Journal profile · Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Complexity
ISSN 1076-2787 · eISSN 1099-0526 · John Wiley & Sons, Inc. · USA · Bimonthly · Founded 1993
Complexity: CAS Zone 4 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.5; fully open access; APC about USD 3,040; median 183 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 91 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus; flagged on an early-warning list or for an indexing change: check before submitting.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Complexity is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Complex Network Analysis Techniques, Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis and Neural Networks Stability and Synchronization, together about 23% of its articles. Its main subfields are Statistical and Nonlinear Physics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The purpose of Complexity is to report important advances in the scientific study of complex systems. Complex systems are characterized by interactions between their components that produce new information — present in neither the initial nor boundary conditions — which limit their predictability. Given the amount of information processing required to study complexity, the use of computers has been central to complex systems research. This Open Access journal publishes high-quality original research, as well as rigorous review articles, across a broad range of disciplines. Studies can have a theoretical, methodological, or practical focus. However, submissions must always provide a significant contribution to complex systems. Concepts relevant to Complexity include: Adaptability, robustness, and resilience Complex networks Criticality Evolution and emergent behaviour Nonlinear dynamics Pattern formation Self-organization Methods used within the scientific study of complex systems frequently include: Agent-based modelling Analytical methods Cellular automata Computational methods Data science Game theory Machine learning Statistical mechanics Applications of complex systems may be related to the following disciplines, among others: Computational social science Digital epidemiology Ecology Economics Engineering Socio-technical systems Statistical linguistics Systems biology Urban systems Work that considers the above methods or applications, but which is not applied to the study of complex systems will be considered out of scope. For the avoidance of doubt, ‘complex’ in the context of this journal should not be considered merely as a synonym for difficult or complicated.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 18%); most named Mainland China 9, Italy 5, United States 4, Brazil 4, India 3 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Complex Network Analysis TechniquesPhysics and Astronomy9.7%
- Complex Systems and Time Series AnalysisEconomics, Econometrics and Finance6.8%
- Neural Networks Stability and SynchronizationComputer Science6.4%
- Opinion Dynamics and Social InfluencePhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Chaos control and synchronizationPhysics and Astronomy6%
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology ModelsMedicine5.3%
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern FormationComputer Science5.2%
- Adaptive Control of Nonlinear SystemsEngineering4.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
Early warning / risk: CAS Early Warning Journal List: listed in the 2021 edition (medium risk) and the 2020 edition (low risk); not listed in the other 4 editions.LetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePubMedINSPECCASMathSciNetDBLPPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.5LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48LetPub ·
- h-index
- 114OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,990OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 81LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 81Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,379,094Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,958 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 98 | 98 | 12 |
| 2025 | 91 | 91 | 117 |
| 2024 | 251 | 251 | 403 |
| 2023 | 258 | 258 | 766 |
| 2022 | 627 | 627 | 6,329 |
| 2021 | 1,626 | 1,626 | 21,891 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
183 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 131 days – 257 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 34 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 218 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (182 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 15%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 211 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 28 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 23 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 3,040 / GBP 2,030 / EUR 2,480 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,760 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,030 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,550 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted7
- original researchThe journal will consider the following article types: Research articles Research articles should present the results of an original research study. These manus…Length not stated
- research articleThe journal will consider the following article types: Research articles Research articles should present the results of an original research study. These manus…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch articles should present the results of an original research study. These manuscripts should describe how the research project was conducted and provide…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal will consider the following article types: Research articles Research articles should present the results of an original research study. These manus…Length not stated
- review articleThe journal will consider the following article types: Research articles Research articles should present the results of an original research study. These manus…Length not stated
- reviewsA review article provides an overview of the published literature in a particular subject area.Length not stated
- systematic reviewThe journal will consider the following article types: Research articles Research articles should present the results of an original research study. These manus…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship Title and authorship information
The following information should be included: Manuscript title Full author names Full institutional mailing addresses Email addresses Affiliations. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in institutional affiliations. Responsibility for affiliations ultimately rests with the author, although the publisher may request changes be made to countries listed in affiliations t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflicts of interest
Concurrent submission not allowed Model summary
Authors must declare all relevant interests that could be perceived as conflicting. Authors should explain why each interest may represent a conflict. If no conflicts exist, the authors should state this. Submitting authors are responsible for co-authors declaring their interests. Conflicts of interest (COIs, also known as 'competing interests') occur when issues outside research could be reasonab…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability
Data availability statement required Model summary
Authors must include a data availability statement with their submission. When submitting a manuscript, submitting authors will be asked to select from several pre-written statements or use the text editor to tell us about data availability with regard to their submission. Review our Data Sharing Policy to understand which data availability statement is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright and permissions
CC BY Model summary
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all open access articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not speci…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
The journal follows a single-anonymized peer review model, for applicable article types. Information on the Peer Review model can be found here. Wiley's policy on the confidentiality of the review process is available here. All submitted articles are subject to assessment and peer review to ensure editorial appropriateness and technical correctness. Research published in the journal must be: Scien…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
iThenticate CrossCheck Model summary
This journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprints allowed Model summary
The journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers, and does not consider this to compromise the novelty of the results. Articles based on content previously made public only on a preprint server, institutional repository, or in a thesis will be considered. The preprint should be cited.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting guidelines
Authors are strongly encouraged to use appropriate reporting guidelines when preparing and submitting manuscripts, to maximize transparency and reproducibility. Our editors and reviewers are also encouraged to use them in the review process. Completed checklists should be provided in the supplementary files on submission. We particularly encourage the use of: CONSORT for randomized controlled tria…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Country or region
- USA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1993
- ISSN
- 1076-2787
- Electronic ISSN
- 1099-0526
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Complexity
What CAS zone is Complexity in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Complexity is in Zone 4 of Engineering, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications / Multidisciplinary Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Complexity?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.5; CiteScore 6.1, h-index 114.
How long does peer review take at Complexity?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 183 days (interquartile range 131–257 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 15% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Complexity based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 18%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (9), Italy (5) and United States (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Complexity?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Complexity is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, PubMed, INSPEC, CAS, MathSciNet and DBLP; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Complexity open access, and what is the APC?
Complexity is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,040.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .