Nature vs Nature Communications: How to Choose the Right One

Short answer

Nature (IF 48.5) publishes findings that change how scientists across fields think about a problem. Nature Communications (IF 15.7) publishes strong disciplinary advances with broad interest. If your paper redefines understanding, target Nature. If it's an important advance within your field, Nature Communications is usually the realistic choice.

Best for

• Researchers deciding between Nature and Nature Communications for a specific manuscript
• Labs with a strong paper trying to calibrate the right tier
• Authors evaluating the Nature Portfolio cascade pathway

Not best for

• Submitting to Nature as a "why not try" when the paper is clearly Nature Communications level
• Assuming the IF gap means Nature Communications isn't prestigious
• Treating journal tier as the only factor in submission strategy

What Nature Actually Publishes

Nature publishes approximately 800-900 research articles per year from over 20,000 submissions. That's under 7% acceptance. Editors desk-reject roughly 60% without review. The papers that make it through share a common thread: they change how scientists think about something, and the something matters to scientists outside the authors' immediate field.

Recent Nature papers include discoveries of new fundamental mechanisms, first demonstrations of technologies with broad scientific implications, and large-scale studies that settle longstanding debates. The common denominator isn't just good science. It's science that a physicist, a biologist, and a chemist would all find interesting at a research seminar.

What Nature Communications Actually Publishes

Nature Communications publishes approximately 6,000-7,000 research articles per year, making it the largest Nature Portfolio journal by volume. Acceptance rate is around 20%. That's still selective, but the editorial criteria differ from Nature in a specific way: the advance needs to be significant within its field, not necessarily across fields.

A well-executed study that provides new insight into a specific biological pathway, a materials science advance that improves performance in a defined application, or a computational method that significantly outperforms existing approaches in a specific domain are all Nature Communications papers. They don't need to redefine a field. They need to clearly advance understanding within one.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Honest Self-Assessment

Here's a practical test. Answer these two questions about your manuscript:

1. Would a scientist in a completely different field care about this result? Not "could they understand it" but "would they bring it up at a lab meeting because it changes something about how they think about their own work?" If yes, it might be a Nature paper. If the answer is "they'd find it interesting but it doesn't change their work," it's more likely Nature Communications territory.

2. Does this finding open a new research direction, or advance an existing one? Nature papers tend to open doors. Nature Communications papers tend to walk through doors that are already open, but walk further than anyone has before. Both are valuable. They're just different.

Most papers are Nature Communications papers. There's no dishonor in that. Nature Communications is a highly respected journal with an IF of 15.7. Publishing there is a career achievement in any field.

The Cascade Pathway

Nature offers editorial transfer to Nature Communications (and other Nature Portfolio journals). If your paper is rejected from Nature but the editors see quality, they may offer to forward the manuscript and reviewer reports to Nature Communications. This can save 4-8 weeks of review time.

The cascade works well when Nature editors specifically suggest it. It works less well as a deliberate strategy where you submit to Nature expecting rejection just to get the transfer. Editors can tell when a paper is submitted to Nature without realistic expectations, and the transfer isn't automatic.

Cost and Access Considerations

Nature Communications is fully open access at EUR 5,390 per paper. Nature offers an open-access option at EUR 9,500 but also publishes under subscription access at no author cost. For researchers whose funders require open access, Nature Communications is often the more practical choice because the OA requirement is built into the journal's model.

Many institutions have read-and-publish agreements with Springer Nature that cover or reduce Nature Communications APCs. Check with your library before budgeting out of pocket. For more on costs, see Nature Communications APC 2026.

Making the Decision

If you're genuinely unsure, submit to Nature. A quick desk rejection (1-2 weeks) with a possible cascade offer is a low-cost way to calibrate. But if you're honest with yourself and the paper is a strong disciplinary advance rather than a cross-field breakthrough, starting at Nature Communications saves time and positions the paper where it'll actually be evaluated fairly.

For more on Nature, see Is Nature a good journal? and Nature acceptance rate. For Nature Communications specifics, see Is Nature Communications a good journal? and the submission process guide.

Sources

• Clarivate JCR 2024: Nature IF 48.5, Nature Communications IF 15.7
• Nature editorial data: 20,406+ annual submissions, under 7% acceptance
• Springer Nature journal pages, accessed March 2026