Journal profile · Multidisciplinary Sciences
NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN
ISSN 0028-1042 · eISSN 1432-1904 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Monthly · Founded 1913
NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.7 (journal website); subscription journal; APC about USD 3,790; median 108 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 99 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Biomedical and Chemical Research, Physics and Engineering Research Articles and Plant and animal studies, together about 24.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Since 1913, The Science of Nature - Naturwissenschaften - is Springer's flagship multidisciplinary science journal. The Science of Nature (NAWI) publishes original research papers, and review articles which are of interest to the broader community in the biological sciences. Contributions from the chemical, geological, biochemical and physical sciences are welcome if they contribute to questions of general biological significance. NAWI also welcomes papers which are relevant to one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Starting in 2025, The Science of Nature publishes sound, or inclusive, science - an approach which values all research outcomes, whether positive, negative, large, or small. Papers can be Reviews, Original articles, Concepts & Synthesis, Short Communications, Commentary, or Letters to the Editors. All manuscripts are subjected to peer review.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multidisciplinary Sciences
Editor-in-chief Suzanne F. ScarlataPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 14%); most named Brazil 7, Mainland China 6, United States 5, Germany 4, Italy 4 (43 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Biomedical and Chemical ResearchMedicine8.8%
- Physics and Engineering Research ArticlesEngineering8.2%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.7%
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.4%
- German Literature and Culture StudiesArts and Humanities7.1%
- Engineering and Materials Science StudiesEngineering5.1%
- Insect and Pesticide ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Psychology, Coaching, and TherapyPsychology3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEMEDLINECASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.95LetPub ·
- h-index
- 87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 179OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,353OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.56OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 580,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 35,327 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 116 | 40 | 36 |
| 2025 | 99 | 33 | 176 |
| 2024 | 66 | 32 | 225 |
| 2023 | 57 | 30 | 310 |
| 2022 | 48 | 15 | 618 |
| 2021 | 69 | 27 | 772 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
108 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 70 days – 161 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 126 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (230 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- comments & repliesComments & Replies give corrections, new analyses, provide critique or stimulate a more general oversight on contributions previously published in the journal.Length not stated
- concepts & synthesisConcepts & Synthesis comprise a new manuscript type in The Science of Nature, which aims to promote the conceptual advance of ideas across the natural sciences.Length not stated
- editorialResponses to reviewers’ comments If your manuscript has been previously reviewed in The Science of Nature and you have been advised to revise it, you are asked …Length not stated
- original articlesOriginal Articles must present scientific results that are essentially new and that have not been published or are being considered for publication elsewhere.Length not stated
- reviewsReviews are usually commissioned by the Editor or an Editorial Board member, but the submission of proposals for Reviews is very much encouraged.Length not stated
- short communicationhat do not justify an Original Article. Short Communications should be no longer than 2500 words. This includes everything from cover page, abstract, referemain text ≤ 2,500 words
- short communicationsShort Communications are short papers that present significant new observations.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data transparency policy. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Research integrity policy. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions policy. Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in The Science of Nature, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1913
- ISSN
- 0028-1042
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-1904
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN
What CAS zone is NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Multidisciplinary Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.7 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 179.
How long does peer review take at NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 108 days (interquartile range 70–161 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN based?
Of the 43 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 14%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Brazil (7), Mainland China (6) and United States (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN is indexed in Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, MEDLINE, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN open access, and what is the APC?
NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN is a subscription journal. APC about USD 3,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .