Peer review
Peer review: Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
Research integrity
Editorial policies
These policies define how JWRH evaluates submissions, protects participants and confidential material, manages conflicts, and corrects the scholarly record.
- Peer reviewSingle-blind by default
- Double-blindAvailable on request
- DecisionsIndependent of payment
Editorial process and independence
All submissions undergo initial screening for scope, minimum reporting requirements and ethical documentation before external review. Scope includes reproductive biology, fertility, pregnancy and maternal health, and gynecologic and sexual health across the lifespan. Basic and preclinical studies are assessed for explicit reproductive relevance and appropriate methods, without requiring demonstrated clinical benefit.
Editorial decisions
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
APC payment, sponsorship and institutional affiliation do not influence the decision.
Conflicts and recusal
Authors, reviewers and editors must disclose relevant interests. Editors do not handle manuscripts where personal, professional, financial or institutional relationships could affect impartiality.
Editor-authored work
An editor submitting to JWRH has no role in reviewer selection or the decision. Another qualified editor manages the manuscript independently.
Research involving people, care and sensitive data
Research may involve experimental models or sensitive reproductive and sexual-health information, including fertility, abortion, pregnancy, lactation and breastfeeding data. Safeguards must reflect the material, population and methods studied.
- Ethics approval
- Research involving human participants must state the approving ethics committee or institutional review board and identify the approval or exemption where applicable.
- Consent and privacy
- Authors must report informed consent and consent for publication when identifiable information, images or case details are included. Data must be de-identified to the extent appropriate to the study.
- Clinical trials
- Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
- Animal research
- Where reproductive-health research involves animals, authors must report institutional approval and compliance with applicable welfare standards, justify the model and describe relevant controls. Research using human-derived cells, tissues, gametes or embryos must report provenance and the applicable consent, ethics and governance requirements.
Authorship, data and publication integrity
Authorship and contributions
Every listed author must meet authorship criteria, approve the submitted and final versions, and accept accountability for the work. Other contributions should be acknowledged.
Data and images
Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement.
Authors must explain legitimate access restrictions and retain original data and image files. Manipulation that changes the scientific meaning is not permitted. Claims must remain proportionate to the research stage: cellular and animal findings do not establish human treatment efficacy or safety, and observational associations do not by themselves establish causation.
Originality
Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission and redundant publication are not permitted. Preprints must be disclosed and do not remove the requirement for original journal submission.
Use of AI tools
Authors remain responsible for accuracy, originality and ethical compliance. Material use of AI for language, analysis or content generation must be disclosed and must not compromise confidential or personal data.
Corrections, concerns and appeals
Questions about a published record or editorial decision are documented and assessed by the editorial office.
- Corrections and retractions
- JWRH may publish a correction, expression of concern or retraction when needed to preserve the accuracy of the scholarly record.
- Misconduct concerns
- Suspected fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, undisclosed conflicts or unethical research should be reported privately with supporting evidence.
- Complaints and appeals
- Authors may submit a reasoned appeal supported by scientific or procedural evidence. A senior editor who was not conflicted in the original handling reviews the matter.
- Confidentiality
- Manuscripts, review reports and editorial correspondence are confidential and may be used only for the assigned editorial purpose.
Digital preservation
This journal’s content is committed to Portico, a not-for-profit digital-preservation archive run by ITHAKA (the organization behind JSTOR). As articles are deposited they enter Portico’s permanent archive, so the scholarly record stays available for the long term — even if a title one day ceases to publish. Read our preservation policy.