As of 2025, Network Science publishes on a continuous publication model: articles are published as and when they are ready after peer review. 

Even though we no longer publish issues, we encourage proposals for special collections of content that might be thematic in nature or derive from a workshop or conference. Articles are compiled onto a special collection page similar to an online issue.

Proposal process

Parties interested in proposing a special collection 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 collection
• A draft call for submissions
• A paragraph description that states how this special collection is a good fit for Network Science, the key themes that make it a coherent set of articles and what the collection 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 collection will receive its own dedicated page on the Network Science website. This will acknowledge the efforts of the Guest Editor(s) responsible for the collection and any sponsoring institutions involved. The Guest Editor(s) are asked to write an editorial to introduce the collection of articles.

Open access

Network Science has been publishing on an open-access basis since 2024. There are no financial barriers to authors: any author can publish on an open-access basis irrespective of their funding situation or affiliation. The Cambridge University Press model for open access is based around Transformative Agreements with institutions worldwide and the majority of authors are covered by one of these agreements. A small minority of authors not covered by an agreement pay an article processing charge, but only if they have grant or institutional funding that can be dedicated to this. Any author who does not have funding is granted a waiver and is able to publish on an open access basis in the journal at no charge. See the Open Access Options page for more details.