
  • One award is available per year
 
 

Appeals

 

Authors are entitled to appeal against a rejection decision made by a journal. Appeals should be submitted to the journal email address. We must receive your valid appeal within four weeks of the original decision, otherwise it will not be considered. An appeal is considered to be an extension of the peer review process and so you should not submit your article to another publication whilst an appeal is ongoing.

To be considered, appeals must directly address the reason(s) given for the initial rejection decision. If reviewer reports were included with the decision letter, then these criticisms must be responded to in the appeal, however you should not prepare and submit a revised version of your article with the appeal. Appeals that are received late, do not address reviewers’ criticisms, are dismissive of the reviewer comments, or contain offensive language will not be considered.

Valid appeals will be sent to a member of the journal’s Editorial Board for consideration. Where possible, an independent member of the Editorial Board who was not connected to the original decision will oversee the appeal.

If successful, an appeal may result in the decision being rescinded and a continuation of the peer-review process. If the appeal is rejected, then the original rejection decision is upheld and no further consideration of that article is possible.

 
 

Privacy policy

 
Reproduction’s privacy policy.