Content types
Primary research format
Article
Nature Chemistry publishes original research in one format, Articles, which may range from what are typically considered to be short 'Communications', through to more in-depth studies. Regardless of the length, an Article is a novel and important research study of high quality and general interest to the chemistry community. Articles are generally 3–8 printed journal pages in length.
The main text (not including abstract, Methods, references and figure legends) is limited to 3,000 words. The maximum title length is 15 words. The abstract — which should be 100–150 words long and contain no references — should serve both as a general introduction to the topic and as a brief, non-technical summary of the main results and their implications.
The main text of an Article should begin with an introduction (without heading) of referenced text that expands on the background of the work (some overlap with the abstract is acceptable), followed by sections headed Results, Discussion and Methods. The Results and Methods sections may be divided by topical subheadings; the Discussion should be succinct and may not contain subheadings. The Methods section in the main text is limited to 800 words; additional experimental procedures and characterization data should be placed in the Supplementary Information. References are limited to 50. Footnotes are not used.
Depending on the word count, Articles may have up to 6 display items (figures and/or tables). In addition, a limited number of uncaptioned molecular structure graphics and numbered mathematical equations may be included if necessary. To enable typesetting of papers, the number of display items should be commensurate with the word length — those with word counts less than 2,000 should have no more than 4 figures/tables. Please note that schemes are not used, these should be presented as figures.
Articles include received/accepted dates, and may be accompanied by Supplementary Information. Articles are peer-reviewed. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
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Review
A Review is an authoritative, balanced and scholarly survey of recent developments in a research field. Although reviews should be recognized as scholarly by specialists in the field, they should be written with a view to informing non-specialist readers. Thus, reviews should be presented using simple prose, avoiding excessive jargon and technical detail.
Reviews should typically occupy no more than 10 pages in the printed journal and begin with a 100–150-word unreferenced abstract written for a general audience. The main text may be up to 6,000 words. Reviews should include no more than 8 display items (figures, tables and/or boxes). References are limited to 100, so citations should be selective. Footnotes are not used. Review articles should typically have no more than three authors.
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. Unpublished primary research data are not permitted in Reviews.
Reviews do not include received/accepted dates. Reviews are always peer-reviewed to ensure factual accuracy, appropriate citations and scholarly balance, and they are edited in consultation with the editorial team. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
Perspective
Perspectives are a second format for scholarly reviews and discussions of the primary research literature.
Perspectives are shorter than Reviews and may be narrower in scope. They typically present a focused review of a rapidly moving area of science, or discuss a developing field of research that is not yet mature enough to justify a full review. Perspectives may also advocate a controversial position or present a speculative hypothesis. Two articles advocating opposite sides in a research controversy are normally published as Perspectives.
Perspectives should typically occupy no more than 5 pages in the printed journal and begin with a 100–150-word unreferenced abstract written for a general audience. The main text may be up to 3,000 words. Perspectives should include no more than 4 display items (figures, tables and/or boxes). References are limited to 50, so citations should be selective. Footnotes are not used. Perspectives should typically have no more than three authors. Unpublished primary research data are not permitted in Perspectives.
Perspectives do not include received/accepted dates. Perspectives are always peer-reviewed to ensure factual accuracy, appropriate citations and scholarly balance, and they are edited in consultation with the editorial team. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
News and Views
News and Views articles inform readers about the latest advances in chemistry, as reported in recently published papers (in Nature Chemistry or elsewhere) or at scientific meetings.
Most articles are commissioned, but proposals for papers or meetings to be covered in this section can be made to the editorial team — although suggestions must be received in advance of the paper being published or well before the meeting is held.
News and Views articles are not peer-reviewed, but undergo editing in consultation with the author. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
Correspondence
Correspondence provides readers with a place to comment on papers published in a previous issue of the journal or to discuss issues relevant to the subject of chemistry. A Correspondence is never more than one printed page and typically is 250–500 words in length and is limited to one display item and 10 references. Footnotes are not used. Article titles are omitted from the reference list. Titles for Correspondence are supplied by the editors.
In cases where a Correspondence is critical of a previous research paper, the authors of the criticized paper are given the opportunity to publish a brief reply. Criticism of opinions or other secondary matter does not involve an automatic right of reply.
Refutations are always peer-reviewed, but do not include received/accepted dates. Other types of Correspondence may be peer-reviewed at the editor’s discretion. Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication.
Commentary
Commentary articles focus on policy, science and society, or purely scientific issues related to chemistry and are usually commissioned by the editors — but proposals are welcome. They should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. Single-author articles are preferred as this is an 'opinion' section of the journal.
Commentaries are typically no longer than 2,000 words and include up to 25 references. Article titles are omitted from the reference list. Footnotes are not used. Display items (figures, tables and/or boxes) are encouraged — up to a maximum of 3 for each Commentary — but are not a requirement. Commentaries may not contain primary research data, although they may present 'sociological' data (funding trends, demographics, bibliographic data, etc.).
Commentary authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication. Commentaries may be peer-reviewed at the editor's discretion and do not include received/accepted dates.
Book Review
Book Reviews present reviews of current books of interest to the chemistry community. Suggestions for appropriate books are welcome, but Book Reviews are by prior arrangement only. Book reviews are generally limited to one printed journal page.
Authors must provide a competing financial interests statement before publication. Book reviews are not peer-reviewed and do not include received/accepted dates.