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Scientists frequently hear the charge that we need to communicate more effectively with the public. Here are a few ways to facilitate that interaction.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but ensuring that those words make sense is important, especially in the context of a scientific figure. Here are some tips for making your figures count.
“What do cells, genes, transposons, telomeres, RNA silencing and DNA recombination have in common? They were all discovered in plants.” This is how Rob Martienssen emphasizes the contributions of plant research. We asked plant scientists whether their field is getting adequate support and proper recognition and heard a resounding “no.”
While we all make mistakes almost every day of our lives, we try to keep those errors to a minimum—at least in the pages of our journals. Here are a few ways in which Nature journals try to keep the creep of errors at bay.
For many reasons, scientists take a career break lasting from months to several years. Many eventually return but lose their place on the career ladder, working at a level far below their qualifications and talents. Signs of improved access for returners are hugely encouraging.
Signals to and within the cell are integrated at many levels to facilitate a meaningful outcome. In this issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, we present, in conjunction with Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, an in-depth look at the mechanisms underlying such integration.
Our recent web focus on virology and several articles in this issue prompt us to ask how a molecular understanding of the host-pathogen interaction can lead to the development of novel strategies to combat infectious diseases.
Your paper went out to review, and after anxious waiting, you receive the letter asking for a revised paper. However, those ever-demanding editors and reviewers want more. One of the most important elements of a revision is the point-by-point response. Here are some tips for making it more effective.
In some countries, science funding has seen a cash boost intended to stimulate long-term research efforts and competitiveness in response to the global economic crisis; in others, researchers and university employees are being forced to tighten their belts to accommodate budget deficits.
Less is more when it comes to writing a good scientific paper. Tell a story in clear, simple language and keep in mind the importance of the 'big picture'.
In 2010, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology will carry a series of quarterly web features devoted to diverse areas within the journal's scope. As we unveil the first, on RNA silencing, we consider the eloquent argument made by this field for the power of model-organism biology.
