Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Title	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbreviation	PNAS
Discipline	Multidisciplinary
Editor	May R. Berenbaum
Publisher	National Academy of Sciences
Country	United States
History	1914–present
Frequency	Weekly
Openaccess	Hybrid
Impact	11.1
Website	https://www.pnas.org/
ISSN	0027-8424
EISSN	1091-6490
CODEN	PNASA6

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. It is a premier peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal, established in 1914 and published by the National Academy of Sciences. The journal, commonly abbreviated as PNAS, serves as a conduit for high-impact research spanning the biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and mathematics. It is one of the world's most-cited and comprehensive scientific serials, publishing thousands of research articles annually.

History and establishment

The journal was founded in 1914, with its first issue published in 1915, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, which itself was chartered by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Early editorial leadership included notable scientists like Raymond Pearl and the publication initially served to communicate the research of NAS members. For much of its early history, submission was largely restricted to members, a policy that evolved significantly in the latter half of the 20th century. A major turning point occurred in 1995 when the editorial board was expanded and direct submission was opened to all researchers, dramatically increasing its volume and scope. This shift was influenced by then-editor-in-chief Nicholas R. Cozzarelli and mirrored broader changes in scientific publishing seen at journals like *Science* and *Nature*.

Publication scope and impact

PNAS publishes original research, scientific commentaries, perspectives, reviews, and colloquium papers. Its broad scope encompasses fields from astrophysics and nanotechnology to evolutionary biology and political science. The journal's impact is measured by its high impact factor, consistently ranking among the top multidisciplinary journals alongside *Cell*, the New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet. It is indexed in major databases including PubMed Central, Web of Science, and Scopus. The publication of seminal works in areas like genomics, climate science, and neuroscience has cemented its role in shaping global scientific discourse and informing policy decisions at institutions like the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Editorial process and policies

The journal operates under the leadership of an Editor-in-Chief, a position held since 2020 by May R. Berenbaum, an entomologist from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Manuscripts are typically handled through a rigorous single-blind peer review process overseen by a large editorial board comprising experts from diverse fields. A distinctive feature is the "Contributed by" pathway, which allows NAS members and foreign associates to contribute papers with a streamlined review. All papers, however, must meet the same high standards of scientific rigor. The journal maintains strict policies on research ethics, data availability, and conflict of interest disclosure, aligning with guidelines from organizations like the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Notable articles and discoveries

PNAS has been the venue for numerous landmark scientific announcements. These include the first evidence for human-caused global warming by Syukuro Manabe in the 1970s, the discovery of RNA interference by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello (who later won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), and the publication of the Neanderthal genome sequence by Svante Pääbo. Other influential papers have covered the structure of DNA (through early work by Linus Pauling), the Drosophila melanogaster genome project, and foundational research in behavioral economics by scholars like Daniel Kahneman. These publications have frequently been cited in decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Access and open science initiatives

The journal operates a hybrid open-access model, offering authors the option to publish their work with immediate open access under a Creative Commons license, typically the CC BY license, for a fee. All content becomes freely available to everyone six months after publication, through the journal's own website and repositories like PubMed Central. PNAS is a participant in initiatives such as Plan S and supports the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management. It also provides fee waivers for authors from low-income countries and is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics, underscoring its commitment to broadening global access to scientific knowledge.

Relationship to the National Academy of Sciences

As the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS is integrally linked to the Academy's mission to "advance science, engineering, and medicine for the welfare of the nation." The President of the National Academy of Sciences serves on the journal's governing board. While independent in its editorial decisions, the journal provides a key platform for the work of NAS members and supports the Academy's efforts to inform public policy, evidenced by its frequent publication of papers from NAS colloquia on critical issues like pandemic preparedness and artificial intelligence. The relationship reinforces the journal's prestige and its connection to a network of esteemed scientists, including numerous Nobel laureates and recipients of the National Medal of Science.

Category:Multidisciplinary scientific journals Category:Publications established in 1914 Category:National Academy of Sciences Category:English-language journals Category:Weekly journals