Network Science welcomes proposals for special issues of papers on topics that are relevant to the journal’s scope. 

Proposal process

Parties interested in proposing a special issue are asked to first provide a brief document that includes:

• The names of the Guest Editor(s) who will coordinate the submission of the papers and be the main point of contact for the Network Science team.
• The title of the proposed special issue 
• A draft call for submissions
• A paragraph description that states how this special issue is a good fit for Network Science, the key themes that make it a coherent set of articles and what the issue will do to advance existing knowledge
• A list of potential articles and some targeted authors to be included
• A timetable section should state when we can expect to receive the papers.

The proposal should be sent to nws@cambridge.org. It will be considered by the Network Science Editorial Board. If approved, the Guest Editor(s) will be joined by an Area Editor who shepherds the process.

Expectations and review process

The Guest Editor(s) are expected to coordinate the submission of paper proposals and, liaising with the relevant Network Science Action Editor, handling selected  papers through the journal’s peer review process.

In response to the call for submissions, prospective authors will typically send an extended abstract to the editors, who will select a set of proposals to be invited for regular submission to the journal.  articles will then go through the standard Network Science double-blind review process, obtaining input from at least two reviewers. 

If published, the special issue will receive its own dedicated issue page on the Network Science website. This will acknowledge the efforts of the Guest Editor(s) responsible for the issue and any sponsoring institutions involved. The Guest Editor(s) are asked to write an editorial to introduce the collection of articles.