nucleic-acids-research
Nucleic Acids Research (nucleic-acids-research)
Journal positioning
Nucleic Acids Research is an Oxford University Press open-access journal covering the full breadth of nucleic-acid biology — DNA, RNA, and their interactions with proteins, small molecules, and cellular machinery — from biochemistry and structural biology through genomics and computational analysis. NAR is structurally unique in publishing two recurring special issues per year: the Database Issue (January), which catalogues new and significantly updated bioinformatics databases, and the Web Server Issue (July), covering freely available web-based tools for nucleic-acid and sequence analysis. These special issues operate under separate editorial criteria from the main research track. The readership spans molecular biologists, structural biochemists, genomicists, and bioinformaticians who share the common currency of nucleic-acid science. This skill is a fit / venue-selection / re-framing tool. It does not replace the journal's current official submission guidelines. Before submitting, re-check the live author instructions on the NAR Oxford Academic site.
When to trigger
- The author names NAR as the target for a nucleic-acid biology study, a new biological database, or a web-based analysis tool.
- A manuscript combines sequence analysis, structural data, or biochemical experiments on DNA/RNA with computational or bioinformatics methods.
- The author is deciding whether to submit to the Database Issue or the Web Server Issue versus the regular research track.
- The author needs NAR's scope limits and desk-reject triggers before submission, especially for borderline cases that are more genomic or protein-centered than nucleic-acid-centered.