Reviewer Resources

IFT’s journals use a single-anonymized peer-review process, meaning that reviewers can see who the authors are, but authors do not know the identity of their reviewers. Reviewers are allowed to voluntarily identify themselves to the author in their comments if they so choose, but the journals will otherwise protect their identities.

Associate Editors search for reviewers based on expertise matching the manuscript topic, using data in the peer review system, Web of Science, and other public databases.

Reviewers are given 2 weeks to complete a JFS manuscript review on the first round, and 1 week on revised submissions. For CRFSFS, reviewers are given 3 weeks on the first round, due to manuscript length.

Reviewers complete a questionnaire form with a text field to enter comments. IFT’s journals do not allow for reviewer attachments, which can reveal the identity of the reviewer in the file metadata. You can save the review form as you go and return to finish your work.

In addition to review by the Scientific and Associate Editors, we strive to secure at least 2 to 3 independent reviews for every manuscript submission that goes through the peer-review process. Sometimes, more reviews are needed.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging: IFT has dedicated itself to four important pillars: diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with the goal to leverage all four to advance our mission and the science of food. We are committed to fostering diverse and inclusive editorial boards, reviewer pools, and authorship of IFT’s scientific journals. Learn more about DEIB at IFT.

To be a reviewer for our journals, you must have:

1. Published at least 3 articles in refereed journals, with a minimum of 2 first-authored publications
2. A PhD in a relevant field preferred, or a sufficient amount of relevant experience (e.g. MS degree plus 5 years in the food idustry)
3. Read the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers available in English, Chinese, and Spanish
4. An account on our ScholarOne Manuscripts Portal (any journal)

If you want to serve as a reviewer and meet all four criteria, please complete this application. Your entry will be screened, and if you are determined eligible, the reviewer role will be added to your ScholarOne Manuscripts account and your application details will be shared with the Associate Editors.

We highly recommend taking a free online course to build and improve peer reviewing skills, such as:

• Web of Science Academy - modules on peer review
• Wiley Peer Review Training
• Nature Masterclass: Focus on Peer Review
• ACS Reviewer Lab

If you are already an experienced reviewer with our journals and would like to be considered for a position on the editorial board, apply here.

Contact the Editorial Office with questions.

The following situations are considered conflicts of interest for a reviewer. If you are invited to review a manuscript for which you have a conflict, please decline the invitation.

• Co-authoring publications with at least one of the authors in the past 3 years
• Collaborating on an active research project with at least 1 of the authors, including if the project has not yet resulted in publication
• Co-inventing with at least one of the authors on a patent application
• Being colleagues within the same section/department or similar organizational unit in the past 3 years
• Supervising/having supervised the doctoral work of the author (s) or being supervised/having been supervised by the author(s)
• Receiving professional or personal benefit resulting from the review
• Having a personal relationship (e.g. family, close friend) with the author(s)
• Having a direct or indirect financial interest in the paper being reviewed

It is not considered a conflict of interest if the reviewers have worked together with the authors on a collaborative non-research project (e.g., an advisory committee) or if they have co-organized an event.

IFT's journals support mentorship and training of early career researchers. If you accept an invitation to review for JFS or CRFSFS, our reviewer policy allows you to share the manuscript with a mentee for guided practice in performing peer-review. The mentee will be held to the same review confidentiality policy as all reviewers. You must check the mentee's review comments carefully before submitting. Please add the mentee's name in the space provided. While reviewer credit on Web of Science cannot currently be granted to mentee reviewers, IFT will give credit to named mentees annually in our reviewer indexes and will consider granting the mentee a reviewer role once they have completed training. Contact journals@ift.org with questions about this program.