Nature Light Science Applications Template
Get your Nature Light Science Applications paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Nature Light Science Applications Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Nature Light Science Applications goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Nature Light Science Applications Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Nature Light Science Applications. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Nature Light Science Applications journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a NLSA submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Nature Light Science Applications Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the Nature Portfolio submission system.
Steps to Use This Template with Scispace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The Scispace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for NLSA.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through the Nature Portfolio submission system.
Nature Light Science Applications Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | NLSA requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract with max word limit of 250 words for Articles, Perspective papers, and Review Articles. No abstract required for Editorials. Unstructured abstract with max 50 words for News & Views. The abstract should not contain abbreviations or references and should not be structured. Different article types: Article (250 words), Perspective (250 words), Review Article (250 words), Editorial (no abstract), News & Views (50 words). |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Required (3-6 keywords) |
| References | Nature style (numbered superscript citations). References should appear as superscript numbers starting at 1 in the text, listed in numerical order corresponding to the order of citation at the end of the paper. All authors listed for papers with up to five authors; for more than five authors, first author only followed by et al. First and last page numbers required. Abstracts must be identified as such. Preprints on recognized servers and papers in press may be included. |
| Peer review | Single-blind peer review (reviewers anonymous, authors known to reviewers). Manuscripts sent out for peer review are evaluated by at least one independent reviewer, often two or more. This is confirmed in the March 2019 version of the Guide for Authors. Nature Portfolio journals offer double-blind as an optional alternative, but Light: Science & Applications operates single-blind as standard. |
| Submission | nature.com |
Quick Tips for Using the Nature Light Science Applications Template
Read the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Nature Light Science Applications in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent NLSA papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Nature Light Science Applications journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Nature Light Science Applications guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the Nature Portfolio submission system.
