“An inherent principle of publication is that others should be able to replicate and build upon the authors’ published claims. Therefore, a condition of publication in a Nature journal is that authors are required to make materials, data and associated protocols available to readers promptly on request.” This excerpt from our guide to authors may seem obvious, but judging from the number of discussions we have had with authors and referees, we would like to clarify one specific point: at Nature Methods, the definition of “materials, data and associated protocols” includes custom-designed software necessary for the method’s implementation. Yet there are several ways of making software available, with various degrees of disclosure and in a choice of formats.

The details are provided in this month’s Editorial in Nature Methods.

The Nature Methods editors welcome comments on this policy at Methagora, the Nature Methods blog. We also welcome your views on the application of this policy to other Nature journals.