Submissions

Submissions

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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.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The author(s) certifies that this is their own work, based on their personal study and/or research and that they have acknowledged all material and sources used in its preparation, including books, articles, reports, lecture notes, and any other kind of document, electronic or personal communication.
  • The submission file is a .docx or .pdf file.
  • Manuscript is single-spaced with text sized at 12 points and one-inch margins. Pages are numbered at the top right.
  • The text employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Submission Instructions.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
  • The text is clear, logical, and free from typographical or grammatical errors.

Submission Instructions

All submitting authors will first need to register on the Gyneca website with their ORCID ID (see these instructions on how to create an ORCID ID and register on our website).  Authors will then upload their materials formatted as per the instructions on this page.

Who Can Submit

All members of the Columbia University undergraduate community, which include undergraduates from Columbia College (CC), the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Barnard College (BC), and the School of General Studies (GS). Mentors are allowed to be listed as secondary authors.

Submission Types

1. Original Research

The submitted manuscript must be original research. However, as a newer journal, we welcome publishing research of a preliminary, introductory, and supplementary nature.

Original Research Guidelines
Formatting
  • Manuscripts must be at least 6 pages single-spaced. [WORD COUNT?]
  • Manuscript lines should be numbered.
    • In MSWord, this can be done by Layout → Line numbers
  • Other contributors (PIs, mentors, graduate students, post-doctors, lab managers, etc.) should be listed as secondary authors.
  • Principal investigators should be listed as the last author.
Non-technical Summary
  • Include a 150-200-word, non-technical summary of the manuscript as well as an abstract.
  • The summary should be different from the abstract. The summary should outline the main points of your manuscript in an engaging manner that can be easily read and understood by a non-expert. A summary should focus on the conclusions of your research, while the abstract often also briefly describes the methods and details of the manuscript.
Abstract
  • From the abstract, readers must get the essence of what your manuscript is about, usually in about 200 words. Most informative abstracts also have the following key components in common: background of the research topic, aim or purpose of research, methods used, significant results, and importance of the findings. Each of these components may be summarized in 1–2 sentences.
Introduction
  • The introduction should discuss previous research relevant to the field and the research project being presented in the manuscript. Emphasis should also be placed on the reasoning and significance of this research.
  • Make sure to introduce concepts and terminology used in the body of the manuscript.
Figures and Tables
  • Figures may be incorporated into the body of the text for readability, at the end of the work, or in a supplementary folder. Submitting an additional folder of high-resolution figure files is much appreciated and will make your work look better in the publication!
  • Tables should be submitted in text format.
  • For plots and graphs, axes should be clearly marked and legible. Figures should be clearly labeled if applicable.
  • All figures and tables require legends that fully explain the subfigures or specifics of the figure. It should not be necessary to read the results section to be able to understand the figure.
References
  • Citations should be parenthetical (Author, Year) and embedded within the main text.
    References should be formatted as follows: Authors (Year). Title. Journal/Book. Volume, Page Numbers.
  • Example: Noctor, S.C., Martinez-Cerdeno, V., Ivic, L., and Kriegstein, A.R. (2004). Cortical neurons arise in symmetric and asymmetric division zones and migrate through specific phases. Nature Neuroscience 7, 136–144.

*Original Research guidelines adopted from the Harvard Undergraduate Research Journal

2. Letter to a Scientist

Written letter commenting on, or responding (support or critique) a recently published science article that is in line with GYNECA’s aim and scope

  • Up to 1,000 words.

3. Question and Answer (Q&A)

Response to, “Why should women’s and gender minority health be a global priority?”

  • Responses should be short (at most 200 words) and directly answer the question
  • Responses should have a specific point or argument, avoiding vague, broad language

4. Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed)

A timely piece devoted to a specific topic with a strong perspective on recent current events that is in line with GYNECA’s aim and scope

  • Written to a general audience, avoiding scientific jargon and assuming no prior specialized knowledge
  • 500-1,500 words

5. Briefing

One to two pages (in published format, the two pages will be consecutive, not front and back) with images and text

  • Visually pleasing, and engaging in its attempt to convey information
  • Takes a complex science topic, or advanced principle, and communicates it in a way that it could be understood by those with a high school level understanding of science.
  • Word count?

6. Reflections

Description?

  • Reflections and personal stories on internships with researchers, volunteering in the field, etc.
  • Advice on how to explore the women’s health field and gain experience
  • College classes: what classes stood out to you as relevant/important to women’s health? How did they influence your perspective?
  • Mini-interviews with students involved in women’s health: how did you get involved? What makes you the most excited? Plans for the future?
  • Word count?

7. Science Art Showcase

Photograph, graphic design, comic, illustration, infographic, architecture, painting, sketch, sculpture, music, theater, film, fashion in any style

  • Include a title and a 100-word description of the entry

Article Review

Articles/pieces submitted to GYNECA will be reviewed by a team of editors, and assessed for their contribution to science literature and our aim to promote scientific literacy.



The submission should be written at a level that allows for those involved in other scientific disciplines to gain a general intuition about the submission's original subject matter.

Peer Review

Following editorial review, original research articles will be subject to single-anonymous peer review. ???

Author Agreement

All authors and their mentors must sign off on the author agreement which can be found in the submission form.

Authors published in GYNECA will retain all rights to their work except the right to publish in another undergraduate level journal; work previously published in such a journal will not be considered for publication in GYNECA. The editors of GYNECA additionally ask that submissions to GYNECA not be concurrently considered for publication by other undergraduate-level journals.

Privacy Statement

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.