Nature Nanotechnology is a monthly journal publishing the best research from across nanoscience and nanotechnology. All editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors.

ISSN

Our international standard serial number (ISSN) is 1748-3387. Our electronic international standard serial number (EISSN) is 1748-3395.

Journal and article metrics

For articles published from 2010 to the present, article metrics such as number of downloads, citations and online attention are available from each article page, and provide an overview of the attention received by a paper.

Our 2017 journal metrics are as follows:

• 2-year Impact Factor: 37.490
• 5-year Impact Factor: 45.815
• Immediacy Index: 7.503
• Eigenfactor® Score: 0.17063
• Article Influence Score: 17.890
• 2-year Median: 21

Nature Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The journal covers research into the design, characterization and production of structures, devices and systems that involve the manipulation and control of materials and phenomena at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches — and combinations of the two — are covered.

Nature Nanotechnology also encourages the exchange of ideas between chemists, physicists, material scientists, biomedical researchers, engineers and other researchers who are active at the frontiers of this diverse and multidisciplinary field. Coverage extends from basic research in physics, chemistry and biology, including computational work and simulations, through to the development of new devices and technologies for applications in a wide range of industrial sectors (including information technology, medicine, manufacturing, high-performance materials, and energy and environmental technologies). Organic, inorganic and hybrid materials are all covered.

Research areas covered in the journal

• Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes
• Computational nanotechnology
• Electronic properties and devices
• Environmental, health and safety issues
• Molecular machines and motors
• Molecular self-assembly
• Nanobiotechnology
• Nanofluidics
• Nanomagnetism and spintronics
• Nanomaterials
• Nanomedicine
• Nanometrology and instrumentation
• Nanoparticles
• Nanosensors and other devices
• NEMS
• Organic–inorganic nanostructures
• Photonic structures and devices
• Quantum information
• Structural properties
• Surface patterning and imaging
• Synthesis and processing

In addition to primary research, Nature Nanotechnology also publishes review articles, news and views, research highlights about important papers published in other journals, commentaries, book reviews, correspondence, and articles about the broader nanotechnology picture — funding, commercialization, ethical and social issues, and so on. In this way, the journal aims to be the voice of the worldwide nanoscience and nanotechnology community.

Nature Nanotechnology offers readers and authors high visibility, access to a broad readership, high standards of copy editing and production, rigorous peer review, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests.

Content Types

On this page: Letter | Article | Review | Perspective | News & Views | Correspondence | Commentary | Books & Arts

Letter

A Letter reports an important novel research study, but is less substantial than an Article. Letters typically occupy four printed journal pages. The text is limited to 1,500 words, excluding the introductory paragraph, Methods, references and figure legends. Letters should have no more than 3–5 display items (figures and/or tables). As a guideline, Letters allow up to 30 references.

This format begins with a title of, at most, 15 words, followed by an introductory paragraph (not abstract) of approximately 150 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 referenced, as in Nature style, and should be considered part of the main text, so that any subsequent introductory material avoids too much redundancy with the introductory paragraph.

Letters include received/accepted dates and may be accompanied by supplementary information. Letters are peer reviewed.

Article

An Article is a substantial novel research study that often involves several techniques or approaches. The main text (excluding abstract, Methods, references and figure legends) is 2,000–3,000 words. Articles have 4–6 display items (figures and/or tables). As a guideline, Articles allow up to 50 references.

The maximum title length is 15 words. The abstract 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.

Articles include received/accepted dates and may be accompanied by supplementary information. Articles are peer reviewed.

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 3,000–5,000 words and typically include 4–6 display items (figures, tables or boxes). As a guideline, Reviews allow up to 100 references, 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 laboratory, and particularly not by the authors' own work.

Perspective

When the discussion is focused on a developing field that might not yet be mature enough for review, a Perspective article is more appropriate. Perspective articles are up to 3,000 words in length, with up to 4 display items (figures, tables or boxes). References are limited to 50.

Reviews and Perspective articles are commissioned by the editors, but proposals including a short synopsis are welcome.

Reviews and Perspective articles are always peer-reviewed to ensure factual accuracy, appropriate citations and scholarly balance. They do not include received/accepted dates.

News and Views

News and Views articles inform readers about the latest advances in nanotechnology, as reported in recently published papers (in Nature Nanotechnology or elsewhere) or at scientific meetings. Most articles are commissioned, but proposals can be made to the Editor in advance of publication of the paper or well before the meeting is held. News and Views articles are not peer-reviewed, but undergo editing in consultation with the author.

Correspondence

Correspondence provides readers with a forum for comment on papers published in a previous issue of the journal or to discuss issues relevant to nanotechnology. A Correspondence is rarely more than one printed page and typically is 250–500 words; it is limited to one display item and, as guideline, Correspondence allows up to 10 references. Article titles are omitted from the reference list. Titles for correspondence are supplied by the editors.

In cases where a correspondence is critical of a previous research paper, the authors of the criticized paper are given the opportunity to publish a brief reply. Criticism of opinions or other secondary matter does not involve an automatic right of reply.

Refutations are always peer reviewed. Other types of Correspondence may be peer-reviewed at the editors' discretion.

Commentary

Commentary articles focus on policy, science and society or purely scientific issues related to nanotechnology. Single-author articles are preferred as this is an 'opinion' section of the journal. Commentaries are usually commissioned by the editors, but proposals are welcome. They should be of immediate interest to a broad readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. Figures and diagrams are encouraged, but are not a requirement. Commentaries are typically no longer than 1,500 words and include up to 25 references. Article titles are omitted from the reference list.

Commentaries may be peer-reviewed at the editors' discretion.

Books and Arts

The Books and Arts section publishes timely reviews of books and other technological or cultural resources of interest to scientists and engineers working in the field of nanotechnology. These pieces are generally limited to one page in the journal. Reviews and articles in this section are commissioned, and unsolicited contributions are not accepted, though suggestions for appropriate books are welcome.