Nature Format Guide
Follow these Nature (current) paper formatting rules to ensure your document meets the required standards. This guide covers font, margins, spacing, title page, headers, and references formatting.
Paper Formatting
Below are the core formatting requirements for papers written in Nature (current) style.
- Font
- 12 pt Arial or Times New Roman
- Font Size
- 12 pt
- Margins
- 1 inch on all sides
- Spacing
- Double-spaced for manuscripts submitted to Nature journals
- Title Page
- Title, authors, affiliations, abstract (150 words max), and key words on the first page; no separate title page
- Headers / Page Numbers
- Page numbers bottom-center; author name and abbreviated title in header for some journals
References Formatting
Your references must follow these rules to be correctly formatted in Nature style:
- Title the section "References" at the end of the manuscript
- Number references consecutively in the order they appear in the text
- For journals: Author, A. B. & Author, C. D. J. Abbrev. Name vol, pages (year).
- Do NOT include article titles for journal references
- Abbreviate journal names in italics
- Use '&' between authors — not 'and'
- List all authors — do not use et al. in the reference list
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Cite in Nature Now →Frequently Asked Questions
- What font and size should I use for Nature format?
- Nature (current) requires 12 pt Arial or Times New Roman. The standard font size is 12 pt.
- What are the margin requirements for Nature?
- Nature papers require 1 inch on all sides. This applies to the top, bottom, left, and right margins of every page.
- Does Nature require a title page?
- Title, authors, affiliations, abstract (150 words max), and key words on the first page; no separate title page