Content Types

To submit one of the following content types, please read the formatting details below, then follow the submission guidelines:

Primary research:

  • Article
  • Brief Communication

Review and opinion:

Invited content (for more information on these content types, please contact Nature Cities):

  • News & Views*
  • Policy Brief*
  • Q & A*
  • Books & Arts*
  • News Feature*

*These content types should not include original (previously unpublished) research findings and may contain only minimal new supporting data. As they are non-primary articles they are not eligible for Open Access and can be published only using the subscription-based publishing route.

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Article

An Article is a substantial novel research study of high quality and general interest to urban-focused researchers. 

Format:

  • Title – Up to 90 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Abstract – Up to 150 words, unreferenced. 
  • Main text – Up to 4,000 words, divided as follows: 
    • Introduction (without heading)
    • Results
    • Discussion
  • Methods – Up to 3,000 words, following the main text as a separate section. It can include further conceptual framing to justify research design.
  • References – As a guideline, we typically recommend up to 50. Please follow Nature's reference style.
  • Display items – Up to 6 figures and/or tables (additional items should go in a separate Supplementary Information file).

Additional information:

  • Results, Discussion and Methods should be divided by topical subheadings.
  • Articles include received/accepted dates. 
  • Articles may be accompanied by supplementary information. 
  • Articles are peer reviewed.
  • Avoid footnotes and endnotes.

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Brief Communication

A Brief Communication reports a concise study of high quality and broad interest. 

Format:

  • Title – up to 10 words (or 90 characters). 
  • Abstract – 3 sentences, up to 70 words, unreferenced.
  • Main text – up to 1,500 words, excluding references and figure legends, and contains no headings. 
  • Display items – up to 2 items, although this may be flexible at the discretion of the editor, provided the page limit is observed. 
  • Methods section should be included and do not exceed 500 words.
  • References – as a guideline, we typically recommend up to 20. Please follow Nature's reference style.
  • Brief Communications should include received/accepted dates. 
  • Brief Communications may be accompanied by supplementary information. 
  • Brief Communications are peer reviewed.

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Review

A Review is an authoritative, balanced and scholarly survey of recent developments in a research field or area. Rather than a comprehensive review, this content type provides an overview and synthesis of relevant literature for a broad audience.    

If the study is based on a structured, replicable method to extract and analyse the relevant sample of articles from the literature (e.g. a systematic review), it should be submitted as an Article.

The requirement for balance need not prevent authors from proposing a specific viewpoint, but if there are controversies in the field, the authors must treat them in an even-handed way. The scope of a Review should be broad enough that it is not dominated by the work of a single scholar or group, and particularly not by the authors' own work.

Authors may submit a Review directly or propose a brief synopsis through our online submission system (selecting the Presubmission Enquiry option and noting the content type). The synopsis should outline the topics that will be covered, how the material will be organized, include an example of figure (even in sketch form), list any recent, key publications in the area, and state the last time the topic was reviewed (if it has been reviewed previously). The full list of authors should also be provided.

Format:

  • Title – Up to 90 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Preface – Up to 150 words, unreferenced, to whet the reader's appetite. 
  • Main text – up to 5,000 words, excluding references and figure captions.
  • Illustrations are strongly encouraged.
  • Display items – up to 6 items (figures and/or tables). 
  • References – up to 100. Please follow Nature's reference style.
  • Annotations are optional. In the case of particularly important studies (≤ 10% of all the references), we encourage authors to provide short annotations explaining why these are key contributions.
  • Reviews include received/accepted dates. 
  • Reviews are peer reviewed.

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Perspective

A Perspective is intended to provide a forum for authors to discuss models and ideas from a particular viewpoint that are intended for a broad urban-focused audience. Perspectives are more forward looking and/or speculative than Reviews and may take a narrower field of view. They advance an opinion but should remain balanced and are intended to stimulate discussion and new approaches. Perspectives may advocate a controversial position or present a speculative hypothesis as long as they are well grounded.

Authors may submit a Perspective directly or propose a brief synopsis through our online submission system (selecting the Presubmission Enquiry option and noting the content type). The synopsis should outline the topics that will be covered, how the material will be organized, include an example of figure (even in sketch form), list any recent, key publications in the area, and state the last time the topic was reviewed (if it has been reviewed previously). The full list of authors should also be provided.

Format:

  • Title – Up to 90 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Preface – Up to 150 words, unreferenced, to whet the reader's appetite. 
  • Length – up to 5,000 words, excluding references. 
  • Display items – up to 6 items (figures and/or tables). 
  • References – up to 60. Please follow Nature's reference style.
  • Perspectives include received/accepted dates.
  • Perspectives are peer reviewed.

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Comment

Comments are short opinion pieces that focus on a topical urban issue or debate. These pieces are intended to be agenda-setting, authoritative and informed, and can be calls for action on timely issues pertaining to urban research, policy, and practice. If so, they must offer a proposed solution, not simply snapshot a problem.

Authors may submit a Comment directly or propose a brief synopsis through our online submission system (selecting the Presubmission Enquiry option and noting the content type). The synopsis should include the motivation, a clear statement of the main argument, a small sample of key recent publications in the area, and a brief outline. The full list of authors should also be provided.

Comments should be of immediate interest to a broad urban-focused readership and should be written in an accessible, non-technical style. 

Format:

  • Title – Up to 60 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Standfirst  – One or two sentences to entice readers, up to a maximum of 330 characters. 
  • Length – up to 1,500 words.
  • There are no specific structural guidelines, but they may have short headings (60 characters including spaces).
  • Comments do not contain primary research data. 
  • Figures and diagrams are encouraged, but are not a requirement. 
  • References should be used sparingly – up to 15. Please follow Nature's reference style. Note that, if published, article titles will need to be omitted from the reference list.
  • Peer review is at the editors' discretion.

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Correspondence

Correspondences provide a forum for brief discussion of issues relevant to the journal’s community. These are broadly akin to letters to the editor. This format may not be used for presentation of research data or analysis. 

Format:

  • Title – Up to 60 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Correspondence – between 300-800 words.
  • Display items – Up to 1 item.
  • References – up to 10 references. Please follow Nature's reference style. Note that, if published, article titles will need to be omitted from the reference list. 
  • Correspondence may be peer-reviewed at the editors’ discretion. 

Note that Correspondence pieces are not technical comments on peer-reviewed research papers. These should be submitted instead as Matters Arising.

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World View

World Views are opinion editorials, written in a personal style by a single author, on a topic of significance relevant to cities. Authors may submit a World View directly or propose a brief synopsis through our online submission system (selecting the Presubmission Enquiry option and noting the content type).

Format:

  • Title – Up to 60 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Standfirst  – One or two sentences to entice readers, up to a maximum of 330 characters. 
  • World View– Up to 850 words.
  • References – Optional, but no more than 5. Please follow Nature's reference style.  
  • World Views are always accompanied by a photo of the author, and no other images are allowed, to reflect the personal character of the piece. 

World Views are not peer reviewed.

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I and the City

I and the City is a personal reflection meant to highlight the connection between an author and a city or cities. This is meant to convey what the city means to the author personally, in their mind's eye, perhaps focusing on meaningful but little-known aspects of a city, such as a neighbourhood, a piece of artwork, a cultural strain, etc. It could also focus on important landmarks, events or figures. This content type can be written in a creative style, including poems or short chronicles. Authors may submit an I and the City directly or propose a brief synopsis through our online submission system (selecting the Presubmission Enquiry option and noting the content type).

Format:

  • Title – Up to 35 characters including spaces. Avoid punctuation and active verbs.
  • Standfirst – One or two sentences to entice readers, up to a maximum of 330 characters. 
  • I and the City – Up to 900 words.
  • References – Optional, but no more than 5. Please follow Nature's reference style.  
  • Figures  – Up to 1 image. If an image is included, the word count will be reduced by 250 words . 

I and the City is not peer reviewed.

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Matters Arising

Matters Arising are exceptionally interesting and timely scientific comments and clarifications on original research papers published in Nature Cities. These comments should ideally be based on contemporary knowledge rather than subsequent scientific developments.

For detailed information on how to submit a Matters Arising, please follow instructions here.

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News & Views

News & Views inform readers about the latest advances in urban research, policy, and practice, as reported in recently published papers or at scientific meetings. They may be linked to articles in Nature Cities, or they may focus on papers of exceptional significance that are published elsewhere. News & Views are commissioned by our editors. Unsolicited contributions will not normally be considered, although prospective authors are welcome to make proposals.

News & Views are not peer reviewed.

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Policy Brief

Policy Briefs provide a summary of the implications of a paper published in Nature Cities for readers with a policy and/or practitioner orientation. Policy Briefs are commissioned by our editors. Unsolicited contributions will not normally be considered, although prospective authors are welcome to make proposals.

Policy Briefs are not peer reviewed.

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Q & A

Q & As are interviews of people doing interesting and important work related to cities and urban issues. These interviews are commissioned and led by editors. 

Q & As are not peer reviewed.

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Books & Arts

The Books & Arts section of Nature Cities publishes timely reviews of books, events, and other cultural and pedagogical resources of interest to a broad, urban-focused audience. The pieces are generally limited to about 1200 words. Book Reviews and other articles in this section are usually invited, though unsolicited contributions are welcome, as are suggestions for appropriate titles and events to review. For a book to be considered for review, please send a copy, ideally at least two months prior to publication, to: 

SpringerNature
  Attention: Sebastián Villamizar-Santamaría
1 New York Plaza, Suite 4600
New York, NY 10004-1562 USA

E-mail: sebastian.villasanta@us.nature.com 

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News Feature

News Features are journalistic content invited by the journal editors. They do not contain unsolicited material. We are, however, keen to accept freelance pitches of exclusive stories, particularly conference coverage from locations where we do not have staff, or reports from interesting field work.

All of our News Features are written with a lively, proactive tone, using language that is clear even to readers for whom English is not their native tongue. Stories should be accessible to those with a general interest and background in urban research.

Nature Cities welcomes ideas for future topics.

Format:

  • Length – usually up to about 2,500 words 
  • Use of tables and figures is strongly encouraged.
  • Written in a journalistic style, accessible to a wide range of non-specialist readers.