Journal profile · Social Sciences-Communication
Online Social Networks and Media
ISSN 2468-6964 · Elsevier
Online Social Networks and Media: CAS Zone 2 · Computer Science (2026 Xinrui edition); impact factor 3.6 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,490; review about 187 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 35 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Online Social Networks and Media is published by Elsevier and is classed under Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Misinformation and Its Impacts, Complex Network Analysis Techniques and Social Media and Politics, together about 36.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Online Social Networks and Media (OSNEM) are one of the most disruptive communication platforms of the last 15 years with high socio-economic value. Nowadays, OSNEM are regularly used by billions of users to interact, and they are key platforms for (among others) content and opinion dissemination, social and professional networking, recommendations, scouting, alerting, and political campaigns. The use of social technologies has become a sweeping cultural, social and economic phenomenon. Social platforms can exploit the "cognitive surplus" of our society for creating content and support collaboration.Moreover, the widespread diffusion of mobile personal devices (smartphones and tablets) is boosting the pervasive use of OSNEM services, as well as fostering the design of novel social networking services where users' mobility is one of the key features. OSNEM, thus, represent a challenging environment for computer scientists working in academia and industry, to develop innovative ideas, fostering the design of the new generation of communication platforms and their services. The pervasive penetration of OSNEM in our lives is having very significant impacts also on the type of OSNEM services and, more in general, on societal services. The digital footprints that people leaves in OSNEM provide a unique source to investigate and understand (by exploiting data mining and machine learning techniques) people's behavior (e.g., mobility patterns, opinions and interests spreading), and human relationships in the society. OSNEM can thus become a (social) microscope for understanding the human behavior both in the cyber and in the physical world and hence can be a powerful tool for investigating societal phenomena (the epidemics spreading, the terrorist networks, the diffusion of opinions, the pulse of a city, etc.) and develop innovative services.OSNEM is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes high-quality scientific articles (both theoretical and experimental) and survey papers covering all aspects of OSNEM: from OSNEM protocols and applications to the use of data mined from OSNEM for modeling and understanding the human behavior in the cyber-physical world. It is a multidisciplinary journal for the wide community of computer and network scientists working on developing OSNEM platforms and services and using OSNEM as a big data source to mine, learn and model the (online) human behavior. The journal also welcomes contributions applying a wide range of (computer- and network-science) techniques and tools to OSNEM for investigating how social relationships affect other scientific fields, e.g., social and political sciences, economic and financial sciences, medical sciences.Topics include, but are not limited to:OSNEM platforms, protocols and applications;Decentralized, mobile and location-based OSNEM;Trust, reputation, privacy and security in OSNEM;Dynamics of trends, information and opinion diffusion in OSNEM;Recommendations and advertising in OSNEM;Measurement, analysis and modeling of popular online social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, etc.);Data mining, and machine learning in OSNEM systems;Social media analysis and social analytics;Information extraction and search in OSNEM;Complex-network analysis of OSNEM;Measurement, analysis and modeling of social behavior through OSNEM data;Analysis of the use of OSNEM in the urban context;Crowdsourcing and online social networks;Multidisciplinary applications of OSNEM (economics, medicine, society, politics, homeland security, etc.).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Communication
Editor-in-chief Marco ContiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Italy 11, United States 6, United Kingdom 5, Türkiye 2, Austria 2 (34 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Misinformation and Its ImpactsSocial Sciences14.4%
- Complex Network Analysis TechniquesPhysics and Astronomy13.6%
- Social Media and PoliticsSocial Sciences8.9%
- Opinion Dynamics and Social InfluencePhysics and Astronomy8.7%
- Spam and Phishing DetectionComputer Science8.4%
- Hate Speech and Cyberbullying DetectionComputer Science6.2%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.3%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary | Zone 2 |
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)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.57LetPub ·
- h-index
- 38OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 112OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.44OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 53.95%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 35LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 246 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| 2025 | 35 | 21 | 144 |
| 2024 | 15 | 11 | 130 |
| 2023 | 27 | 20 | 398 |
| 2022 | 27 | 15 | 474 |
| 2021 | 39 | 22 | 1,185 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
187 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 63 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 187 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 18 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,490 / EUR 3,260 / GBP 2,790 / JPY 432,860 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted6
- conference paperThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articlesReview articlesPapers submitted to Online Social Networks and Media must co…Length not stated
- letterThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articlesReview articlesPapers submitted to Online Social Networks and Media must co…Length not stated
- original researchThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articlesReview articlesPapers submitted to Online Social Networks and Media must co…Length not stated
- original research articlesThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articles Review articlesLength not stated
- reviewThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articlesReview articlesPapers submitted to Online Social Networks and Media must co…Length not stated
- review articlesThe journal welcomes the following types of contributions: Original research articles Review articlesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords required Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 2468-6964
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Online Social Networks and Media
What CAS zone is Online Social Networks and Media in?
In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Online Social Networks and Media?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 8.2, h-index 38.
How long does peer review take at Online Social Networks and Media?
The publisher reports about 187 days (submission to acceptance). 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Online Social Networks and Media?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Online Social Networks and Media based?
Of the 34 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (11), United States (6) and United Kingdom (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Online Social Networks and Media?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Online Social Networks and Media is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Online Social Networks and Media open access, and what is the APC?
Online Social Networks and Media is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,490.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .