Nature is the flagship publication of the Nature Publishing Group, the scientific arm of
Macmillan Publishers Ltd. The journal was established in 1869 and there are currently 51 issues published each year (published weekly, skipping one publication for
Christmas).
The scope of the papers published in Nature is vast. They will publish any paper from any branch of science if it has great potential impact. The long standing and excellent reputation of the journal lets them select papers of the highest quality (their rejection rate is upwards of 95 percent, as compared to roughly 50 percent or less for most journals). This highly competitive selection procedure keeps the journal's impact factor higher than any other interdisciplinary scientific journal.
The journal also publishes some informal articles in a variety of different sections, such as Opinion, News, Briefings, Recruitment, Book Reviews and Commentary.
The journal has published all of its material online since 1997, and with a subscription the publications can be obtained at http://www.nature.com.