Manuscripts submitted for publication will be accepted with the understanding that they are original and have not been submitted elsewhere nor are being considered by other journals.

Submit all manuscripts to the Editor via email at carol.saunders@qhc.com.

Content

Manuscripts should be directed to practicing clinicians and should focus on a condition or problem found exclusively, predominantly, or frequently in women. Delineate the problem clearly, describe the symptoms, and provide specific information on differential diagnosis and therapy. Readers are particularly interested in recommended management procedures and new developments. Describe research in terms of its applicability to clinical medicine. Accompanying case histories and examples are helpful. Emphasis should be on practical information.

Authors are asked to include diagnosis and/or treatment algorithms, figures, photos, and tables to further enhance and complement the article. Provide descriptive headers and legends or captions for each table and figure. If any elements have been adapted or reproduced from a copyrighted source, this must be acknowledged by the author, who will obtain and provide The Female Patient with written permission for usage (in print and online) prior to publication. Include a signed statement of informed consent to publish (in print and online) any photographs in which one or more individuals may be identified.

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Disclosure

All authors must disclose any financial affiliation with any commercial organization that has direct financial interest in the subject discussed in the manuscript. We do not accept industry sponsored publications except as supplements to the journal.

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Article Preparation

• Feature article length: 2,000 to 2,200 words; word count includes text in tables, boxes, figures, and references.
  
  
• Department article length: 1,000 to 1,500 words; word count includes text in tables, boxes, figures, and references.
  
  
• References in body of text: cite by number (10 or fewer is preferred; 20 is maximum). References should conform to AMA style and have been published in the last 5 years.
  
  
• References should be listed in numerical order at the end of the manuscript (per AMA style). This list should include: author(s)’ name(s); title of article or book chapter; name of journal or book; year; volume number; page numbers; and, where applicable, publisher and year, city, and state of publication.
  
  
• Supplementary materials: Slides, photographs, drawings, radiographs, sonograms and scans are helpful, as are tables, graphs, flowcharts and clinical algorithms. Cite these materials in the text and add captions where appropriate. All tables and figures should include reference information and indicate whether permissions are required. Digital images must be in jpg format.

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Double-Blinded Peer-Review Process

Once a manuscript is deemed complete, it will be blind peer-reviewed by Editorial Advisory Board members or board-approved reviewers, who return evaluations within 6 weeks when a consensus of accept, decline, or revise is met. Manuscripts requiring revision are returned, with detailed critiques from the reviewers, to the author who has 15 days to incorporate the revisions. The revised manuscript is returned to board members to see if the concerns are met. Once all concerns are met satisfactorily, the manuscript may be accepted for publication.

The average length of time between acceptance and publication is 4 to 6 months. Upon acceptance, the manuscript is edited for length, clarity, and journal style and returned to the author for review and approval. Page proofs are sent to authors for final review and approval.

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