Content types
The entire guide for authors and referees is available in PDF format.
PRIMARY RESEARCH FORMATS
An Article
is a substantial novel research study, with a complex story often involving several techniques or approaches. The main text (excluding abstract, Methods, references and figure legends) is 3000 words. The abstract is typically 150 words, unreferenced. Articles have 6 display items (figures and/or tables). An introduction (without heading) is followed by sections headed Results, Discussion and Methods. The Results and Methods should be divided by topical subheadings;the Discussion does not contain subheadings. If statistical testing was used to analyze the data, the Methods section must contain a subsection on statistical analysis. References are limited to 50.
Articles include received/accepted dates. They may be accompanied by supplementary information. Articles are peer reviewed, and authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Letter
reports an important novel research result, but is less substantial than an Article. This format begins with an introductory paragraph (not abstract) of approximately 150 words, summarizing the background, rationale, main results and implications. This paragraph should be referenced, as in Nature style, and should be considered part of main text, so that any subsequent introductory material avoids too much redundancy with the introductory paragraph. The text is limited to 2000 words, excluding the introductory paragraph, Methods, references and figure legends. References are limited to 30. Letters should have no more than 2-3 display items (figures and/or tables). Letters are not divided by headings, except for the Methods heading. If statistical testing was used to analyze the data, the Methods section must contain a subsection on statistical analysis.
Letters include received/accepted dates. They may be accompanied by supplementary information. Letters are peer reviewed, and authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Brief Communication
reports a concise study of high quality and broad interest. This format may not exceed 3 printed pages. Brief Communications begin with a brief unreferenced abstract (3 sentences, no more than 70 words), which will appear on Medline. The title is limited to 10 words (or 90 characters). The main text is typically 1,000-1,500 words, including abstract, references and figure legends, and contains no headings. Brief Communications normally have no more than 2 display items, although this may be flexible at the discretion of the editor, provided the page limit is observed. References are limited to 15. Article titles are omitted from the reference list.
Brief Communications include received/accepted dates. They may be accompanied by supplementary information. Brief Communications are peer reviewed, and authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Resource
presents a large data set (such as a comprehensive list of proteins in an organelle or tissue, a genome-wide antibody library, coordinated analysis of cells or reagents by several different laboratories) of broad utility, interest and significance to the community. The main text (excluding abstract, Methods, references and figure legends) is approximately 3,000 words. The abstract is typically 100-150 words, unreferenced. Resources have no more than 6 display items (figures and/or tables). An introduction (without heading) is followed by sections headed Results, Discussion and Methods. The Results and Methods should be divided by topical subheadings; the Discussion does not contain subheadings. If statistical testing was used to analyze the data, the Methods section must contain a subsection on statistical analysis. References are limited to 50.
Resources include received/accepted dates. They may be accompanied by supplementary information. Resources are peer reviewed, and authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
An Analysis
is a new analysis of existing data (typically large genomic, transcriptomic or proteomic data sets from arrays or other high-throughput platforms) or describe new data obtained in a comparative analysis of technologies that lead to novel and arresting conclusions of importance to a broad audience. The main text (excluding abstract, Methods, references and figure legends) is approximately 3,000. The abstract is typically 100-150 words, unreferenced. Analyses have no more than 6 display items (figures and/or tables). An introduction (without heading) is followed by sections headed Results, Discussion and Methods. The Results and Methods should be divided by topical subheadings; the Discussion does not contain subheadings. If statistical testing was used to analyze the data, the Methods section must contain a subsection on statistical analysis. References are limited to 50.
Analyses include received/accepted dates. They may be accompanied by supplementary information. Resources are peer reviewed, and authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
Top of pageOTHER FORMATS
A Correspondence
(formerly Letters to the Editor) is a flexible format that may include anything of interest to the journal's readers, from policy debates to announcements to 'matters arising' from research papers. A Correspondence may describe primary research data, but only in summary form; this format is not intended for full presentation of data. Correspondence should never be more than one printed page, and usually much less. The number of references should not exceed 10 for either the Correspondence or its Reply, and article titles are omitted from the reference list. Titles for correspondence are supplied by the editors.
Authors must submit a competing financial interests statement, which is printed only if they declare that they have competing interests. In cases where a correspondence is critical of a previous research paper, the authors are normally given the option of publishing a brief reply. Criticism of opinions or other secondary matter does not involve an automatic right of reply.
Refutations are always peer reviewed. Other types of Correspondence may be peer reviewed at the editors' discretion.
News and Views
are by prior arrangement only. They may be linked to articles in Nature Biotechnology, or they may focus on papers of exceptional significance that are published elsewhere. Unsolicited contributions will not normally be considered, although prospective authors are welcome to make proposals. News and Views are not peer reviewed. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
Book Reviews
are by prior arrangement only, although suggestions are welcome. Book reviews are not peer reviewed.
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Review
is an authoritative, balanced and scholarly survey of recent developments in a research field. The requirement for balance need not prevent authors from proposing a specific viewpoint, but if there are controversies in the field, the authors must treat them in an even-handed way. Reviews are normally 3,000-4,000 words, and illustrations are strongly encouraged. References are limited to 100, with exceptions possible in special cases. Citations should be selective and, in the case of particularly important studes (≤ 10% of all the references), we encourage authors to provide short annotations explaining why these are key contributions. The scope of a Review should be broad enough that it is not dominated by the work of a single laboratory, and particularly not by the authors' own work.
Review authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication. Received/accepted dates are not included. Reviews are always peer reviewed to ensure factual accuracy, appropriate citations and scholarly balance.
Commentary
is a very flexible format, focusing on the scientific, commercial, ethical, legal, societal, or political issues surrounding biotechnology research. Commentary articles should be topical, readable, provocative and introduce new concepts/points of view, providing a personal perspective on a biotechnology-based matter of public or scientific importance. The main criteria are that they should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. Their length is typically 1-4 pages, although some may be longer. Because the content is variable, the format is also flexible. Commentaries do not normally contain primary research data, although they may present �sociological' data (funding trends, demographics, bibliographic data, etc.). References should be used sparingly (10-25), and article titles are omitted from the reference list.
The related format Historical Commentary is a journalistic treatment of the history of a particular discovery or technical development. These pieces may be a personal account by one of the participants or may present strong personal opinions. This format does not necessarily seek scholarly balance, and it should be journalistic and accessible rather than scholarly in style.
Commentary authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication. Commentaries may be peer reviewed at the editors' discretion.
Perspective
is a new format for scholarly reviews and discussions of the primary research literature that are too technical for a Commentary but do not meet the criteria for a Review—either because the scope is too narrow, or because the author is advocating a controversial position or a speculative hypothesis or discussing work primarily from one group. Two reviews advocating opposite sides in a research controversy are normally published as Perspectives. The text should not normally exceed 3000 words. References are limited to 50.
The related format Historical Perspective is a more technical account of a particular scientific development. Like other Perspectives, and in contrast to Historical Commentary, Historical Perspectives are scholarly reviews, including citation of key references, aiming to present a balanced account of the historical events, not merely personal opinions or reminiscences.
Perspective authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication. Received/accepted dates are not included. Perspectives are always peer reviewed.
A Feature
encompasses both the technical and commercial aspects of biotechnology. This format is intended not only to complement the emerging scientific developments reported in the research section, but also to provide a forum for regulatory and business topics that would otherwise not be covered in the journal. Articles are generally no more than 3,000 words, should be well illustrated with tables and figures, and are written in a journalistic style accessible to a wide range of nonspecialist readers. Nature Biotechnology welcomes submissions of ideas for future feature topics.
Feature authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Patent Article
offers Nature Biotechnology's readership an expert insight and analysis of the legal issues that pertain to biotechnology, including patenting, licensing, and technology transfer. Written by specialists in the field, patent articles are an informative guide to the legal aspects of biotechnology research and industry. Nature Biotechnology welcomes submissions of ideas for future feature topics.
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Careers and Recruitment
article provides a view on training, career development, or hiring issues and information on the biotechnology job market. Nature Biotechnology welcomes submissions of ideas for future topics.
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A User's Guide
is a tutorial written by an expert that explains to a researcher how to use online resources to answer questions about biology. It works through an example and familiarizes a reader with databases/web sites/other resources of value in performing in silico analysis of biological data. A User's Guide highlights potential pitfalls and limitations that a uninitiated researcher might not be aware of when carrying out different types of analysis. It starts by posing the question of interest, describes the online resources that one would use, and then takes the user through the steps needed to answer the question.
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Primer
describes an approach to computational analysis in simple terms for a biological researcher. The article briefly describes the approach in a historical context and in the context of other computational approaches, the principles underlying the analysis, and how it can be applied to contemporary problems in biology.
Primer authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
A Software Review
compares software packages or freely accessible online resources that address specific analytical questions in biology. The Software Review outlines the application and its importance to biological research and then describes the software packages to be reviewed. It provides a comparison of user friendliness/bugs/compatibility with other software programs under review as well as a comparison of the features in each software package and their utility. It should also summarize the author's overall opinion of the value and utility of different packages. If the software is an upgrade of a previous package, the review should indicate whether it is worth the money. A product information/specification section should be provided for each software package that details cross-compatibility with Macintosh and Windows, minimum system requirements (disk space, RAM) and pricing (Commercial, Academic, Student).
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
