The Nature journals publish several different types of articles about science and medicine. Broadly speaking, these can be divided into articles reporting original scientific research; those reviewing scientific research; scientific journalism (news); opinion about science-related matters; articles about science history; and articles about the interface of science and culture.

This page describes these article types.

In Nature journals, original research is published either as an Article, Letter, Resource (presents a large dataset of broad usefulness, interest and significance) Brief Communication or Technical Report.

Nature does not publish the Brief Communication, Resource or Technical Report format. In Nature, there are fewer Articles published per week (typically around 3) than there are Letters (typically around 17). Some, but not all, Articles and Letters are published online before they appear in the print edition of the journal (AOP, or Advance Online Publication). The Nature guide to authors provides detailed information about these categories.

In the Nature monthly journals, research is published as Articles, all of which are published online ahead of the print editions. Some, but not all of the monthly journals publish research in Letter, Resource, Brief Communication or Technical Report format. Each journal describes the content type it publishes in its own guide to authors.

Articles in the Nature journals that review recent advances in the scientific literature are called Reviews. The Nature Reviews journals also publish Progress articles (highly topical, short reviews). Nature publishes Insights (themed collections of several review articles) and, occasionally, Analysis (meta-analysis of existing data). Some of the Nature journals publish Perspectives and Historical Perspectives. Perspectives discuss models and ideas from a personal but balanced viewpoint. They are intended to stimulate discussion and new experimental approaches. All these articles (Reviews, Progress, Analysis, Insights, Perspectives and Historical Perspectives) are peer-reviewed. See each journal's guide to authors for further information.

The Nature journals also publish News and Views: short, accessible articles focused on one scientific advance independent of the author's own research. They are almost always commissioned by the editors, but suggestions can be made. News and Views articles generally describe a published research report but sometimes take the form of scientific meeting reports. News and Views articles are personal views by specialists in the discipline, and are not usually peer-reviewed. See each journal's guide to authors for more details.

Authors wishing to submit suggestions or synopses for articles in any of these categories should first read the relevant part of the guide to authors on website of the journal to which they wish to submit. Some Nature journals do not accept unsolicited suggestions for some of these article types, so it saves authors time if they first check the editorial criteria of the journal before approaching the editors.

Nature has an extensive, lively and informative news journalism section, in the form of News, News Features, Research Highlights, Special Reports and many other journalism features in the weekly issue, and a daily online news website. Of the monthly Nature journals, Nature Medicine and Nature Biotechnology have thriving news sections. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery and Nature Reviews Microbiology publish News and Analysis. All these articles are commissioned by the news and other staff editors; unsolicited contributions are not considered.

Nature contains a weekly magazine at the end of the print section called NatureJobs, a multi-faceted career resource which as well as news related to scientific jobs, recruitment and careers, includes many other features. Suggestions for articles are welcomed.

Nature and most of the Nature research journals publish Editorials: opinion articles written by the editors about topical issues of the day concerning science, particularly its interface with wider society. Because these articles represent the voice of the journal, they are unsigned. Sometimes, these Editorials announce and describe a new or amended editorial policy. These policy announcements are collected in the relevant parts of the editorial policies section of the authors & referees @ npg website. Contributions are not considered for Editorials.

For Nature, Opinion by readers is published in the form of short Correspondence (unsolicited submissions are welcomed by email to correspondence@nature.com ), or longer, more rounded Opinion articles (commissioned by the editors). Nature does not consider unsolicited suggestions or submissions for Opinion articles.

Some other Nature journals publish Commentary, Opinion or Correspondence, but others do not. To save their time, potential authors are advised to read the relevant journal's  guide to authors before submitting.

Readers of Nature news can comment on articles at the journal website.

Readers' technical comments on scientific research published in the Nature journals are not published in the opinion sections, but must be submitted to the journal for formal peer review (see the relevant journal's guide to authors for details).

Increasingly, Nature Publishing Group is publishing informal opinion in the form of reader comments on its blogs (weblogs) and at Nature Network.

Nature and many of the Nature research journals publish Books, Events and Arts reviews, and, together with the Reviews journals, publish Essays or Opinion articles on various aspects of science and culture in the wider world.