Journal profile · SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
Network Science
ISSN 2050-1242 · eISSN 2050-1250 · Cambridge University Press
Network Science: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 91 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 23 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Network Science is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 4 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Complex Network Analysis Techniques, Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence and Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies, together about 48.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Network Science (NWS) is an interdisciplinary journal aiming to consolidate and advance the emerging discipline of the same name. Recognizing an ever-increasing relevance across domains,the journal is focused on inspiring applications of network approaches, rigorous theory building, and innovative methods.We therefore encourage submissions presenting original work or surveys on mathematical, computational, empirical, and substantive aspects of the collection, analysis, modeling, and visualization of network data in any field of scientific inquiry.As of 2024, NWS publishes all content on a fully open-access basis.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 6, United States 4, Italy 3, Switzerland 1, Sweden 1 (16 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Complex Network Analysis TechniquesPhysics and Astronomy25.7%
- Opinion Dynamics and Social InfluencePhysics and Astronomy13.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.2%
- Legal Cases and CommentaryMedicine8.5%
- Mental Health Research TopicsPsychology6.4%
- Social Capital and NetworksSocial Sciences4.7%
- Social Media and PoliticsSocial Sciences3.4%
- Bioinformatics and Genomic NetworksBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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 (publisher) 2025
- 91Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.45LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- h-index
- 37OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 163OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.27OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 89.06%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 22LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 478 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| 2025 | 23 | 23 | 16 |
| 2024 | 19 | 19 | 66 |
| 2023 | 26 | 25 | 140 |
| 2022 | 40 | 29 | 198 |
| 2021 | 28 | 25 | 192 |
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 PubMed · to
Too few articlesOnly 1 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
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
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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 accepted9
- commentariesNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles* Invited Commentaries* Commentaries*Length not stated
- commentaryNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles*Invited Commentaries*Commentaries*End Notes*Editorials**Introductions**Length not stated
- editorialNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles*Invited Commentaries*Commentaries*End Notes*Editorials**Introductions**Length not stated
- editorialsNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles* Invited Commentaries* Commentaries* End Notes* Editorials**Length not stated
- end notesNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles* Invited Commentaries* Commentaries* End Notes*Length not stated
- introductionsNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles* Invited Commentaries* Commentaries* End Notes* Editorials** Introductions**Length not stated
- invited commentariesNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles* Invited Commentaries*Length not stated
- research articleNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles*Invited Commentaries*Commentaries*End Notes*Editorials**Introductions**Length not stated
- research articlesNetwork Science publishes: Research Articles*Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websitePeer review
- Peer review Peer Review Process
All manuscripts are subject to independent double blind peer-review. Model summary
All manuscripts are subject to independent double blind peer-review. Authors are encouraged to suggest the names of referees for submissions before the review process; there is no guarantee, however, that the editors will solicit reviews from those on the list. Please visit the Cambridge University Press Peer Review Hub for general information on how to peer review journal articles, a peer review …
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
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 2050-1242
- Electronic ISSN
- 2050-1250
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Network Science
What CAS zone is Network Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Network Science is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary / Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods / Sociology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Network Science?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 91 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 2.4, h-index 37.
Where are the editorial board members of Network Science based?
Of the 16 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (6), United States (4) and Italy (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Network Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Network Science is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Network Science open access, and what is the APC?
Network Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .