What we publish — and whether you fit
Applied, clinical and community nutrition that improves real-world health — plus the mechanistic science behind it. Check your fit in 30 seconds, and see why authors choose IJN.
Turning nutrition research into practice
The International Journal of Nutrition publishes applied and clinical human-nutrition research that changes practice — dietary and clinical interventions, community and public-health nutrition, functional foods and nutraceuticals, and the metabolic and behavioural science behind them. We prioritise work with a clear, measurable health outcome and give it a fast, citable, open-access route to the clinicians, dietitians and policymakers who put it to use.
Is your study in scope?
If it sits on the left, you are in the right place. If it sits on the right, we will likely redirect it — so save yourself a review cycle.
✓ In scope
- Applied, clinical and community human-nutrition research with a real-world health outcome
- Dietetics practice, weight management, diabetes/nutrition, and public-health & behavioural nutrition
- Functional foods, nutraceuticals and supplement-efficacy studies with a nutritional endpoint
- Observational studies, clinical trials and reviews — mechanistic and lab work equally welcome
✗ Out of scope
- Food processing, packaging or sensory science with no health outcome
- Agriculture, crop or husbandry work without nutritional measurement
- Drug or supplement pharmacology where nutrition is not the focus
- Single case reports or opinion pieces without data
If you fit, here’s why authors choose us
A fast, fair, fully open-access home for applied nutrition research — built around what working researchers and clinicians actually need.
A decision in ~3 weeks
Single-blind review by at least two experts (double-blind on request), with a prompt first decision — not months of silence.
A permanent Crossref DOI
Every article is citable and permanently linkable from the day it publishes, and indexed in Google Scholar and OpenAlex.
Funder-compliant open access
Immediate CC BY 4.0 open access; you keep copyright and can meet NIH, Wellcome, UKRI and Plan S mandates.
Fair, transparent pricing
A clear article processing charge applied only on acceptance — no fee to submit or to be reviewed.
A real editorial system
Submit and track through ManuscriptZone, with every decision signed by a named editor in the field.
Read worldwide
Open access removes the paywall, widening your readership among clinicians, researchers and policymakers everywhere.
The work we publish and champion
These four domains are where most accepted IJN papers sit. Each “typical fit” reflects the kind of study we genuinely publish.
Clinical & Applied Nutrition
- Medical nutrition therapy and clinical dietetics
- Diet and diabetes / glycaemic control
- Nutrition support in cancer, paediatric and inpatient care
- Weight management and metabolic health
- Micronutrient and vitamin deficiency in patients
Public Health & Community Nutrition
- Nutritional epidemiology and dietary assessment
- Dietary diversity and food security
- Maternal, infant and child nutrition in populations
- Micronutrient status surveys
- Nutrition programmes and food policy
Food, Functional & Nutraceutical Science
- Functional foods and fortification
- Bioactive compounds and plant extracts with health effects
- Nutraceuticals, probiotics and supplements
- Nutrient composition and food-based dietary guidance
- Antioxidant and phytochemical activity with a nutritional endpoint
Behavioural, Lifestyle & Metabolic Nutrition
- Eating behaviour, adherence and food environment
- Sports, exercise and performance nutrition
- Postprandial glycaemia, lipemia and metabolic response
- Diet–disease relationships and dietary patterns
- Nutrition and mental wellbeing
The science that underpins applied nutrition
Mechanistic, precision and emerging nutrition science — considered with the same care as applied work, when nutrition is central to the question.
Nutritional Biochemistry & Metabolism
Macro/micronutrient metabolism, metabolic-pathway regulation, oxidative stress and energy metabolism.
Microbiome & Gut Health
Dietary modulation of the gut microbiota, prebiotics/probiotics/postbiotics, and microbial metabolites.
Precision Nutrition & Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics, metabolomics and biomarker-guided dietary interventions; individual variability in response.
Nutritional Immunology
Micronutrient status and immune function, dietary modulation of inflammation, and immunometabolism.
Life-Course Nutrition
Maternal, infant, paediatric and adolescent nutrition; nutrition in ageing, menopause and sarcopenia.
Methodological Innovations
Dietary-assessment technologies, biomarker discovery and validation, and multi-omics integration.
Emerging frontiers
Welcomed with extra editorial scrutiny to confirm a clear nutritional and health focus.
- AI and machine learning for dietary-pattern analysis and risk prediction
- Sustainable food systems and planetary health
- Climate-change impacts on nutritional quality
- Alternative protein sources and novel foods
- Digital health technologies for nutrition monitoring
What we prioritise
All types are judged on scientific rigour and relevance. Full preparation detail is on the Instructions for Authors page.
Original research articles, systematic reviews & meta-analyses, randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, and methodological papers.
Short communications, narrative reviews, cross-sectional studies, data notes, and data-driven perspectives.
Case reports with clear, generalisable nutritional insight; commentaries and letters on work published in the journal.
Explicitly out of scope
We are upfront about what we decline, so you do not lose time on a manuscript we cannot consider.
Food science & technology
Processing, preservation, packaging or sensory evaluation with no direct nutritional or health-outcome assessment. Better suited to a food-science journal.
Agricultural production
Crop breeding, agronomy or animal husbandry without explicit measurement of nutritional composition or bioavailability.
Standalone case reports
Individual cases or small series without mechanistic investigation or generalisable nutritional insight. Consider a clinical-nutrition journal.
Not sure if you fit?
Send a working title and short abstract and we will tell you whether your study is in scope — before you prepare a full submission. It saves everyone a review cycle.
Frequently asked
How do I know if my study is in scope?
What subjects does the International Journal of Nutrition cover?
Do you accept cell or animal studies?
Is animal-only, livestock or veterinary nutrition in scope?
Are systematic reviews and meta-analyses welcome?
Do you publish clinical trials, and is registration required?
Do you accept public-health and nutritional-epidemiology research?
Is gut-microbiome and diet research in scope?
Do you consider precision nutrition, nutrigenomics or metabolomics?
Do you publish life-course nutrition (maternal, paediatric, ageing)?
Are dietary-supplement studies in scope?
Do you welcome qualitative or mixed-methods nutrition research?
Are null or negative results considered?
Do you accept emerging topics such as AI in nutrition or sustainable food systems?
What about case reports, commentaries and letters?
Do you consider food-science or agriculture papers?
I’m not sure my topic fits — can I check first?
A good fit? We’d like to see your work
If your research advances human nutrition, read the author guidelines and submit through ManuscriptZone — or ask us first if you are unsure.