For most journals, adequate space for methods is taken for granted. Nature now presents a new format to its papers that removes a longstanding shortcoming in this respect. From now on, all Nature papers requiring methods sections will be able to include all the necessary detail.

The full methods are published online only. The printed version contains a summary of up to 300 words, with a reference to the full online version. A key point is that the new online methods sections are not only sufficient for researchers wishing to replicate the work (a longstanding complaint about past Nature papers) but are also integral to the HTML (full text) and online PDF versions of the paper. (For completeness, both online versions also contain the methods summary in the print version.)

One of this week’s (5 April issue) Articles, an exciting paper on targeted fast optical interrogation of neural circuitry, represents the inauguration of this format. If you are thinking of submitting your own work to Nature, you might like to take a look at how these “methods” are displayed in the three versions of the Article: full-text online, PDF online and PDF print. Here is the full-text (HTML) version, in which the full methods run on after the end of the main paper (the paper’s references are all together in one list and indexed). Here is the online PDF version, in which the full methods appear at the end of the main paper with their associated references. And if you look at the printed issue: 5 April vol 446, pages 633-669 (2007), you can see that the “full methods” are not there (but readers are directed to the online version).

We are delighted to be able to offer this service to authors. We hope you will be pleased, too.