Journal Guide

Nature Ecology Evolutionis a new journal starting January 2017. We are interested in the best research ifrom across the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology, with our broad scope ensuring that work published reaches the widest possible audience of scientists. We will also publish News & Views, Reviews, Comments, Features and a range of other content that elaborate on significant advances and debates in the field and cover topical issues and societal implications.

We are interested in the best research from across the field of energy, with our broad scope ensuring that the work published reaches the widest possible audience.

The world faces unprecedented challenges in sustaining the health of the planet and 10 billion people occupying it by 2050. Research from the many scientific disciplines in food production, processing, distribution and consumption is well established and growing — the food community now requires high-quality thematic resources for joined-up thinking on global food challenges and their solutions.

Nature Food is a monthly online journal publishing top-tier original research, reviews, comments and opinions on the theme of food, crossing the disciplines of food-related research in the natural, applied and social sciences. With a comprehensive scope, Nature Food provides researchers and policy-makers with a breadth of evidence and expert narratives on optimising and securing food systems for the future.  

Nature Genetics publishes the very highest quality research in genetics. It encompasses genetic and functional genomic studies on human traits and on other model organisms, including mouse, fly, nematode and yeast. Current emphasis is on the genetic basis for common and complex diseases and on the functional mechanism, architecture and evolution of gene networks, studied by experimental perturbation.Integrative genetic topics comprise, but are not limited to:* Genes in the pathology of human disease* Molecular analysis of simple and complex genetic traits* Cancer genetics* Epigenetics* Gene therapy* Developmental genetics* Regulation of gene expression* Strategies and technologies for extracting function from genomic data* Pharmacological genomics* Genome evolution.

Understanding the Earth's history and its future evolution is becoming ever more important as the human influence on climate and landscapes, the oceans and the atmosphere expands.Nature Geoscience is a monthly multi-disciplinary journal aimed at bringing together top-quality research across the entire spectrum of the Earth Sciences along with relevant work in related areas.The journal's content reflects all the disciplines within the geosciences, encompassing field work, modelling and theoretical studies.Topics covered in the journal include: * Atmospheric science * Biogeochemistry * Climate science * Geobiology * Geochemistry * Geoinformatics and remote sensing * Geology * Geomagnetism and palaeomagnetism * Geomorphology * Geophysics * Glaciology * Hydrology and limnology * Mineralogy and mineral physics * Oceanography * Palaeontology * Palaeoclimatology and palaeoceanography * Petrology * Planetary science * Seismology * Space physics * Tectonics * Volcanology Nature Geoscience is committed to publishing significant, high-quality research in the Earth Sciences through a fair, rapid and rigorous peer review process that is overseen by a team of full-time professional editors.In addition to publishing primary research, Nature Geoscience provides an overview of the most important developments in the Earth Sciences through the publication of Review Articles, News and Views, Research Highlights, Commentaries and reviews of relevant books and arts events.

Nature Human Behaviour is a new journal starting January 2017. We are interested in the best research into human behaviour from across the social and natural sciences. Our broad scope ensures that work published reaches the widest possible audience.

Nature Immunology is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of immunology. Priority is given to work that provides fundamental insight into the workings of the immune system. Areas covered include, but are not limited to, innate immunity and inflammation; development; immune receptors, signaling and apoptosis; antigen presentation; gene regulation and recombination; cellular and systemic immunity; vaccines; immune tolerance; autoimmunity and tumor immunology, microbial immunopathology; and transplantation.Nature Immunology places its highest priority on fair and rapid review and speedy publication. Decisions on whether to send a manuscript out for peer review are normally made within two working days of receipt and decisions about publication are typically made within two days of receipt of the referees' reports.In addition to publishing significant original research, Nature Immunology also publishes commentary, News and Views, brief research notes, historical perspectives, correspondence from readers and reviews of the literature, thus serving as the major conduit of top-quality information for the immunology community.

Nature Materials is a monthly multi-disciplinary journal aimed at bringing together cutting-edge research across the entire spectrum of materials science and engineering. Materials research is a diverse and fast-growing discipline, which has moved from a largely applied, engineering focus to a position where it has an increasing impact on other classical disciplines such as physics, chemistry and biology. Nature Materials covers all applied and fundamental aspects of the synthesis/processing, structure/composition, properties and performance of materials, where "materials" are identified as substances in the condensed states (liquid, solid, colloidal) designed or manipulated for technological ends.Nature Materials provides a forum for the development of a common identity among materials scientists while encouraging researchers to cross established subdisciplinary divides. To achieve this, and strengthen the cohesion of the community, the journal takes an interdisciplinary, integrated and balanced approach to all areas of materials research while fostering the exchange of ideas between scientists involved in the different disciplines. Nature Materials is an invaluable resource for all scientists, in both academia and industry, who are active in the process of discovering and developing materials and materials-related concepts.Nature Materials offers an engaging, informative and accessible product including papers of exceptional significance and quality in a discipline which promises to have great influence on the development of society in years to come.Research areas covered in the journal include:* Engineering and structural materials (metals, alloys, ceramics, composites)* Organic and soft materials (glasses, colloids, liquid crystals, polymers)* Bio-inspired, biomedical and biomolecular materials* Optical, photonic and optoelectronic materials* Magnetic materials* Materials for electronics* Superconducting materials* Catalytic and separation materials* Materials for energy* Nanoscale materials and processes* Computation, modelling and materials theory* Surfaces and thin films* Design, synthesis, processing and characterization techniquesIn addition to primary research, Nature Materials also publishes review articles, news and views, research highlights about important papers published in other journals, commentaries, correspondence, interviews and analysis of the broader materials picture. In this way, the journal aims to be the voice of the worldwide materials science community.Nature Materials offers readers and authors high visibility, access to a broad readership, high standards of copy editing and production, rigorous peer review, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests.

Nature Medicine is a biomedical research journal devoted to publishing the latest and most exciting advances in biomedical research for scientists and physicians, with an emphasis on clarity of presentation. Articles cover fields such as cancer biology, cardiovascular research, gene therapy, immunology, vaccine development, and neuroscience, aiming to keep Ph.D. and M.D. readers informed of a wide range of biomedical research findings. Original research articles published in Nature Medicine range from basic findings that have clear implications for disease pathogenesis and therapy to the earliest phases of human investigation, and are submitted from research groups at universities, independent research institutions, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries world-wide. As a cross-disciplinary journal at the heart of the international biomedical research community, Nature Medicine publishes the most relevant original research articles, news, and commentary that form the foundations of tomorrow's medicine.

Nature Methods is a forum for the publication of novel methods and significant improvements to tried-and-tested basic research techniques in the life sciences. This monthly publication is aimed at a broad, interdisciplinary audience of academic and industry researchers actively involved in laboratory practice. It provides them with new tools to conduct their research and places a strong emphasis on the immediate practical relevance of the work presented.The journal publishes primary research papers as well as overviews of recent technical and methodological developments. We are actively seeking primary methods papers of relevance to the biological and biomedical sciences, including methods grounded in chemistry that have a practical application to the study of biological problems.To enhance the practical relevance of each paper, description of the method must be accompanied by its validation, its application to an important biological question and results illustrating its performance in comparison to available approaches. Articles are selected for publication that present broad interest, thorough assessments of methodological performance and comprehensive technical descriptions that facilitate immediate application.Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:* Methods for nucleic acid manipulation, amplification and sequencing* Methods for protein engineering, expression and purification* Methods for proteomics, including mass spectrometry, analysis of binding interactions, microarray-based technologies, display techniques, analysis of post-translational modifications, glycobiology and metabolomics* Methods for systems biology, including proteomics approaches, protein interaction analysis methods and genome wide expression and regulation profiling* Biomolecular structural analysis technologies, including NMR and crystallography* Chemical biology techniques, including chemical labeling, methods for expanding the genetic code and directed evolution* Biophysical methods, including single molecule and lab-on-a-chip technologies* Optical and non-optical imaging technologies, including probe design and labeling methods, microscopy, spectroscopy and in vivo imaging* Techniques for the analysis and manipulation of gene expression, including epigenetics, gene targeting, transduction, RNA interference and microarray-based technologies* Methods for cell culture and manipulation, including stem cells, single cell methods and lab-on-a-chip technologies* Immunological techniques, including production of antibodies, antibody-based assays and immunolabeling* Methods for the study of physiology and disease processes including cancer* Methods involving model organisms and their manipulation and phenotyping* Computational and bioinformatic methods for analysis, modeling or visualization of biological data* Nanotechnology-based methods applied to basic biology.

We are interested in the best research from across the field of microbiology, with our broad scope ensuring that the work published reaches the widest possible audience.

Nature Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The journal covers research into the design, characterization and production of structures, devices and systems that involve the manipulation and control of materials and phenomena at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches - and combinations of the two - are covered.Nature Nanotechnology also encourages the exchange of ideas between chemists, physicists, material scientists, biomedical researchers, engineers and other researchers who are active at the frontiers of this diverse and multidisciplinary field. Coverage extends from basic research in physics, chemistry and biology, including computational work and simulations, through to the development of new devices and technologies for applications in a wide range of industrial sectors (including information technology, medicine, manufacturing, high-performance materials, and energy and environmental technologies). Organic, inorganic and hybrid materials are all covered.Research areas covered in the journal include:* Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes* Computational nanotechnology* Electronic properties and devices* Environmental, health and safety issues* Molecular machines and motors* Molecular self-assembly* Nanobiotechnology* Nanofluidics* Nanomagnetism and spintronics* Nanomaterials* Nanomedicine* Nanometrology and instrumentation* Nanoparticles* Nanosensors and other devices* NEMS* Organic–inorganic nanostructures* Photonic structures and devices* Quantum information* Structural properties* Surface patterning and imaging* Synthesis and processingIn addition to primary research, Nature Nanotechnology also publishes review articles, news and views, research highlights about important papers published in other journals, commentaries, book reviews, correspondence, and articles about the broader nanotechnology picture — funding, commercialization, ethical and social issues, and so on. In this way, the journal aims to be the voice of the worldwide nanoscience and nanotechnology community.Nature Nanotechnology offers readers and authors high visibility, access to a broad readership, high standards of copy editing and production, rigorous peer review, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests. .

Nature Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of neuroscience. The editors welcome contributions in molecular, cellular, systems and cognitive neuroscience, as well as psychophysics, computational modeling and diseases of the nervous system. No area is excluded from consideration, although priority is given to studies that provide fundamental insights into the functioning of the nervous system.Nature Neuroscience provides readers and authors high visibility, emphasis on interdisciplinary communication, accessibility to a broad readership, high standards of copy editing and production, rigorous peer review, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests.In addition to primary research, Nature Neuroscience publishes news and views, reviews, editorials, commentaries, perspectives, book reviews and correspondence. In this way, the journal aims to be the voice of the worldwide neuroscience community.

Photonics — the scientific study and application of light — has evolved to become a key technology behind many devices found in the modern home, factory and research lab. Today, the field is both a Nobel-prize-winning science and a billion-dollar industry, underpinning applications such as fibre-optic communication, data storage, flat-panel displays and materials processing.Nature Photonics is a new monthly journal dedicated to this exciting field that will publish top-quality, peer-reviewed research in all areas of light generation, manipulation and detection.Coverage extends from research into the fundamental properties of light and how it interacts with matter through to the latest designs of optoelectronic device and emerging applications that exploit photons.The journal covers topics including:* Lasers, LEDs and other light sources* Imaging, detectors and sensors* Optoelectronic devices and components* Novel materials and engineered structures* Physics of light propagation, interaction and behaviour* Quantum optics and cryptography* Ultrafast photonics* Biophotonics* Optical data storage* Spectroscopy* Fibre optics and optical communications* Solar energy and photovoltaics* Displays* Terahertz technology* Nonlinear optics* Plasmonics* Nanophotonics* X-raysIn common with other Nature Publishing Group (NPG) journals in the physical sciences, Nature Photonics publishes review articles, research papers, News and Views pieces and research highlights summarizing the latest scientific findings in optoelectronics. This is complemented by a unique mix of articles dedicated to the business side of the industry covering areas such as technology commercialization and market analysis.

Nature Physics publishes papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of physics, pure and applied. The journal content reflects core physics disciplines, but is also open to a broad range of topics whose central theme falls within the bounds of physics. Theoretical physics, particularly where it is pertinent to experiment, also features.

Nature Physics is committed to publishing top-tier original research in physics through a fair and rigorous review process. It offers readers and authors high visibility, access to a broad readership, high standards of copy editing and production, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests.

The journal features one paper format for primary research: the Article. (Please see this recent editorial for an explanation of why.) In addition to publishing primary research, Nature Physics serves as a central source for top-quality information for the physics community through Review Articles, News & Views, Research Highlights on important developments published throughout the physics literature, Commentaries, Book Reviews, and Correspondence.

Nature Protocols is an online journal of laboratory protocols for bench researchers. Protocols are presented in a 'recipe' style providing step-by-step descriptions of procedures which users can take to the lab and immediately apply in their own research. Protocols on the site are fully searchable and organized into logical categories to be easily accessible to researchers.The content, the Nature Protocols, are high quality, peer-reviewed procedures commissioned by the Nature Protocols editorial team. These protocols must have proven themselves in the laboratory, having been used to acquire data reported in published research papers.Nature Protocols aims to publish the protocols being used to answer outstanding biological and biomedical science research questions, including methods grounded in physics and chemistry that have a practical application to the study of biological problems. Further details of our scope can be found here.Brief details of how to submit can be found at for authors.Nature Protocols is associated with the Protocol Exchange which is an open resource through which researchers can share and discuss their Protocols. Protocols within Protocol Exchange come from both academic and commercial lab groups. They are not styled, peer reviewed or copy edited, but shared live soon after uploading.Together Nature Protocols and Protocol Exchange form an invaluable interactive resource for the active experimentalist.