Journal profile · MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Science of Nature
ISSN 0028-1042 · eISSN 1432-1904 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Founded 1913
Science of Nature: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.66; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 108 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); 99 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Science of Nature 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
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINECASCAB 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
- 1.66LetPub ·
- 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
- 179OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,353OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.56OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 31.13%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 95LetPub ·
- 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
- 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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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 accepted2, with length limits
- 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
- 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
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
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
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
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
- 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 Science of Nature
What CAS zone is Science of Nature in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Science of Nature 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 Science of Nature?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.66; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 179.
How long does peer review take at Science of Nature?
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). 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 Science of Nature?
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 Science of Nature 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 Science of Nature?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Science of Nature is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Science of Nature open access, and what is the APC?
Science of Nature is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .