RNA

A Publication of the RNA Society
Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press


About RNA, the Journal

RNA serves as an international forum for publishing original reports on RNA research in the broadest sense.

RNA is a monthly journal that provides rapid publication of significant original research in all areas of RNA biology in eukaryotic, prokaryotic, and viral systems. It covers a broad range of subjects in RNA research, spanning biochemistry, structural biology, gene expression, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, genomics, computational biology, and bioinformatics. We publish papers covering biochemical and structural analysis of RNA and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes; structure, function, and biogenesis of mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, snRNAs, ncRNAs, miRNAs, piRNAs, and other regulatory RNAs; viral RNA processing and metabolism; ribosome structure and function; translational control; RNA splicing; alternative processing; RNA editing; RNA transport and localization; RNA stability and turnover; in vitro evolution; RNA catalysis; and RNA chemistry.

We are now restructuring RNA to comprise five categories: Communications (Letters to the Editor; Hypotheses, and Perspectives); RNA and Gene Expression; RNA Therapeutics; Bioinformatics and Databases; and Reviews.

Within the category Communications, Letters to the Editor are intended as a forum for raising or clarifying issues of specific interest to the RNA community, Hypotheses outline novel concepts or new ways of integrating existing data, and Perspectives outline a novel way of looking at existing literature. As for all our published papers, manuscripts within this category are subject to peer review.

Manuscripts in the categories RNA and Gene Expression, RNA Therapeutics, and Bioinformatics and Databases can be in the format of Articles, Reports, or Methods. There are no explicit length limitations to Articles and length is not a criterion for evaluation. Reports document significant new results that lend themselves to succinct presentation (i.e., combined Results and Discussion) and can contain no more than four display items. Reports are evaluated using the same criteria as Articles; preliminary observations that require further experimentation to support the major conclusions will not be accepted. Methods papers outline significant new approaches, well benchmarked against existing methodology, with documentation of robustness and limitations.

Manuscripts in the category Reviews are usually by invitation, but pre-submission inquiries to the Reviews Editor are welcome. Reviews can be comprehensive or focused, preferably with a unique slant and of general interest to a wide range of readers.

This journal is published by CSHL Press for the RNA Society. Authors are not required to be members of the Society. Queries regarding editorial policies or manuscripts in review should be directed to the Editorial Office at rnajournal{at}case.edu