Getting started

To get an overview of how Nature Network works, watch this short video.

The Basics

Sign up and login

To join Nature Network, you'll need a Nature.com login account. Your nature.com account is entirely free, and will work across all Nature sites. Click here (link) to create an account and login.

Profile

When you login for the first time, we offer you the chance to fill in your profile. The more information you put in your profile, the more likely people are to find you and your specialist interests, and the more connected you'll be to the online community.

Your network snapshot

This page can be accessed from the top left of every Nature Network page. It gives you a personalized view of all activity on Nature Network, your first port of call to see what is happening on Nature Network that's of direct interest to you: replies to your comments, new entries from your favourite bloggers, etc.

Local versus Global

Nature Network works on two levels. On our Global pages, you can interact with scientists all over the world, browse and join Groups and Forums, and read about international science in the Blogs. Within Nature Network, we also have a number of local hubs - beginning with Boston and London - where you can meet local scientists, find events listings, seek jobs and read lively articles related to science in those places. You can also filter the Groups/Forums and Blogs by locality on the local pages.

Features

Groups and Forums

Please form and join groups - be it with members of your workplace, lab, society or more broadly with people sharing your interests. Within each group, members can have conversations via an online forum. We also welcome groups for individual subjects, such as genetics or protein structure. Groups and Forums let you easily find like-minded people and maybe potential collaborators at both the Local and Global levels. Groups and Forums can be left open for anyone to join and post comments, or can be set as private, allowing only members to view and post replies.

Blogs

A Blog is a means of sharing your scientific experiences with the wider world. Perhaps you're doing a PhD or postdoc and want a place to chronicle the highs and lows. Maybe you're a musuem curator with plenty to say on your daily role. Whoever you are, we and the scientific community want to hear your voice. A Blog can be pitched at either a Local audience, or staged on the Global level if your words would have international appeal.

News

This section of the Local sites is a showcase for scientific news, opinions, interviews, historical notes and other features, by science writers who are passionate about their cities.

Events

We aim to list all scientific events taking place in the Local areas, ranging from public lectures to conferences and society meetings, right through to scientific films and theatre. There should be something to suit every interest or discipline.

Jobs

For the featured cities, we bring you the latest scientific jobs through collaboration with naturejobs.com.

Using the site

Your Network

This is your collection of friends, contacts or just people you find interesting on Nature Network. Think of your network as the people you want to read and talk to. You can add anyone to your network, and then Your Network Snapshot will track their activity on the site. Likewise, anyone who lists you in their network can easily keep up-to-date with your contributions. Members of your network can be named as 'contacts' or 'friends (attributions only you will be able to see), allowing you to filter communications to the right people within your network.

Commenting

We want to hear your voice on Nature Network too, so please comment on the Blogs and News stories. Any Nature Network member can comment, and the authors are always keen to get your reaction to their articles.

Finally...

...just have fun hanging out with other scientists! There is a fierce debate to be had about the future of science, so make new friends and allies and develop your vision of the future on Nature Network.