Copyright License for International Journal of Nutrition
Clear, author-first licensing that protects rights, enables trusted reuse, and keeps nutrition research openly accessible to clinicians, researchers, educators, and policy leaders worldwide.
License at a Glance
International Journal of Nutrition publishes all accepted manuscripts under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). This license allows sharing and adaptation for any purpose, including commercial use, provided proper attribution is given. The model removes reuse barriers and improves visibility for nutrition science and clinical practice.
By using CC BY 4.0, IJN ensures that evidence in clinical nutrition, dietary interventions, micronutrients, food systems, and public health can be reused rapidly in guidelines, classroom materials, and policy briefs. The license is machine readable, which strengthens discovery in repositories, search engines, and indexing services that track open access compliance.
Authors do not transfer ownership. Instead, authors grant IJN a non-exclusive right to publish and distribute the work, ensuring long-term author control and transparent reuse.
This approach supports text and data mining, allowing new insights from published evidence while preserving author credit. It also simplifies permissions for libraries and consortia that share nutrition research with practitioners.
Publishing Model and Journal Alignment
International Journal of Nutrition is a peer-reviewed open access journal focused on clinical nutrition, dietary assessment, nutrient metabolism, public health nutrition, and food science. Our publishing model combines rigorous review with rapid online dissemination so that evidence reaches researchers, clinicians, and policymakers without delay.
Licensing is a core part of this model. A consistent, permissive license increases citation potential, supports replication studies, and allows educational reuse in nutrition curricula, professional training, and community health programs.
Author Responsibilities at Submission
To keep the scholarly record clear, authors confirm that the manuscript is original, permissions are secured, and any funding or conflicts are disclosed. Licensing is approved during submission so there are no surprises after acceptance.
- Confirm all co-authors approve the CC BY 4.0 license.
- Provide documentation for third party content permissions.
- Verify that data and images can be shared under the license.
- Include funding acknowledgments and conflict disclosures.
- Ensure clinical images have appropriate consent.
Publisher Responsibilities and Author Support
IJN manages DOI registration, metadata distribution, and long-term availability of the published version. We also provide guidance on attribution language, repository deposits, and reuse questions from third parties.
Our editorial office helps authors resolve licensing questions quickly so the publication schedule stays on track, and it ensures that licensing statements are displayed clearly on the article page and PDF.
- DOI registration and cross-platform metadata delivery
- License statements embedded in HTML and PDF outputs
- Guidance on reuse requests from educators or media
- Support for repository deposits and compliance reporting
We also monitor reuse signals and update licensing language when policies evolve, helping authors maintain trust in the reuse ecosystem while keeping their work discoverable.
What Authors Retain
Copyright Ownership
Authors keep copyright in their work and grant IJN the right to publish and distribute the final article. This preserves long-term control of the research record.
Future Reuse Rights
Reuse figures, tables, and text in future books, theses, or teaching materials without requesting permission. This supports continuity across research projects.
Repository Sharing
Deposit the final published PDF in institutional repositories and personal or lab websites using the DOI. Immediate sharing improves visibility and compliance.
Third Party Control
Authors manage permissions for any third party content and can define reuse limits when required. Restricted items can be labeled clearly.
How Reuse Works Under CC BY 4.0
The CC BY 4.0 license enables broad sharing and adaptation while preserving attribution. Readers may copy, translate, and build upon IJN articles for research, education, clinical guidance, or product development when credit is given.
Open reuse is especially valuable in nutrition where findings influence dietary policy, clinical protocols, and community programs. The license supports derivative analyses, meta-analyses, and educational summaries that help evidence move from the lab to practice.
- Attribution is required: credit authors, journal title, year, and DOI.
- Changes must be indicated: note edits, translations, or derived works.
- No added restrictions:
License Boundaries and Research Integrity
CC BY 4.0 is intentionally open, but it does not allow misrepresentation. Reusers must not imply author endorsement, alter conclusions without disclosure, or remove citations that clarify scientific context.
IJN encourages clear links to the original DOI, data availability statements, and funding acknowledgments whenever content is adapted. If attribution is missing or inaccurate, the editorial office can provide guidance to protect the scholarly record.
For studies involving human participants, ethical approvals and consent statements remain essential. The license governs reuse of the article, but it does not override privacy or confidentiality obligations. Authors should de-identify data and follow institutional guidance when sharing supporting materials.
Third Party Content and Permissions
If your manuscript includes third party material such as photographs, instruments, or copyrighted figures, you must secure permission from the rights holder. Provide documentation during submission and clearly label any content that is excluded from CC BY 4.0 reuse.
This protects authors, readers, and downstream users while maintaining ethical reuse.
- Previously published charts or figures
- Commercial questionnaires or assessment tools
- Brand imagery or licensed photographs
- Patient images that require consent
Recommended Attribution Format
Use a complete citation when sharing or adapting IJN content. Strong attribution ensures accurate credit, citation tracking, and compliance with reuse standards.
A simple template is: Author(s). Article title. International Journal of Nutrition, year, DOI. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Include article title, author names, journal name, year, and DOI.
- Add the CC BY 4.0 license statement and link to the license text.
- State whether changes were made or content was translated.
Quick Licensing Checklist
Before acceptance, confirm the items below so the license is applied cleanly and the article can be distributed without delays.
- All co-authors agree to the CC BY 4.0 license.
- Third party permissions are documented and uploaded.
- Any reuse restrictions are clearly labeled in captions.
- Final files contain correct author names and affiliations.
- Funding sources and conflicts are stated accurately.
- Data availability statements are complete and current.
Compliance and Post-Publication Sharing
The CC BY 4.0 license aligns with most funder and institutional open access requirements. Authors may share the final published version immediately after publication through repositories, professional networks, or nutrition society platforms, always using the DOI to preserve discoverability.
- Institutional repositories and funder portals
- Personal, lab, and departmental websites
- Conference materials and teaching resources
- Professional networks and policy briefings
IJN embeds licensing metadata in the article HTML and PDF so search engines and repositories can display the correct reuse terms.
We recommend citing the DOI in grant reports, CVs, and guideline submissions. Consistent licensing language supports text and data mining, which can improve visibility in systematic reviews and evidence syntheses where nutrition interventions are compared across studies.
Open access distribution increases visibility for clinical nutrition, public health, and food science research, supporting real world impact and citation growth.
Common Reuse Scenarios in Nutrition
CC BY 4.0 helps nutrition evidence move quickly from journals to real-world practice. The following use cases are typical and encouraged when attribution is provided.
- Reuse figures in clinical practice guidelines and patient education materials
- Integrate data tables into systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- Translate summaries for regional public health programs
- Adapt graphics for dietetics training and university courses
These scenarios improve knowledge transfer and accelerate evidence-based nutrition decisions while protecting author credit. They also reduce duplication by allowing researchers to build directly on validated methods and datasets.
License FAQ
Can I post the PDF on my lab website?
Yes. Authors may share the final published version on personal or institutional sites with proper citation.
Does CC BY allow commercial reuse?
Yes, commercial reuse is permitted when attribution and change notes are provided.
Can I reuse figures in a grant proposal?
Yes. Authors retain reuse rights for their own content with standard citation.
What about third party images?
Obtain permission from the rights holder and label any reuse restrictions clearly.
Can I translate my article?
Yes. Translations are allowed with clear attribution and a note that a translation was made.
Do I need to ask IJN before reuse?
No. The license already grants reuse rights, as long as attribution is provided.
