The drudgery of making endless copies of manuscripts. The time-consuming printing of complicated, high-quality figure files. The expense of courier transport of manuscripts to editorial offices. The tedium of returning manuscripts after review... In our fast-paced, technology-driven society, shouldn't there be a better way?

Yes, we say emphatically! Nature Cell Biology is pleased to announce the launch of our new online submission and manuscript tracking system. Not only Articles and Brief Communications, but also presubmission enquiries and commissioned pieces (Reviews, Commentaries, News and Views, etc.) can be handled through this system by selecting the appropriate type of submission on the submission information page.

How it works

To enter this system, click on the link on our home page (http://cellbio.nature.com). When entering the site for the first time, you will be asked to register some personal details and to choose a login name and password. If you're like us, you may find yourself juggling numerous online personas. You need not fear forgetting this information, however, as it can be easily retrieved by entering your name through a link on the login page. Our system will email the information to you immediately.

This web-based system has many tangible benefits to both authors and reviewers. Authors will be able to upload text, image and video files directly into the system. We encourage you to consult our guidelines for online submission (found through the online link) for information on the appropriate formats and tips for minimizing file sizes. No hard copies should be sent unless specifically requested by the editors. Once the files are uploaded, they will be converted into PDF format to maximize the ability of reviewers to access them regardless of whatever platform and applications they typically use. In addition, after the manuscript is approved, the author will have real-time access to the status of the manuscript.

Reviewers will also benefit from this internet-based system. When an editor contacts a potential reviewer, the email will contain a link to the login page. Once the reviewer has logged in, s/he will be able to see basic information about the manuscript and will be asked to accept or decline as a reviewer by clicking on a link. As soon as the reviewer agrees, s/he will then have full access to all of the files associated with that manuscript. The files can be either printed out or viewed online. An online form containing areas to enter confidential comments for the editor and comments to be transferred to the authors will be provided to the reviewer.

One serious concern of a web-based system such as this is the security of the information transmitted over the internet. For this reason, our system contains several high-level encryption methods to prevent unauthorized access. For full details, see our online submission web pages.

We hope that you will have occasion to use this system. We would appreciate hearing any feedback you might have on it, in order to help us make it better (email us at cellbio@nature.com).