Science

*Reviews (4 journal pages, on average) describe new developments o f interdisciplinary significance and highlight unresolved questions and future directions. All Reviews undergo peer review. They include an abstract, an introduction that outlines the main point, and brief subheadings. A maximum of 40 references is suggested. Most Reviews are solicited by the editors, but unsolicited submissions may also be considered

Research Articles (up to ~4500 words, Including references, notes and captions, or ~5 journal pages) are expected to present a major advance. Research Articles include an abstract, an introduction, up to six figures or tables, sections with brief subheadings, and a maximum of 40 references. Materials and Methods should usually be included in supporting online material, which should also include information needed to support the paper's conclusions.

Reports (up to ~2500 words or ~3 journal pages) present important new research results of broad significance. Reports should include an abstract, an introductory paragraph, up to four figures or tables, and a maximum of 30 references. Materials and Methods should usually be included in supporting online material, which should also include information needed to support the paper's conclusions.


Nature

Publication Criteria
   * report original scientific research (the main results and conclusions must not have been published or submitted elsewhere)
    * are of outstanding scientific importance
    * reach a conclusion of interest to an interdisciplinary readership.
Further editorial criteria may be applicable for different kinds of papers, as follows:
* large dataset papers: should aim to either report a fully comprehensive dataset, defined by complete and extensive validation, or provide significant technical advance or scientific insight.
    * technical papers: papers that make solely technical advances will be considered in cases where the technique reported will have significant impacts on communities of fellow researchers.

Articles are original reports whose conclusions represent a substantial advance in understanding of an important problem and have immediate, far-reaching implications. They do not normally exceed 5 pages of Nature and have no more than 50 references. (One page of undiluted text is about 1,300 words.)
Articles have a summary, separate from the main text, of up to 150 words, which does not have references, and does not contain numbers, abbreviations, acronyms or measurements unless essential. It is aimed at readers outside the discipline. This summary contains a paragraph (2-3 sentences) of basic-level introduction to the field; a brief account of the background and rationale of the work; a statement of the main conclusions (introduced by the phrase 'Here we show' or its equivalent); and finally, 2-3 sentences putting the main findings into general context so it is clear how the results described in the paper have moved the field forwards.
Articles are typically 3,000 words of text, beginning with up to 500 words of referenced text expanding on the background to the work (some overlap with the summary is acceptable), before proceeding to a concise, focused account of the findings, ending with one or two short paragraphs of discussion.
Articles typically have 5 or 6 display items (figures or tables).

Letters are short reports of original research focused on an outstanding finding whose importance means that it will be of interest to scientists in other fields.
They do not normally exceed 4 pages of Nature, and have no more than 30 references. They begin with a fully referenced paragraph, ideally of about 200 words, but certainly no more than 300 words, aimed at readers in other disciplines. This paragraph starts with a 2-3 sentence basic introduction to the field; followed by a one-sentence statement of the main conclusions starting 'Here we show' or equivalent phrase; and finally, 2-3 sentences putting the main findings into general context so it is clear how the results described in the paper have moved the field forwards.


Insight, *Review and Progress articles
Nature publishes two kinds of review, Review and Progress articles. It also publishes commissioned collections of review and other related material on one scientific theme as 'Insights' several times a year.  For further information about Insights, contact the Insights Editor. Reviews and Progress articles inform a broad readership about fields in which there have been recent, important advances. Progress articles differ from Reviews in that they focus on current papers of outstanding interest that are setting new standards in a field. Because of their topicality. Progress articles should be written and submitted within a few weeks of Nature's editors expressing interest in a synopsis.
    * They focus on one topical aspect of a field rather than providing a comprehensive literature survey.
    * They can be controversial, but in this case should briefly indicate opposing viewpoints. They should not be focused on the author's own work. Language should be simple, novel concepts defined and specialist terminology explained.
    * They are peer-reviewed, and are substantially edited by Nature's editors in consultation with the author.
Review Articles survey recent developments in a topical area of scientific research or, on occasion, can be more wide-ranging.  They do not generally occupy more than 6 pages of Nature.
    * Progress articles are shorter reviews of topical, fast-moving fields, and do not exceed 4 pages of Nature.
* Reviews should not generally be more than 6 pages long. There should be no more than 100 references and ideally half that number. Display items and explanatory boxes (used for explanation of technical points or background material) are welcomed.

Most articles are commissioned, but authors wishing to submit an unsolicited Review or Progress must do so through our online submission system.
    * The synopsis should outline the basic structure of the article; list the material to be covered with an indication of the proposed depth of coverage; and indicate how the material will be logically arranged.
    * The synopsis should be accompanied by a 300-500 word outline of the background to the topic which summarizes the progress made to date and should also make the case succinctly for publication in a topical, interdisciplinary journal.
    * Synopses prepared at this level of detail enable Nature's editors to provide editorial input before they commission the article, and can reduce the need for substantial editorial revisions at a later stage.
    * The synopsis should include any very recent, key publications in the area (no more than five), and state the last time the topic was reviewed (if it has been reviewed previously).


Nature Geosciences

Letter
A Letter reports an important novel research study. Letters typically occupy four printed journal pages. The text is limited to 2,000 words, including the introductory paragraph, but excluding Methods, references and figure legends. Letters should have no more than 3—5 display items (figures and/or tables). References are limited to 30. This format begins with a title of, at most, 90 characters (including spaces), followed by an introductory paragraph (not abstract) of approximately 200 words, summarizing the background, rationale, main results (introduced by "Here we show" or some equivalent phrase) and implications of the study. This paragraph should be fully referenced and should be considered part of the main text, so that any subsequent introductory material avoids too much redundancy with the introductory paragraph.

Article
An Article is a substantial novel research study of high quality and general interest to the geoscience community. The main text (excluding introductory paragraph, Methods, references and figure legends) is 2,000—3,000 words. Articles have 4—6 display items (figures and/or tables). References are limited to 50. The maximum title length is 90 characters (including spaces). The introductory paragraph is typically 150 words and is unreferenced; it contains a brief account of the background and rationale of the work, followed by a statement of the main conclusions introduced by the phrase "Here we show" or some equivalent. An introduction (without heading) of up to 500 words of referenced text expands on the background of the work (some overlap with the summary is acceptable), followed by a concise, focused account of the findings, ending with one or two short paragraphs of discussion.

*Review
A Review is an authoritative, balanced 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 nonspecialist readers. Thus, reviews should be presented using simple prose, avoiding excessive jargon and technical detail. Reviews are approximately 3,000—4,000 words and typically include 4—6 display items (figures, tables or boxes). References are limited to 100; citations should be selective. Footnotes are not used. The scope of a Review should be broad enough that it is not dominated by the work of a single research institution, and particularly not by the authors' own work.