How to publish a How to publish a paper in paper in NatureNature

Leslie SageLeslie SageSenior Editor, Physical SciencesSenior Editor, Physical Sciences

NatureNature

SummarySummary

Nature publishes ~7% of submissionsNature publishes ~7% of submissions we want only the best, most we want only the best, most

important workimportant work papers should be written clearly to papers should be written clearly to

explain why the work is important explain why the work is important publicity for your science is good, but publicity for your science is good, but

only after peer reviewonly after peer review

NatureNature is different from is different from other scientific journalsother scientific journals

7% of submissions are 7% of submissions are publishedpublished

strictly independent of scientific strictly independent of scientific societies societies

no field of scientific enquiry is no field of scientific enquiry is excluded excluded

every issue contains a broad every issue contains a broad range of topicsrange of topics

Why publish in Why publish in NatureNature??

papers are read by scientists outside papers are read by scientists outside your specialityyour speciality

work is recognized as important work is recognized as important outside your specialtyoutside your specialty

very rapid publication is possiblevery rapid publication is possible wide publicitywide publicity

A A NatureNature paper should paper should report a fundamental new report a fundamental new

physical insight, orphysical insight, or announce a startling, unexpected announce a startling, unexpected

or difficult-to-understand or difficult-to-understand discovery, ordiscovery, or

have striking conceptual novelty have striking conceptual novelty with specific predictionswith specific predictions

be very important to your fieldbe very important to your field

Most Most NatureNature papers are papers are rejected without going to rejected without going to

refereesreferees

Sometimes rejection is based upon Sometimes rejection is based upon advice from one or two experts in fieldadvice from one or two experts in field

sometimes based on the claims in the sometimes based on the claims in the manuscript, and the author’s manuscript, and the author’s description of how the field is description of how the field is advancedadvanced

NatureNature papers must be papers must be comprehensiblecomprehensible to a wide to a wide

audienceaudience

first paragraph of a Letter should first paragraph of a Letter should be no higher than the level of an be no higher than the level of an introductory undergraduate classintroductory undergraduate class

bulk of the paper at the level of a bulk of the paper at the level of a first-year graduate course in the first-year graduate course in the fieldfield

If the paper is not If the paper is not comprehensible to comprehensible to

people outside a narrow people outside a narrow specialty, why bother specialty, why bother publishing in publishing in NatureNature??

Answer the following Answer the following questions to write a good questions to write a good

Nature Nature paperpaper Why is the topic interesting?Why is the topic interesting? What big problems are there in What big problems are there in

the field? the field? What have you done?What have you done? How does the work advance us How does the work advance us

towards a solution of one of the towards a solution of one of the big problems? big problems?

Avoid jargon and babblingAvoid jargon and babbling

Rukeyser’s frequent use of terms like Rukeyser’s frequent use of terms like “truth” and “meaning” gives these “truth” and “meaning” gives these essays a pre-postmodern tone. Yet essays a pre-postmodern tone. Yet they remain remarkably relevant, they remain remarkably relevant, perhaps because she does not define perhaps because she does not define the content of truth or the meaning the content of truth or the meaning of meaning.of meaning.

Priscilla Long, reviewing Muriel Rukeyser’s Priscilla Long, reviewing Muriel Rukeyser’s The life of PoetryThe life of Poetry in in The The Women’s Review of BooksWomen’s Review of Books

Publicity is important for Publicity is important for you, for your field, and for you, for your field, and for

science as a wholescience as a whole

Other scientists should know why it is Other scientists should know why it is important to fund your fieldimportant to fund your field

so too should the general public and so too should the general public and government granting agenciesgovernment granting agencies

provides inspiration for the next provides inspiration for the next generation of scientists generation of scientists

Theory andTheory and NatureNature >20 yrs ago >20 yrs ago NatureNature used to used to

publish ‘wonky’ theory paperspublish ‘wonky’ theory papers We now publish mainly We now publish mainly

observational/experimental observational/experimental resultsresults

theory papers in theory papers in NatureNature are are criticized as being ‘lightweight’criticized as being ‘lightweight’

Length limit said to constrain Length limit said to constrain papers to being lightweightpapers to being lightweight

With the advent of online With the advent of online Supplementary Information – on Supplementary Information – on which there is no effective limit – which there is no effective limit – length is no longer an issuelength is no longer an issue

But theory referees tend to be ‘soft’, But theory referees tend to be ‘soft’, allowing authors to get away with allowing authors to get away with weak argumentsweak arguments

Fred Hoyle once Fred Hoyle once said that if a said that if a

theorist is right theorist is right more than five more than five

percent of the time, percent of the time, he isn’t trying hard he isn’t trying hard

enoughenough

If a paper is just putting If a paper is just putting forward an idea for forward an idea for

discussion, why publish it discussion, why publish it in in NatureNature??

ArXiv is a better venue for such ArXiv is a better venue for such paperspapers

What does What does NatureNature look for in a look for in a theory paper?theory paper?

Authors must be prepared to defend Authors must be prepared to defend the position that their paper provides the position that their paper provides the right (or at least best available) the right (or at least best available) explanationexplanation

They should also make a prediction They should also make a prediction that could be used to refute the model that could be used to refute the model within the next few yearswithin the next few years

NatureNature’s preprint server ’s preprint server policypolicy

Posting to ArXiv is allowedPosting to ArXiv is allowed as a as a communication between scientistscommunication between scientists

If journalists contact you based on the web If journalists contact you based on the web posting, simply ask them to contact you posting, simply ask them to contact you again a week before publicationagain a week before publication

Journalists can write whatever they want Journalists can write whatever they want based upon a postingbased upon a posting

See editorial: 4 Dec 1997; See editorial: 4 Dec 1997; 390, 390, 427427

Preprint servers can Preprint servers can complicate our livescomplicate our lives

Legally, posting to a server is publication Legally, posting to a server is publication There is no enforceable embargoThere is no enforceable embargo Science by press release is unethical: it Science by press release is unethical: it

undermines public confidence in scientists undermines public confidence in scientists and science in general and science in general

Journalists who publicize stories from a Journalists who publicize stories from a preprint server run a similar risk preprint server run a similar risk

Scientific fraud and Scientific fraud and misbehavior: It’s in the news misbehavior: It’s in the news – is it really that prevalent?– is it really that prevalent?

YES!YES!

A survey showed that A survey showed that ~30% of US biomedical ~30% of US biomedical

scientists engage in some scientists engage in some form of unethical behaviorform of unethical behavior

Martinson, Anderson & Martinson, Anderson & de Vries 2005 Nature de Vries 2005 Nature

435, 737.435, 737.

Some scientific societies Some scientific societies opposed a proposal by Office opposed a proposal by Office

of Research Integrity to survey of Research Integrity to survey behavior and practices in behavior and practices in

sciencescience

Societies and institutions must better Societies and institutions must better educate their members and employees educate their members and employees about what constitutes unethical behavior about what constitutes unethical behavior

Letting minor ethical lapses go Letting minor ethical lapses go unremarked can encourage further lapsesunremarked can encourage further lapses

People in the physical People in the physical sciences are delusional if sciences are delusional if they believe problems are they believe problems are

restricted to biologyrestricted to biology

Remember Schoen!!Remember Schoen!!

What can we do?What can we do?

Encourage transparency in all Encourage transparency in all aspects of scienceaspects of science

Establish clear standards and Establish clear standards and lists of what not to dolists of what not to do

Talk about the problemTalk about the problem

NatureNature can help the can help the communitycommunity

We can publish news items, We can publish news items, commentaries and editorials that commentaries and editorials that highlight issues of importancehighlight issues of importance

Contact us!Contact us!

Points to rememberPoints to remember

Nature publishes ~7% of submissionsNature publishes ~7% of submissions we want only the best, most we want only the best, most

important workimportant work papers should be written clearly to papers should be written clearly to

explain why the work is important explain why the work is important publicity for your science is good, but publicity for your science is good, but

only after peer reviewonly after peer review

Contact Contact NatureNature in advance in advance of submissionof submission

I can be reached at I can be reached at ‘l.sage@naturedc.com’ or +1 ‘l.sage@naturedc.com’ or +1 202 626 2511202 626 2511

pre-submission inquiries via the web ‘mts-pre-submission inquiries via the web ‘mts-nature.nature.com’ (though I prefer to nature.nature.com’ (though I prefer to deal directly with authors)deal directly with authors)

be prepared to answer questions about be prepared to answer questions about the significance of the resultsthe significance of the results