Noncoding RNA (ncRNA) refers to any RNA that is functional without being translated into proteins. Recently, people have paid more and more attention on various types of novel ncRNAs. Some small ncRNAs have already been identified and well studied, such as microRNAs, snoRNAs, tRNA, etc. However, the fields of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have not been well explored. This paper reviewed the research progress of ncRNA, especially the lncRNA, including the historical overview, the basic characteristics and the relationship with diseases. We also compared the prediction methods of ncRNA, and introduced an integrative strategy to combine the high throughput sequencing data in the prediction of ncRNA.