How to publish a paper in Nature Leslie Sage Senior Editor, Physical Sciences Nature.
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Transcript of How to publish a paper in Nature Leslie Sage Senior Editor, Physical Sciences Nature.
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 ‘[email protected]’ or +1 ‘[email protected]’ 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