Instructions for Authors
How the International Journal of Nutrition expects a human-nutrition manuscript to be prepared, reviewed and published — from article types and word limits to ethics, references and fees.
Free to submit and be reviewed — an article processing charge applies only on acceptance.
The 60-second checklist
If your manuscript meets these, you are ready to submit. Full detail follows below.
- Original work in human nutrition, not under review elsewhere.
- Structured abstract (≤ 250 words) and 5–12 keywords.
- Methods detailed enough to replicate; statistics and software stated.
- Ethics approval number and informed consent for human studies.
- Numbered references in order of appearance (see the format below).
- Declarations: author contributions (CRediT), funding, conflicts of interest.
- Cover letter (≤ 500 words) and a designated corresponding author with ORCID.
Submit through ManuscriptZone
IJN uses ManuscriptZone, our online editorial and peer-review system. You’ll receive an acknowledgement number within 72 hours.
Open ManuscriptZonePrefer a guided form? Use our submission form (with IJN pre-selected), or email your files to [email protected].
How to submit in three steps
Prepare your manuscript
Format your paper to the structure below and include all required sections, declarations and a cover letter (≤ 500 words).
Submit online
Submit through ManuscriptZone, our editorial and peer-review system — or use the guided form. You receive an acknowledgement number within 72 hours.
Peer review & decision
Single-blind review by at least two independent experts (double-blind on request), with a first decision in about three weeks.
Tip: include a cover letter (maximum 500 words) stating the significance of your work and confirming it is not under consideration elsewhere.
Article types
International Journal of Nutrition welcomes the following contributions across human nutrition science.
Original research articles
Novel empirical nutrition studies with clearly defined methods and findings.
Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
Comprehensive, protocol-driven evidence syntheses.
Clinical trials
Reports of intervention studies (prospective registration required).
Review articles
State-of-the-art overviews of a defined nutrition research area.
Short communications
Concise reports of preliminary or focused findings.
Case reports & case series
Clinically significant nutrition-related observations.
Methodology papers
Novel, validated techniques or protocols.
Letters & commentaries
Scholarly discussion of published work.
Work centred on food technology, agriculture or pharmacology without a clear human-nutrition focus is outside our scope. See the full aims & scope →
Structure & formatting
Use the order and limits below. Manuscripts should be complete and self-contained.
- Title
- Clear and concise (max 30 words); no abbreviations; reflects the study.
- Author details
- Full names, institutional affiliations, ORCID iDs (recommended), and a designated corresponding author.
- Running title
- Shortened header version, max 60 characters including spaces.
- Abstract
- Structured, max 250 words: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
- Keywords
- 5–12 specific, searchable terms; use MeSH terms where applicable.
- Introduction
- Up to 500 words: objectives, essential background, hypotheses tested.
- Materials & methods
- Sufficient detail for replication: design, participants, interventions/exposures, outcome measures, statistics (with software), and ethics approval.
- Results
- Findings presented logically, with tables/figures, p-values and confidence intervals.
- Discussion
- Up to 1,500 words: principal findings, comparison with prior work, strengths and limitations, implications, future directions.
- Conclusion
- Concise summary of key findings and their practical significance.
- Declarations
- Author contributions (CRediT), funding statement, and conflict-of-interest disclosure.
How to cite and present data
- Reference style
- Numbered citations in order of appearance. List the first five authors, then “et al.” Authors are responsible for accuracy.
- Tables
- Each on a separate page with a descriptive title and legend; numbered consecutively (Table 1, Table 2…).
- Figures
- High-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) TIFF, EPS or high-quality JPEG; caption below each figure; text legible after reduction.
- Abbreviations
- Define at first use; limit to those that genuinely improve readability.
Standards every submission must meet
The journal follows COPE-aligned ethics. See our editorial policies for the full statement.
- Human studies
- Must have ethics-committee approval (include the approval number), documented informed consent, and protected participant confidentiality.
- Clinical trials
- Prospectively registered in a recognised public registry (e.g. ClinicalTrials.gov) before enrolment; include the registration number.
- Animal models
- Where mechanistic studies use animal models, comply with ARRIVE guidelines and institutional animal-welfare regulations, and state efforts to minimise harm.
- Data availability
- Include a data-availability statement; data sharing is encouraged.
- Integrity
- Zero tolerance for plagiarism, fabrication or falsification. All submissions undergo similarity screening.
Article processing charges
There is no fee to submit or to be reviewed. A charge applies only if your article is accepted for publication.
| Article type | Charge (USD) |
|---|---|
| Original research articles | $3,600 |
| Review & systematic review articles | $3,000 |
| Short communications | $3,000 |
| Submission & peer-review fee | $0 |
What the charge covers
- Independent peer review and editorial handling
- Professional copyediting and typesetting
- Crossref DOI registration and XML/PDF production
- Open-access hosting and long-term preservation
Waivers and institutional discounts may apply in exceptional cases — see the full APC policy.
After acceptance: your paper is copyedited and typeset, you review proofs (48-hour turnaround requested), and the final article is published open access with a permanent Crossref DOI and made discoverable through Google Scholar and scholarly search services.
Frequently asked questions
How do I submit my manuscript to IJN?
Is there a fee to submit?
How much is the article processing charge (APC)?
How long does the first decision take?
What type of peer review does IJN use?
Is the journal open access? Who holds copyright?
What is the journal's scope?
What article types does IJN accept?
Are there word limits I should follow?
What file formats and figure resolution do you require?
Is ORCID required for authors?
Do clinical trials need to be registered?
Does IJN screen for plagiarism?
Can I submit work that is under review elsewhere?
What happens after my article is accepted?
Are fee waivers available?
Ready to submit to IJN?
Prepare your manuscript to the guidance above, then submit through ManuscriptZone — our online editorial and peer-review system.