nature-content-guidelines

Content Types

• Articles
• Letters
• Brief communications
• Resources
• Correspondences
• Reviews
• Perspectives
• Comments
• Matters arising

Formats

Article

• main text: max 3,000 words (excluding abstract, methods, references, and figure legends)
• abstract: max 150 words
• displays: max 6 figures/tables
• layout:
  • introduction
  • results
  • discussion
  • online methods
• results and methods should have topical subheadings
• discussion has no subheadings
• references: ~50 recommended
• includes received/accepted dates
• supplementary information allowed
• peer reviewed

Letter

• introductory paragraph (not abstract): max 150 words
• main text: max 2,000 words
• displays: 2–3
• no section headings (except online methods)
• references: ~30 recommended
• supplementary information allowed
• peer reviewed

Brief Communication

• abstract: 3 sentences, max 70 words
• title: max 10 words (90 characters)
• main text: 1,000–1,500 words (includes abstract, references, and figure legends)
• no headings
• displays: up to 2
• online methods required
• references: ~20 recommended
• supplementary information allowed
• peer reviewed

Resource

• for broadly useful datasets/resources
• main text: max 3,000 words
• abstract: 100–150 words
• displays: max 6
• same structure as Article
• references: ~50 recommended
• supplementary information allowed
• peer reviewed

Correspondence

• 300–800 words
• not for original research
• 1 display item
• references: max 10
• peer review at editor's discretion

Review

• 3,000–4,000 words
• illustrations encouraged
• references: ~100
• balanced overview of a field
• peer reviewed

Perspective

• up to 3,000 words
• narrower scope or controversial/speculative viewpoint
• references: ~50
• peer reviewed

Comment

• typically 1–3 pages
• flexible structure
• focuses on scientific, ethical, legal or societal issues
• little or no original research
• references: max 15
• peer review at editor's discretion

Matters Arising

• comments on previously published Nature Plants papers
• separate submission process

News & Views

• discusses recent advances or significant papers
• not peer reviewed

Feature

• up to 3,000 words
• journalistic style
• tables/figures encouraged

Articles and Resources have nearly identical formatting requirements. The main difference is that a Resource emphasizes a broadly useful dataset or software/tool