JASN publishes original research reports and editorial matter in areas of basic and clinical science relevant to the broad discipline of nephrology. Subjects appropriate for JASN include renal cell biology, developmental biology of the kidney, genetics of kidney disease, cell and transport physiology, hemodynamics and vascular regulation, mechanisms of blood pressure regulation, renal immunology, kidney pathology, pathophysiology of kidney diseases, nephrolithiasis, clinical nephrology, including dialysis and transplantation, nephrolithiasis, and hypertension. Articles addressing health care policy and care delivery issues of relevance to nephrology are welcome.​

The overall content and tone of JASN represent scholarship in basic and clinical research of exceptional merit and luster. JASN peer-review and publication processes are handled expeditiously. Authors receive decisions within 21 days after submission and manuscripts are typically published online within four weeks of acceptance. JASN has an acceptance rate of 13% and is circulated to nearly 15,375 individuals and institutions worldwide.