Instructions for AuthorsInternational Journal of Eating and Weight Disorders
These instructions help authors prepare manuscripts for IJWD with clarity, scientific rigor, and strong reporting practices. Please review the scope, formatting, data, and ethics requirements before submission to support a smooth peer review process and timely publication.
Scope and Article Types
IJWD publishes research that advances eating and weight disorders science across clinical practice, behavioral health, nutrition, and public health. We welcome studies in eating disorder diagnosis, obesity prevention and treatment, nutrition interventions, metabolic health, and psychosocial factors.
Submissions should highlight methodological rigor, reproducibility, and relevance to patient care, population health, or policy. Interdisciplinary studies that connect eating and weight disorders with psychology, endocrinology, pediatrics, or public health are encouraged.
Authors should clearly state the research question, eating and weight disorders relevance, and how the work advances current knowledge.
Accepted Article Types
- Original research articles
- Systematic reviews and meta analyses
- Short communications
- Methods and protocols
- Technical notes and data reports
- Reviews and perspectives
Manuscript Organization
Manuscripts should be structured to support reproducibility and eating and weight disorders interpretation. Use a concise title that reflects the study design and clinical or behavioral focus. Provide a structured abstract with background, methods, results, and conclusions.
The main text should include introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Clearly describe study design, participant criteria, intervention details, instruments, and statistical approaches. Provide a brief statement on eating and weight disorders significance in the discussion.
All tables and figures must be cited in the text and accompanied by descriptive captions. Supplementary files should be labeled clearly and referenced in the manuscript.
Required Elements
- Title page with author affiliations
- Structured abstract and keywords
- Graphical abstracts when appropriate
- Funding and conflict disclosures
- Data availability statement
- References in a consistent style
Formatting and Reporting Standards
Language and Style
Use clear, professional English and define abbreviations at first use. Maintain consistent eating and weight disorders terminology and diagnostic criteria throughout the manuscript.
References
Provide complete, accurate citations and ensure in text references match the reference list.
Tables and Figures
Submit high resolution figures with labeled axes, units, and statistical annotations. Tables should be readable and self explanatory.
Methods Detail
Describe study design, intervention components, instruments, and software settings when applicable with enough detail for replication.
Statistical Reporting
Provide appropriate statistical tests, effect sizes, and measures of uncertainty. Report the number of replicates and controls.
Nomenclature
Use standardized clinical terminology and include trial registration numbers when applicable.
Reporting Guidelines and Study Documentation
Use recognized reporting standards to improve transparency and reduce review delays. Include the appropriate checklist as supplementary material when available. This helps reviewers verify study quality and makes your methods easier to reproduce.
For data intensive studies, clearly describe sample selection, data collection, validation steps, and quality control. For multi site studies, report harmonization steps and data normalization procedures.
When describing interventions, provide session details, duration, fidelity checks, and validation metrics. This level of detail strengthens the credibility of the findings.
Recommended Checklists
- CONSORT for clinical trials
- STROBE for observational studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- CARE for case reports
- ARRIVE for animal studies
- TIDieR or COREQ for interventions and qualitative research
Data Availability and Materials
IJWD supports transparent data sharing to strengthen reproducibility. Provide a data availability statement describing where de identified datasets, instruments, code, and protocols can be accessed. If data access is restricted, explain the limitation and any request process.
Describe any biosafety constraints or proprietary materials that limit sharing.
For studies involving datasets, statistical models, or analysis code, include repository identifiers or accession numbers. Clearly describe preprocessing and quality control procedures.
Supplementary files may include extended methods, additional figures, or raw data tables. Ensure all supplemental content is referenced in the main text.
Data Checklist
- Data availability statement
- Repository links or accession IDs
- Code or analysis scripts
- Protocol details and instruments
- Sample sizes and controls
- Quality control documentation
Authorship, Acknowledgments, and Funding
Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to study conception, experimental design, data acquisition, analysis, or manuscript drafting. The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all coauthors approve the final version and agree to submission.
Include a contributor statement that outlines individual roles. Acknowledge technical support, facility access, and funding sources, including grant numbers. Any professional writing or editing support must be disclosed.
Use ORCID identifiers to improve overall attribution accuracy.
Guest authorship and ghostwriting are not permitted. Ensure that all contributions are documented transparently to protect the integrity of the scientific record.
Language Editing and Accessibility
Clear language improves peer review efficiency and helps readers interpret eating and weight disorders findings accurately. Authors should use precise terminology, define abbreviations, and avoid ambiguous units or inconsistent naming conventions.
Manuscripts intended for interdisciplinary audiences should explain specialized terms and provide context for experimental workflows, modeling approaches, or analysis models. This supports broader readership and citation impact.
If needed, authors may use professional language editing before submission. Editing can improve readability but does not guarantee acceptance.
Clarity Tips
- Use consistent eating and weight disorders terminology and diagnostic criteria
- Define abbreviations at first use
- Specify units and conditions clearly
- Keep sentences concise and direct
- Explain key methodological choices
- Provide clear figure captions
Ethics, Authorship, and Transparency
IJWD requires ethical compliance, transparent reporting, and clear authorship practices for all submissions.
Include ethics committee approvals and informed consent statements when applicable.
Provide a contributor statement describing roles such as study design, data analysis, and writing.
Disclose funding sources, affiliations, and potential conflicts of interest.
All submissions are screened for plagiarism and duplicate publication.
Submission Process
Submit manuscripts through ManuscriptZone or the Simple Manuscript Submission form. The corresponding author should ensure that all required files are included and that metadata is complete and accurate.
Include a cover letter summarizing the eating and weight disorders contribution and explaining relevance to the journal scope. If your manuscript is part of a special issue, note the special issue title in the cover letter and submission comments.
During submission, provide keywords, suggested reviewers, and any required ethics documentation to avoid processing delays.
Upload figures as separate files in standard formats and provide any supplemental data tables or protocols as supporting files. Clearly label all files to match references in the manuscript.
Submission Checklist
- Cover letter with study summary
- Complete author affiliations and ORCID IDs
- Ethics approvals and consent details
- Figures and tables uploaded separately
- Conflict of interest statement
- Suggested reviewers if applicable
Peer Review and Decisions
All submissions undergo editorial screening followed by peer review by eating and weight disorders experts. Reviews evaluate methodological rigor, eating and weight disorders significance, data integrity, and clarity of reporting.
Authors may be asked to revise the manuscript and respond to reviewer comments in detail. Revisions should include a point by point response letter.
Editorial decisions are independent of payment and based solely on scientific merit. We aim to provide timely decisions while maintaining rigorous review standards.
Rapid review may be available for time sensitive findings when justified in the cover letter.
Review Focus Areas
- Study design and appropriate controls
- Statistical validity and transparency
- Clinical relevance and novelty
- Data integrity and reproducibility
- Clarity of figures and tables
- Relevance to eating and weight disorders
Preprints, Prior Publication, and Permissions
Preprints are permitted when disclosed at submission. Provide the preprint DOI or URL and ensure the manuscript has not been formally published elsewhere. Duplicate submission to other journals is not allowed.
If your manuscript includes third party figures, tables, or datasets, obtain written permission for reuse and include appropriate credit lines. Authors are responsible for securing reuse rights before acceptance.
For previously published methods or datasets, cite the original source clearly and explain how the current work extends or validates the earlier findings.
Publication, APCs, and Post Acceptance
Upon acceptance, authors receive an invoice for the Article Processing Charge. APCs are applied only after acceptance and support peer review management, production, and open access dissemination.
Proofs are provided for author review. Prompt corrections help keep publication timelines on track. Articles receive DOIs and are indexed with structured metadata to improve discoverability.
After publication, authors may share the final article under the Creative Commons license with proper attribution. Corrections and updates follow editorial policy to protect the scientific record.
We encourage authors to link published articles to datasets, protocols, and preprints when applicable to strengthen visibility and reuse.
Submit Your IJWD Manuscript
Choose the submission method that fits your workflow and share your eating and weight disorders research with the global community.
Email: [email protected] | Response within 24 business hours | Author support available