Volume 14 • Issue 1 • 2025

Letter from the Editor: A Difficult Decision Regarding the Future of Proceedings in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dear Colleagues,

Since its inception, Proceedings in Obstetrics and Gynecology (POG) has operated with an unwavering mission: to champion and maintain the absolute highest integrity in women’s health research. We have prided ourselves on being able to publish fee-free open-source articles. POG has provided a distinctive platform for the publication of research articles, case-reports, and methodology manuscripts. We are especially proud of our recent focus on the publication of work in women’s health that has been co-authored by learners to encourage the development of our future workforce as we know that there is likely a future shortage of women’s health researchers.

We have always believed that the clinicians, scientists, and ultimately the patients who rely on our published work deserve nothing less than rigorous, flawless, and deeply vetted science. However, as the landscape of medical research has evolved, so too has the complexity and sheer volume of the data submitted to our journal. In recent years, the statistical methodologies and massive datasets utilized in clinical and translational research have grown exponentially. While this is an incredible advancement for science, it presents a profound logistical and ethical challenge for our editorial team.

To uphold our promise of integrity, it is no longer enough to simply review the conclusions of a manuscript; we must rigorously double-check the underlying statistics, validate the raw data, and ensure absolute reproducibility. Additionally, we have investigated every inquiry into research integrity of publications within POG to the best of our ability. We have sought to conduct rigorous, yet fair examinations of these works.

After extensive deliberation, we have realized that the task of comprehensively validating data and analyses has simply become too massive for the POG’s infrastructure to sustain. Because we absolutely refuse to compromise our core value of scientific integrity, we cannot in good conscience publish research that we do not have the bandwidth to fully and exhaustively audit.

Therefore, rather than lower our standards or risk the publication of unvalidated data, the difficult decision has been made to officially cease the publication of POG. Unfortunately, this issue is our last. This was not a decision made lightly. We recognize the void this may leave, but we firmly believe that stepping back is the only ethically responsible choice when the alternative is publishing work we cannot guarantee with 100% certainty.

I want to take a moment to express my profound gratitude to the community that made POG what it was:

• To our authors: Thank you for entrusting us with your hard work and for pushing the boundaries of women's healthcare.
• To our peer reviewers: Thank you for the countless hours of volunteer work you dedicated to safeguarding the scientific method.
• To our editorial board: Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our shared vision.

Most importantly, I would like to thank Susan Schwartz-Rogers who has been our Managing Editor since day one. Her dedication has been unparalleled, and her efforts have improved sharing women’s health research.

While POG is closing, the pursuit of integrity in women’s health must continue. The large world of OBGYN editorship and the small town of Iowa City lost a legend last year, Dr. James Scott. He was a long-time editorial board member for POG. We can only wonder what he would advise us through this time, but we think that he would be proud of us for standing by these strong values and responsible stewardship of knowledge and research. I urge you to carry these standards forward in your own labs and practices, and to continue advocating for this vital, often undervalued field of study.

With sincere appreciation,

Donna Santillan
Editor-in-Chief, Proceedings in Obstetrics and Gynecology (POG)

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