Source: Nature Metabolism content types and submission guidelines (Springer Nature). Summarized by PublicationGod, last checked 22 September 2026. Always confirm details in the official guidelines before submitting. PublicationGod is not affiliated with or endorsed by this journal or its publisher.
Length by content type
| Type | Main text | Abstract | Display items | References (guide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | Up to 5,000 words | Up to 150 words, unreferenced | Up to 8, plus up to 10 Extended Data figures | Up to 50 |
| Letter | Up to 2,500 words | Referenced intro paragraph up to 200 words | 2 to 4, plus up to 10 Extended Data figures | Up to 40 |
| Brief Communication | 1,000 to 1,500 words, including abstract, references and legends | 3 sentences, up to 70 words | Up to 2 | Up to 20 |
| Resource | Up to 5,000 words | 100 to 150 words | Up to 8 | Up to 50 |
| Review | 4,000 to 6,000 words | Up to 150 words | 3 to 8 | Up to 150 |
| Perspective | Up to 4,000 words | Up to 150 words | 3 to 8 | Up to 100 |
For Articles and Resources, the main text count excludes the abstract, Methods, references and figure legends. Brief Communication titles are limited to 10 words or 90 characters.
Article structure
- Introduction without a heading, then Results, Discussion and Methods.
- Results and Methods use topical subheadings; the Discussion has none.
- Letters have no headings except in the Methods.
Good to know
- Reviews, Perspectives and other non-primary content are not eligible for open access and are published via the subscription route.
- Corresponding authors are asked to link their ORCID before final acceptance.
- Double-anonymized peer review is available as an option.
- Presubmission enquiries are handled through a dedicated process.
Fees
See the journal's publishing options page for open access and subscription routes and current charges.
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