Archive by category | Journal policy

Neuroscience sees the light

After many years of steady but seemingly slow progress, the development and use of light-based methods for investigating the function of the brain is really accelerating. Part of this is undoubtedly due to the excitement surrounding the use of light-activated channels for neuronal stimulation. This has been highlighted as one of our “”https://www.nature.com/nmeth/focus/moy2008/index.html#mtw”>Methods to Watch” for the past two years. But probe development has also overcome some big hurdles recently, from the bolus loading of small calcium dyes to the development of genetically-encoded calcium indicators capable of providing usable signals in living animals.  Read more

Author responsibilities

For those of you who may have missed it, on April 30th Nature and the Nature research journals — including Nature Methods — announced a change in policy regarding the duties of lead authors. The changes are explained in a Nature editorial and have been implemented in our Guide to Authors. A detailed explanation of the Nature journals’ new authorship policy can be found here.  Read more

Methods section remake

Many of our readers have no doubt noticed a pronounced change in the Methods section of Nature Methods papers published online over the past several weeks. Brief Communications now have a Methods section for the first time ever and in manuscript types that already had a Methods section, the section has been expanded and moved to the end of the paper.  Read more

Compare and conquer

Experimental comparisons of methods, technology platforms or reagents are time-consuming and expensive, but hugely beneficial. An Editorial in the April issue of Nature Methods illustrates how such comparisons have been very useful for scientists in various research disciplines. Nature Methods has now adopted an article format called ‘Analysis’ to accommodate publication of such comparative analyses. Broad guidelines of what the editors will be looking for are provided in the April Editorial.  Read more