Get your Clinical Nutrition paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.8
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Clinical Nutrition goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Clinical Nutrition guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Clinical Nutrition. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Clinical Nutrition journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Clinical Nutrition guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Clinical Nutrition guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through Editorial Manager.
| Element | Clin Nutr requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract required with mandatory headings: Background & Aims - Methods - Results - Conclusions. For Full Length Articles, abstract preferred to be 450 words max. Abstract should be concise and factual, able to stand alone. References should be avoided in abstract, but if essential cite author(s) and year(s). Non-standard abbreviations must be defined at first mention in abstract |
| Main text | Full Length Articles: prefer introduction limited to 1.5 pages (450 words) and discussion to 4 pages (1200 words). Sections in mandatory order: Abstract, Keywords, Abbreviations (optional), Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgement (optional), Funding Statement (required), Author Contribution (required), References, Figure legends (if applicable). Short Communications: maximum 1500 words, organized as Full Length Articles but with maximum 10 references. Letters to Editor: 500 words max (CNE), maximum 5 references |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Maximum of 6 keywords required. Use American or British spelling. Avoid general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid 'and', 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. Keywords used for indexing purposes |
| References | Vancouver style. References cited in text by Arabic numerals and numbered in order in which they are cited. Abbreviate journal titles according to List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus. Provide all authors' names, article titles, and inclusive pages. 'Unpublished data' and 'personal communications' do not qualify as References and should be placed in parentheses in text |
| Peer review | Single-blind review process. All contributions initially assessed by editor for suitability. Papers deemed suitable sent to minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess scientific quality. Editors responsible for final decision regarding acceptance or rejection |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/YCLNU/Default.aspx |
Read the Clinical Nutrition guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Clinical Nutrition in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Clin Nutr papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Clinical Nutrition journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Clinical Nutrition guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.