Nature Communications, launched in April 2010 by Nature Portfolio, is a fully open-access, multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine, and biology. Unlike traditional Nature-branded journals, it operates as an online-only publication, offering flexibility in article length and format to accommodate diverse research outputs. With a 2-year impact factor of 14.7 (2023) and over 114 million annual article downloads, it has become a leading platform for impactful scientific work, catering to specialists within specific fields while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
The journal’s mission is to publish rigorous, comprehensive papers that represent significant advances within their respective disciplines. It accepts original research articles, which can range from short communications to in-depth studies, as well as commissioned content such as reviews, perspectives, and comments. Nature Communications also supports innovative formats like Registered Reports, where methods and analyses are pre-registered and reviewed before data collection to minimize bias. The journal’s editorial process is managed by a large, diverse team of professional editors—over 100 PhD-level scientists across offices in London, Berlin, New York City, and Shanghai—ensuring expert evaluation across a broad spectrum of fields.
Nature Communications emphasizes open science, being the first Nature-branded journal to offer an open-access option and transitioning to fully open-access in 2016. Authors are required to pay an article processing charge (APC), reflecting its commitment to making research freely accessible. The journal promotes transparency by encouraging authors to publish peer review histories alongside their papers, with over 69% uptake in 2019. It also supports data sharing through repositories and requires statements on data and code availability to enhance reproducibility.
Manuscripts are submitted via an online system (https://www.nature.com/ncomms/submit), with no pre-submission inquiries accepted to streamline decision-making. The journal’s flexible formatting at initial submission allows authors to focus on content, though revisions must adhere to detailed guidelines, including a 200-word abstract, up to 5,000 words of main text, and a limit of 70 references. Nature Communications complements other Nature journals by publishing work that may not meet the broader impact criteria of Nature but still offers significant contributions to specialized fields. Authors can transfer rejected manuscripts from other Nature journals to Nature Communications, along with reviewer comments, to expedite the review process.
With a rigorous peer-review process and a 7.7% acceptance rate, Nature Communications ensures high standards while offering rapid editorial decisions (median of 8 days from submission). Its multidisciplinary scope, commitment to open access, and support for early-career researchers make it a vital platform for advancing scientific discovery and fostering global collaboration.
