What is Springer Nature?

Springer Nature is one of the world's largest academic publishers, formed in May 2015 by merging Springer Science+Business Media (est. 1842) and Nature Publishing Group (est. 1869). It publishes approximately 3,000 peer-reviewed journals through four imprints: Nature Portfolio, BMC, Springer, and Palgrave Macmillan.

How many journals does Springer Nature publish?

Springer Nature publishes approximately 3,000 peer-reviewed journals across all major disciplines. This includes about 180 Nature-branded titles under Nature Portfolio, 300+ fully open-access biomedical titles under BMC, thousands of Springer STM titles, and the Palgrave Macmillan humanities and social-sciences family.

What is the difference between Springer and Nature?

They're both parts of the same publisher: Springer Nature. Springer is the historic science, technology, and medicine imprint (founded 1842). Nature is the flagship journal and portfolio brand within Springer Nature (founded 1869; merged in 2015). Together with BMC and Palgrave Macmillan, they form the four Springer Nature imprints.

How much is the Nature APC?

The Nature APC is approximately $12,850 per article for open-access publication in Nature itself (2026 price list). Nature Communications is around $7,350; Scientific Reports is around $2,850; BMC titles range from roughly $1,900 to $4,190. Prices are revised annually - check the current Springer Nature APC list before submission.

Is Springer Nature open access?

Partially. Springer Nature offers four OA routes: (1) 600+ fully-OA journals including Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, and all BMC titles; (2) hybrid OA via Open Choice on subscription titles; (3) Green self-archiving with per-title embargo; (4) fee-covering transformative agreements between Springer Nature and institutions in dozens of countries.

What is Springer Open Choice?

Open Choice is Springer Nature's hybrid open-access option. Available on nearly all Springer subscription journals, it lets authors pay an APC (typically $4,000-$5,000; see the per-journal price list) to make their individual article open access while the rest of the journal remains subscription-based. The article is licensed CC BY by default.

What is Scientific Reports?

Scientific Reports is Springer Nature's mega-open-access journal, launched in 2011. It publishes original research across all natural sciences and clinical medicine, using sound-methodology peer review rather than significance-based selection. Consistently among the world's largest journals by annual article count - and the largest fully-OA journal - with an APC around $2,850.

What is BMC (BioMed Central)?

BMC is Springer Nature's fully open-access biomedical imprint, comprising 300+ peer-reviewed journals founded in 2000 as the first large-scale commercial OA publisher. BMC titles cover biology, medicine, and public health, and include flagship journals such as BMC Medicine, BMC Biology, and Genome Biology. Springer acquired BMC in 2008.

Are Springer Nature journals indexed in Scopus?

Yes - coverage is very high. Nearly all Springer Nature journals are indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (for biomedical titles). Individual titles can still be delisted for quality issues, so check the specific journal's indexing status on Scopus or the Web of Science Master Journal List before submission.

How do I submit to a Springer Nature journal?

First, pick the journal using the Springer Nature Journal Suggester. Read the title-specific Guide for Authors, then prepare your manuscript in the Springer Nature LaTeX or Word template. Submit via Snapp (Springer Nature's newer platform) or Editorial Manager, depending on the journal - the journal page will tell you which to use.

Snapp is Springer Nature's manuscript submission and peer-review platform, progressively replacing Editorial Manager across the portfolio - journals are still migrating through 2026. It offers a modern author interface, faster form-filling, and integrated Journal Suggester access. Most Nature Portfolio and many Springer titles now use Snapp; many BMC titles still use Editorial Manager.

What is a Transformative Journal at Springer Nature?

A Transformative Journal (TJ) was a subscription title committed to growing its open-access share each year under Plan S. Springer Nature ran one of the largest TJ programs, but cOAlition S ended the TJ framework at the end of 2024. Springer Nature continues moving hybrid journals toward full OA, mainly through transformative agreements.

Does Springer Nature have Read and Publish deals?

Yes - Springer Nature has one of the largest transformative-agreement portfolios globally. Read+Publish deals cover authors at institutions in the UK (Jisc), Germany (Projekt DEAL), Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, and dozens of other countries. Check the ESAC agreement registry or your library to see if you qualify for free OA publishing.

Who owns Springer Nature?

Springer Nature is majority-owned by Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, which held about 50.6% after the company's October 2024 IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In July 2026, German regulators cleared Holtzbrinck to take sole control by buying out co-investor BC Partners. Springer Nature is headquartered in Berlin, with Nature Portfolio operations in London.

Is Springer Nature a good publisher?

Yes. Springer Nature is an established, top-tier academic publisher - a member of COPE, OASPA, and STM. Its journals include some of the highest-impact venues in every discipline. Public criticism centers on APC pricing, especially for Nature-branded titles, not on editorial legitimacy or peer-review quality.

What is Nature's impact factor?

Nature's Journal Impact Factor is approximately 56 in the June 2026 JCR release (2025 JIF), up from 48.5 the year before. JIF is a journal-level metric that moves annually: Nature Medicine sits around 52 and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery around 91 in the same release. Check the current JCR for exact values.

Springer Nature Publication GuideSpringer Nature Publication Guide

Springer Nature is one of the world's largest academic publishers, formed in May 2015 through the merger of Springer Science+Business Media (est. 1842) and Nature Publishing Group (est. 1869). Publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since October 2024, with majority ownership retained by Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.

Journals published: ~3,000+

Open access options: 600+ fully-OA titles + Open Choice on most subscription journals

APC range: ~$1,500 - $12,850 per article (2026 price list)

Imprints: Nature Portfolio · BMC · Palgrave Macmillan · Adis · Apress · Scientific American

Headquarters: Berlin, Germany · London, UK (Nature Portfolio)

Transformative Agreements: Yes - among the largest transformative-agreement portfolios worldwide

Indexing: Very high in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed

Website: springernature.com

JOURNAL TEMPLATES

Start Writing with TemplatesStart Writing with Templates

Everything you need to check a manuscript for AI — sentence-level detail, academic-tuned accuracy, and coverage of the latest models.

Signal Image and Video Processing Template

Get your Signal Image and Video Processing paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.

View template

Optimization Letters Template

Get your Optimization Letters paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.

View template

Electronics Template

Writing for Electronics? This template gives you a submission-ready structure—sections, abstract, and references—so you focus on the research, not the formatting.

View template

Elsevier Journal of King Saud University Computer and Information Sciences Template

Use this Elsevier Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences Template guide to format the elsarticle LaTeX or Word manuscript, match Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences's reference style and Highlights rules, and submit through Editorial Manager without layout rejections.

View template