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Nature is one of the oldest and most reputable general purpose scientific journals, first published on November
4, 1869. Although most scientific journals are now highly specialized, Nature
still publishes articles across a wide range of scientific fields, although its main
topic remains biology.
Research scientists are the primary audience for the journal, but article
summaries in the front of the journal make many of the most important articles accessable for the general public. Also toward the
front of each issue are editorials and news articles on issues of general interest to scientists, often including articles on
government funding of science, book reviews, scientific ethics, and the history and
future of a branch of research. The remainder of the journal consists mostly of research articles which are often dense and
highly technical.
Nature is edited and published in the United Kingdom by
Nature Publishing Group. Nature Publishing Group also puts out many other more specialized journals under the "Nature" name,
including Nature Neuroscience, Nature Methods, and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, to name
a few.
For most scientists, having an article published in Nature is very prestigious, and can lead to promotions, grant
funding, and attention from the mainstream media. Because of these benefits, competition among scientist to publish in high-level
journals like Nature and its closest competitor, Science, can be very fierce. However all articles must undergo peer review for publication, in which other scientists, chosen by the editor, will read and critique the
article before publication. The author or authors of the article must then respond to the critiques by changing the article or
performing additional experiments, or the editor may choose to reject the article entirely.
See also
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