Submissions

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Author Guidelines

Before Submission

Authors should submit manuscripts that fit the journal scope and are not under consideration by another journal. The title page should include all author names and affiliations, corresponding author contact details, funding information, competing interests, data availability, ethics approval details where relevant, and author contributions.

Article Types and Length

Network Science and Complex Systems may consider network analyses, modelling papers, simulation studies, data notes, theory articles, and reviews. The journal does not set a rigid launch-stage word limit, but authors should match article length to evidence. Short reports must still contain enough method detail for evaluation; reviews must state their search or selection logic.

Manuscript Structure

Research articles should normally include:

  • title, abstract, keywords, and a concise statement of the research gap
  • methods or study design with enough detail for assessment
  • results presented without selective reporting
  • discussion that separates evidence from interpretation
  • limitations, data availability, author contributions, competing interests, funding, and references

For this journal, authors should additionally address network construction, model assumptions, and parameter sensitivity. Manuscripts that use specialised reporting standards should include the relevant checklist as supplementary material.

Required Statements

Each submission should include:

  • data provenance
  • code availability
  • simulation settings
  • ethics for social networks
  • conflicts of interest

Data, Code, Materials, and Supplementary Files

Network edge lists, model code, parameter files, simulation seeds, and metadata should be shared where legal and ethical conditions permit. Suitable supplementary material may include network files, simulation scripts, seed lists, model equations, and visualisation data. Files should be named clearly, cited from the manuscript, and versioned where possible.

Formatting and References

The launch office may accept Word, LaTeX, or OJS-compatible source files. Numbered or author-date references are acceptable; datasets and software should be cited as research objects. Figures should be readable at single-column width, tables should be editable where possible, and abbreviations should be defined at first use.

Research Integrity and AI Use

Authors must identify prior dissemination, preprints, related submissions, reused figures, and any third-party material. Use of generative AI tools must be disclosed when they materially assisted drafting, coding, image generation, translation, data extraction, or analysis. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Editorial Screening

Submissions may be returned before review if they are outside scope, lack required statements, contain excessive overlap, use unverifiable data, or do not meet minimal scholarly standards for network science and complex systems. In particular, submissions may be returned when network data cannot be described, visualisations replace analysis, or simulations lack reproducible settings.

Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

  • This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration.
  • All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.
  • All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled.
  • Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission.

Articles

Section default policy

Copyright Notice

Copyright

Authors retain copyright in their articles unless a different arrangement is agreed in writing. By submitting to the journal, authors grant the publisher the right to publish, distribute, preserve, and identify the article as the version of record.

Default Licence

CC BY 4.0 for articles; network datasets may require controlled access or aggregated release. The exact licence must be displayed on every article landing page and PDF. Licence text should not be hidden in a general policy page only.

Third-Party Material

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for figures, tables, images, survey instruments, maps, screenshots, standards excerpts, media, or substantial text reused from third-party sources when the intended licence does not cover that reuse. Captions should identify any material that is not under the article's default licence.

Data, Code, and Artifact Licences

Supporting materials may need licences different from the article licence. Authors should state the licence or access condition for network files, simulation scripts, seed lists, model equations, and visualisation data. Restricted access should be justified by privacy, safety, contractual, cultural, legal, or commercial reasons.

Metadata

Article metadata may be distributed to discovery services, DOI registration agencies, libraries, preservation services, and indexing databases when applicable. Metadata distribution does not imply database indexing unless indexing has been confirmed by the database.

Permissions Questions

Permissions questions should be directed to the editorial office before publication where possible. After publication, requests should identify the article title, DOI or URL if available, material requested, intended reuse, and format.

Privacy Statement

Data Collected Through OJS

The journal may collect names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID iDs, manuscript files, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, decision letters, metadata, and files required to manage peer review and publication.

Field-Specific Data

For network science and complex systems, editorial files may include network datasets, social ties, mobility traces, institutional data, and reviewer comments on sensitive structures. Authors should not upload identifiable, confidential, or controlled data unless the journal has explicitly requested it and the upload is lawful.

Use of Information

Personal data will be used for editorial workflow, peer review, publication, indexing preparation, preservation, audit trails, ethics investigations, and communication related to manuscripts or journal operations. Data should not be sold or used for unrelated marketing.

Reviewer and Author Confidentiality

Reviewer identities and reports should be handled according to the journal's peer-review model. Confidential review material must not be shared outside the editorial process unless required by an investigation, law, or explicit consent.

Retention

Editorial records should be retained long enough to support publication ethics investigations, corrections, appeals, audit needs, and legal obligations. The final retention period should be confirmed by the publisher before launch.

Security and Access

Access to OJS administrative accounts should be limited to authorised staff and editors. Passwords, reviewer files, unpublished manuscripts, and correspondence should not be shared through uncontrolled channels.

Contact

Privacy questions may be sent to [info@nscs-journal.org](mailto:info@nscs-journal.org). The final public website should also name the legal privacy contact once publisher registration details are confirmed.