- For authors
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
- Published by Open Access Pub
Instructions for Authors
How to prepare and submit a manuscript to the International Journal of Eating and Weight Disorders: submission routes, article types, manuscript structure, reporting standards, ethics statements and fees.
Submission routes
- Primary route
ManuscriptZone
The publisher’s online submission and review system. Register or sign in, choose the International Journal of Eating and Weight Disorders and upload the manuscript files.
- Alternative route
Simple manuscript submission form
A single-page form that opens with the International Journal of Eating and Weight Disorders selected.
- Assisted route
Editorial email
For authors who are unable to use either online route. Send the manuscript files with a cover letter to info@openaccesspub.org.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
Article types
IJWD publishes the article types below. Requirements depend on the format: hypotheses, outcomes, power calculations and a Methods and Results structure apply where the design calls for them. The scope is set out in the Aims and Scope.
Original Research
Empirical studies of eating behavior, eating disorders, body weight or weight disorders using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods, including observational, intervention, laboratory and modeling designs.
- Abstract
- Structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
- Main text
- Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions. State the research question and, where applicable, the hypotheses, primary and secondary outcomes and the sample-size calculation. Name the diagnostic criteria or classification used (for example DSM-5-TR or ICD-11) and the instruments used to assess eating behavior, body weight and body image.
- Reporting
- The guideline for the design, for example STROBE, CONSORT, TREND or COREQ.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question about eating or weight disorders, with or without meta-analysis. Scoping reviews that use systematic methods are included.
- Abstract
- Structured.
- Main text
- Introduction; Methods (eligibility criteria, information sources and the full search strategy, study selection, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment and synthesis); Results with a flow diagram; Discussion. Give the protocol registration, for example in PROSPERO, where applicable.
- Reporting
- PRISMA 2020; PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews.
Review
Narrative, critical or conceptual reviews that organize and interpret the literature on a topic within the journal’s scope, without the full systematic methods of a systematic review.
- Abstract
- Brief, structured or unstructured.
- Main text
- Introduction stating the aim; a short description of how the literature was identified; thematic sections; Discussion with limitations and directions for future research.
- Reporting
- SANRA is a useful guide for narrative reviews.
Short Communication
A concise report of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Abstract
- Brief, structured.
- Main text
- A condensed Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion centered on the main finding.
- Reporting
- As for Original Research, where applicable.
Methods or Protocol
New, adapted or validated methods and measures for research on eating and weight disorders, and protocols for planned studies.
- Abstract
- Structured, with headings adapted to the method.
- Main text
- Rationale; a description of the method with the detail, code or materials others need to apply it; validation or a worked application, compared with existing approaches where available; limitations. A protocol sets out the design, outcomes, analysis plan, ethics approval and registration, and has no Results section.
- Reporting
- SPIRIT for trial protocols, PRISMA-P for review protocols and TRIPOD for prediction models, where applicable.
Case Report
An individual case or short case series with a clinical or scientific lesson.
- Abstract
- Brief, unstructured.
- Main text
- Introduction; case presentation, with a timeline where useful; discussion of the literature and the lesson of the case. Hypotheses and power calculations do not apply.
- Reporting
- CARE. Consent for publication from the patient or a legal guardian, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable; identifying details removed.
Commentary
An evidence-based argument on a current issue in the field or on published research. Perspectives and viewpoints are submitted as Commentaries.
- Abstract
- Brief, unstructured.
- Main text
- Free structure with descriptive headings; claims supported by cited evidence and conclusions proportionate to it. Methods and Results sections are not required.
- Reporting
- Reference the evidence for each claim.
Letter to the Editor
A brief response to an article published in IJWD, or a short observation relevant to the journal’s scope.
- Abstract
- None.
- Main text
- Short text without section headings and with a small number of references. A letter about a published article cites it in full, and its authors may be invited to reply.
- Reporting
- Reference the article or evidence discussed.
Length. There are no fixed length limits for any article type; manuscripts should be concise and proportionate to their content.
Choosing a type. Where a manuscript sits between types, choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter; the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report, a scoping review as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, and a study protocol as Methods or Protocol.
Preparing the manuscript
Files, title page, keywords, declarations, cover letter and language are needed for every submission. The abstract, participant details and statistical reporting follow the article type and study design, and the structure of the main text follows the guidance for the type above.
- Files
- The main text as an editable word-processing file (for example, Microsoft Word), with figures, tables that cannot be edited in the text, and supplementary material supplied as separate files.
- Title page
- A concise, informative title; full names, affiliations and ORCID iDs (recommended) of all authors; and the corresponding author’s contact details.
- Double-blind review
- For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
- Abstract
- As set for the article type above. Studies that report findings use the headings Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions. A protocol uses headings adapted to its design, such as Background, Methods and Analysis, and Ethics and Dissemination, and reports no results. Reviews, Case Reports and Commentaries follow the format given for their type; Letters have no abstract.
- Keywords
- A short list of specific, searchable terms; Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) are recommended.
- Participants
- For research with human participants, state how diagnoses were established and name the measures used for weight, height and body mass index, with the reference system applied. A protocol gives the planned eligibility criteria and measures; a Case Report describes the patient as set out under its type.
- Statistics
- For studies that analyze quantitative data, describe the statistical methods in enough detail for replication, report effect estimates with confidence intervals, give exact p-values where statistical tests are used, and name the software and version. A protocol sets out the planned analysis and sample-size calculation.
- Declarations
- Author contributions (CRediT), funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval and consent where applicable, data availability and any use of AI tools.
- Cover letter
- States the article type and the relevance of the work to the journal’s scope, confirms that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere, and notes any preprint and any request for double-blind review.
- Language
- Clear English, with abbreviations defined at first use and respectful, person-first language when referring to people.
Reporting guidelines
Report the study following the guideline that matches its design and upload the completed checklist as a supplementary file. The guidelines are available from the EQUATOR Network.
| Study design | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Randomized trials | CONSORT |
| Non-randomized evaluations of interventions | TREND |
| Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) | STROBE |
| Systematic reviews and meta-analyses | PRISMA 2020 |
| Scoping reviews | PRISMA-ScR |
| Narrative reviews | SANRA (as a guide) |
| Trial and review protocols | SPIRIT; PRISMA-P |
| Diagnostic accuracy studies | STARD |
| Prediction models | TRIPOD |
| Qualitative research | SRQR or COREQ |
| Economic evaluations | CHEERS 2022 |
| Quality improvement studies | SQUIRE 2.0 |
| Case reports | CARE |
| Animal research | ARRIVE 2.0 |
References, tables and figures
- Reference style
- Numbered in order of first citation. List the first five authors, then et al., and give a DOI or stable URL where one exists. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references.
- Tables
- Numbered consecutively, each with a descriptive title; abbreviations and symbols explained in a footnote.
- Figures
- High resolution (at least 300 dpi) in TIFF, EPS, PNG or high-quality JPEG, with a caption for each figure and text that remains legible after reduction.
- Supplementary files
- Numbered (for example, Supplementary Table S1), cited in the text and listed with short titles at the end of the manuscript. They are published as supplied, so they must be final and free of participant identifiers.
- Reused material
- Written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce or adapt published figures, tables or text, unless the material is already available under a license that permits reuse; the source is cited in the legend.
Reference examples
- Journal article
- Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, et al. (Year) Title of the article. Journal Name. Volume(Issue):pages. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
- Book
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.
- Report or webpage
- Organization Name (Year) Title of the report or page. URL (accessed Month Day, Year)
- Dataset
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the dataset. Version. Repository Name. DOI or accession number
- Preprint
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the preprint. Preprint Server Name [Preprint]. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
- Trial registration
- Sponsor or Principal Investigator (Year) Title of the trial. Registry Name. Registration number. Registered Month Day, Year. URL
Ethics and declarations
Each manuscript includes the statements below that apply to it. The full policies are set out in the Editorial Policies.
Human participants
The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board and the approval reference number, and confirmation of informed consent, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable. Studies of anonymized or routinely collected data state whether ethics review was required.
Clinical trials
Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
Animal research
Approval from the institutional animal care and use committee or animal ethics committee with its reference number, compliance with animal-welfare regulations and the 3Rs, and reporting in line with the ARRIVE guidelines.
Case Reports
Informed consent for publication from the patient or a legal guardian, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable, with identifying details removed.
Conflicts of interest and funding
All financial and non-financial interests of every author, each source of funding and the role of the funder.
Data availability
Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. It explains where the data can be found or the conditions for access.
Use of AI tools
Any use of AI tools in writing, analysis or figure preparation, with the tool named and its use described. AI tools are not listed as authors.
Peer review and decisions
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening, including a similarity check with Crossref Similarity Check. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts. Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
Revised manuscripts are accompanied by a point-by-point response to the reviewers' comments. After acceptance, authors check the proofs, and the article is published open access under CC BY 4.0.
Fees
USD 1,200 article processing charge for every article type.
The article processing charge is payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal's withdrawal policy.
No charge is made at submission. Fee-relief inquiries are considered case by case; contact the editorial office before or at submission. Full details are on the Article Processing Charges page.
Final checklist
A fuller checklist and the submission routes are on the Submit Manuscript page.
- The manuscript addresses eating disorders, obesity or another weight disorder and uses one of the article types above.
- The title page, abstract, keywords and main text follow the guidance for the article type.
- For double-blind review, the reviewer manuscript is anonymized and identifying information is in the title-page file.
- Ethics approval, consent or waiver, and trial registration are reported where applicable.
- The completed reporting checklist is attached where applicable.
- Declarations cover contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability and AI use.
- Figures, tables and supplementary files are cited in the text, and permissions are in place for reused material.
- A cover letter accompanies the submission, which is made through one route only.
Author inquiries
Questions about preparing or submitting a manuscript can be sent to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org.