Journal profile · Multiple
Social Networks
ISSN 0378-8733 · eISSN 1879-2111 · Elsevier
Social Networks: CAS Zone 2 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.66; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,520; review about 256 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 64 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Social Networks is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 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 Social Capital and Networks, together about 48.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An International Journal of Social Network AnalysisSocial Networks is an interdisciplinary and international quarterly. It provides a common forum for representatives of anthropology, sociology, history, social psychology, political science, human geography, biology, economics, communications science and other disciplines who share an interest in the study of the empirical structure of social relations and associations that may be expressed in network form. It publishes both theoretical and substantive papers. Critical reviews of major theoretical or methodological approaches using the notion of networks in the analysis of social behaviour are also included, as are reviews of recent books dealing with social networks and social structure.The editorial criteria for acceptance will be based on the degree to which a paper makes a broad theoretical or methodological, and empirically relevant, contribution to the study of social networks. Acceptable papers may range from abstract, formal mathematical derivations to concrete, descriptive case studies of particular social networks. The editors are therefore particularly interested in papers that attempt to uncover the processes by which social networks emerge, evolve and have consequences for other aspects of behaviour. However, for reports of empirical research results, manuscripts must contain the following: a discussion of sampling, representation, and generalizability; a substantive foundation based on the social network literature; a consideration of social network processes; and feature meaningful data.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 10, Netherlands 6, United Kingdom 5, Switzerland 2, Germany 1 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Complex Network Analysis TechniquesPhysics and Astronomy20.4%
- Opinion Dynamics and Social InfluencePhysics and Astronomy15.1%
- Social Capital and NetworksSocial Sciences13.5%
- Social Media and PoliticsSocial Sciences4.6%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.9%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering3.8%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science3.6%
- Mental Health Research TopicsPsychology3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sociology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 2.66LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 177OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,258OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 52.43%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 58LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,897 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64 | 48 | 13 |
| 2025 | 64 | 42 | 127 |
| 2024 | 48 | 33 | 192 |
| 2023 | 64 | 47 | 525 |
| 2022 | 95 | 54 | 976 |
| 2021 | 87 | 49 | 1,474 |
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
256 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
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 78 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 256 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- 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 3,520 / EUR 3,290 / GBP 2,820 / JPY 436,590 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,960 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted1
- research articleResearch articleLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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
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 ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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
Open access options available Model summary
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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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.
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
- 0378-8733
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-2111
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Social Networks
What CAS zone is Social Networks in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Social Networks is in Zone 2 of Computer Science, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Anthropology / Sociology. 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 Social Networks?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.66; CiteScore 6.3, h-index 177.
How long does peer review take at Social Networks?
The publisher reports about 256 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 Social Networks?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Suggested reviewers: Required; Graphical abstract: Required; 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 Social Networks based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Netherlands (6) and United Kingdom (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Social Networks?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Social Networks is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Social Networks open access, and what is the APC?
Social Networks is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,520.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .