Relaunching Nutrition Journal

Following the appointment of Professor Clare Collins (University of Newcastle, Australia) and Dr. Sharon Kirkpatrick (University of Waterloo, Canada) as co-Editors-in-Chief for Nutrition Journal, we are excited to announce the updated journal scope, as described in a recently published editorial. Here we share details of the refreshed scope and our vision for the journal.

We are very pleased to invite you to submit your research manuscripts to Nutrition Journal. Our vision is to create a journal recognized for publishing high-quality human nutrition research with a focus on transparency and robustness of methods, particularly those used for measuring dietary exposures and outcomes and related dietary phenomena.

Updates have been made to ensure that the journal publishes timely and impactful research that advances the evidence on strategies to promote and support healthy eating among populations. We have also updated the manuscript submission guidelines to ensure transparency in methods and appropriate interpretation of results so that findings published in the journal contribute to the broader evidence base in meaningful ways.

We took this opportunity to ask the EiCs Professor Clare Collins and Dr. Sharon Kirkpatrick about taking on the role, the journals revised scope and other key changes.

What made you want to take on the EiC role for the journal and what’s your vision for the journal?

Diet is among the leading risk factors for morbidity and mortality globally and it could be argued that there is unprecedented attention to identifying strategies to improve eating patterns among populations. Our vision is to contribute to the evidence that can be used to create change through the support of a journal that publishes high-quality human nutrition research with a focus on transparency and robustness of methods, particularly those used for measuring dietary exposures and outcomes and related dietary phenomena.

Why do you think it’s important to include the topics with revised scope and what do you hope to achieve with this change?

Understanding the factors that influence eating patterns among diverse populations as well as relationships between eating patterns and health/disease is fundamental to identifying targets for change to promote health and well-being among populations. Identifying associations between food and beverage consumption and environmental impacts is also important in terms of highlighting eating patterns that can promote the health of both populations and the planet.

Rigorous intervention research, including controlled trials but also natural experiments, is critical to uncovering strategies that can be used to promote these eating patterns among populations, with attention to contextual factors that may impact effectiveness of strategies in different settings and contexts.

Finally, research advancing the science of knowledge translation in the area of nutrition evidence is essential to ensuring that what we learn from research is widely accessible as well as actionable. In sum, the research published by Nutrition Journal is aimed at helping to shift our current reality so that eating patterns nourish rather than damage health.

What kind of research does Nutrition Journal consider?

  • Studies shedding novel insights on factors that influence eating patterns among diverse populations, as well as those that elucidate relationships between eating patterns and health and disease outcomes (the journal will continue to review papers reporting on specific dietary components when a clear and strong rationale is provided, but we encourage authors to consider dietary intake and patterns holistically).
  • In addition to the influence of eating patterns for human health, we also invite research providing insights into the environmental sustainability of dietary practices. Again, a holistic perspective is encouraged, for example, through the consideration of how eating patterns might maximize both human and planetary health.
  • Intervention research, including controlled trials, especially those that are framed using a holistic or systems perspective in terms of considering factors that can promote or hinder the success of various strategies.
  • Natural experiments to uncover successes and challenges in implementing strategies to improve eating patterns among populations, including interactions between policies and programs and contextual factors.
  • Research to advance the assessment of dietary exposures and outcomes.
  • Study protocols describing facets of the study design, including detailed methodology for assessing dietary intake and other nutrition-related phenomenon.
  • Research to advance the translation of nutrition knowledge to health professionals and the general public.

What support is provided to assist authors with manuscript preparation, including ensuring high-quality writing and presentation?

Manuscript quality is an important consideration in determining whether submissions deemed within scope for Nutrition Journal progress to external peer review. The publisher has compiled resources to assist authors with concise and accurate writing, as well as issues such as publication ethics. Since the journal is published in English but aims to publish research conducted in diverse settings with various populations, guidance on overcoming potential language barriers is also provided.

Our peer reviewers are volunteers with many demands on their time. To make the best use of their expertise, we strive to enable a focus on the quality of the science rather than the writing and presentation. We are therefore unable to pursue peer review of submissions that require extensive editing for clarity and concision. It is thus essential that attention is paid to the quality of the writing and presentation prior to submission.


You can read the full details of Nutrition Journal’s refreshed vision, revised scope, accepted article types and other important information here.

View the latest posts on the Research in progress blog homepage

Comments