Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
skip to main content
Advanced Search

Author Guidelines

Paper Types

JCSS accepts the following paper types:

  • Research papers
  • Vision and Perspectives (by invitation only)
  • Surveys (upon EiC approval only)

Paper Length

While JCSS will not have an exact page length requirement, most papers are expected to be roughly minimum of 15 pages in length and a maximum of 30 pages in length, excluding references and appendix. The 30-page limit is not a strict limit.

Double-Anonymous Review Process

Submissions must be prepared for double-anonymous review.  To do this, you should apply the following six steps to manuscripts before submission:

  1. Anonymize the title page.
  2. Remove mention of funding sources and personal acknowledgments from the manuscript.
  3. Anonymize references found in running prose that cite your papers.
  4. Anonymize citations of submitted work in the bibliography.
  5. Ambiguate statements on well-known or unique systems that identify an author.
  6. Name your files with care and ensure document properties are also anonymized.

Conference Extensions

JCSS allows for submissions of extended conference papers. In keeping with ACM policy, a previously published must be extended with at least 25% new material.

If you are submitting a conference paper extension, you must also upload a copy of the conference paper as a supplemental file, as well as a statement explaining how your paper extends and provides new information as compared with the conference paper.

Areas for Submission

JCSS areas of submission include specifically:

  • Systems and IoT for Sustainable Societies
  • HCI, Design and Critical Perspectives
  • AI, ML and Data Science for Sustainable Societies
  • Development, Economics and Policy
  • Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change
  • Technology, Media, and Social Practice

Each area has a set of areas editors listed on the editorial board page. When you submit your paper, you will be given the option to select an area editor from the list who may be most appropriate to handle your paper.

Focus Area Track: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science for Sustainable Societies

This track takes paper submissions on research and development of AI/ML and data science techniques in the context of sustainable societies. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Methods for large-scale data analysis, participatory sensing and crowd-sourced data collection. Novel prediction and/or decision-support models in societally critical domains like healthcare, education, governance and social policy.
  • Analysis of massive, complex data sources, such as networked data, satellite data, mobile phone data, time-series, and spatial-temporal
  • Methods for working with unstructured data including natural language and images, and multi-modal analyses combining structured and unstructured data.
  • Data collection and techniques for building models for underrepresented contexts, including data regarding different groups and communities, underrepresented languages of the world, low-resource areas, etc.
  • Handling of missing, messy, and biased data, including data cleaning, data wrangling, data integration, and domain adaptation methods.
  • Data privacy, security, and anonymity while building machine learning
  • FATE (fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics) in AI and ML, especially as it applies to applications of these technologies in social impact domains.

Methods may be applied to relevant areas that aim towards social impact and sustainable societies, including but not limited to: agriculture, poverty mapping, disease surveillance, health screening, learning outcomes, resource allocation, etc. We encourage (but do not require) real-world deployment and evaluation of methods in collaboration with public sector partners such as government or NGOs. Submitted papers are expected to present an argument for the (either realized or potential) social impact of the work. We also encourage contributions on critical perspectives about machine learning that may limit effectiveness or quality of machine learning-led solutions for sustainable societies.

Focus Area Track: Computing Systems and IoT for Sustainable Societies

This track takes paper submissions on the design, implementation, and deployment of all forms of computing and communication systems for sustainable societies. Topics of interest may include (but not limited to):

  • Connectivity solutions and measurements
  • Mobile systems and applications
  • Spectrum management
  • Content distribution
  • Low-cost and/or low-energy computing systems and devices
  • IoT devices and other systems for improving infrastructure (buildings, energy systems, roads, water and sanitation systems, agriculture, healthcare, governance, etc.)
  • Computing technologies applied in energy and electricity networks
  • Systems for measurement, monitoring, and/or management of urban and rural environments
  • Deployment of sensing and communications technologies, case studies, and lessons learned
  • Security and privacy in systems and IoT
  • Smart cities applications 

Focus Area Track: Human-Computer Interaction and Design

This track takes paper submissions that are broadly in the domains of HCI, design, and critical perspectives. We encourage submissions that describe the design and use of novel interactive technologies and applications with individuals, communities, or organizations. Submissions may use a broad array of methods, including ethnography, qualitative, quantitative, design, usage and interaction analysis, mixed methods, and others. Domains of interest include health, education, gender, religion, agriculture, socio-economic development, poverty, financial services, and more. Topics of interest may include (but not limited to):

  • Designing technologies or applications for underserved, marginalized, or at-risk communities
  • Human-centered AI (where the contribution is related to the design, usage, sociotechnical context, or application rather than the AI itself)
  • Information and computer ethics
  • Design or study of sociotechnical systems for underserved communities
  • Information system and technology design methodologies
  • Social relationships and information flows within and across communities
  • Gender and intersectionality
  • Evaluations of usage and impact of technologies deployed in the field
  • Human-centered security and privacy
  • Reflections from long-term deployments
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Other topics related to interactions between technology, humans, and/or society

Focus Area Track: Development, Economics, and Policy

This track encourages paper submissions from economics, social sciences, and policy that pertain to sustainability and socio-economic development. Specifically, we encourage development, economics and policy papers that engage with a broad range of application domains, including public health, financial services, education, agriculture, gender, livelihood, employment, governance systems, and labor rights, among others. Specific topics include but are not limited to:

  • Policy evaluation using randomized control trials or observational data
  • Study of markets, market design, and new forms of economic activity such as gig work and micro-lending, especially in low- and middle-income societies
  • Measuring development, economic, or policy outcomes using non-traditional data (administrative, satellite, social media, mobile, text, etc.)
  • Applying AI/ML methods to social science or economic policy
  • Development economics studies
  • Intersection of politics, governance, and development
  • Social network analysis and analysis of social relationships
  • Applications, effects, and regulation of technology in low- and middle-income societies

Focus Area Track: Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change

This track encourages papers on all aspects of sustainability of the planet pertaining to environmental sciences, climate change, and environmental policy. We encourage submissions across a broad spectrum of topics in this space, including but not limited to:

  • Climate change modeling
  • Environmental scientific studies
  • Impact of climate change on populations
  • Modeling environmental pollution and its impact of populations
  • Biodiversity, wildlife and ecosystem conservation
  • Sustainable management of natural resources
  • Environmental policy studies and economics
  • Studies on the limits of the sustainability of technology
  • Measuring and evaluating the impact of nature-based strategies

Focus Area Track: Technology, Media, and Social Practice

This track takes paper submissions that engage in critical discussions on the social, economic, and cultural impact of technology and media. It welcomes submissions that bring an interdisciplinary perspective from a diverse range of disciplines across the social sciences and humanities on both theoretical and empirical research. Topics of interest may include (but not limited to):

  • The implications and impacts of, and the determinants and obstacles to, computing technologies
  • The global and local dimensions of the relationship between technology and societal issues
  • The individual, social, cultural, and political dimensions of computing technologies
  • The relationship between theory, policy, and practice
  • The use of the Internet for local economic development, social justice, and political empowerment
  • Technology and media ethics
  • Civic media and technology
  • The implication of online misinformation and disinformation campaigns in society and policy

ORCID Requirements

ACM requires that all accepted journal authors register and provide ACM with valid ORCIDs prior to paper publication. Corresponding authors are responsible for collecting these ORCIDs from co-authors and for providing them to ACM as part of the ACM eRights selection process. For journals using the ScholarOne submission system, the submitting author will be required to provide their own ORCID upon submission. Authors are strongly encouraged, but not required, to include ORCIDs for all authors in their source files.  Please note: ACM only requires you to complete the initial ORCID registration process. However, ACM encourages you to take the additional step to claim ownership of all your published works via the ORCID site.

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission and supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities - ensuring that your work receives proper recognition. This requirement will also enable ACM to provide improvements to the normalization process of ACM Digital Library author profile data, aid in the detection of undeclared conflicts of interest and other publications-related misconduct in ACM Publications, assist with the implementation of ACM Open, and offer a host of other researcher benefits to ACM authors and the scientific community.

Before submission, the corresponding author should register for an ORCID.  Your co-authors should also create their individual ORCIDs at that time and add them to their accounts in the manuscript submission system. Otherwise, you will need to enter them manually into the ACM rights system upon paper acceptance and before publication in the ACM Digital Library. Simple instructions for complying with this mandate are provided inside the ACM eRights system.

ORCID information for all authors will appear on the article’s page in the ACM Digital Library. If ORCIDs are included in an article’s source files, they will also be linked in the published output.

The ACM ORCID FAQ should answer many of your questions.

ACM Policies

As a published ACM author, you and your co-authors are subject to all ACM Publications Policies.

ACM Policy on Authorship

The ACM Policy on Authorship and the associated list of Frequently Asked Questions cover the criteria for authorship and for submission, as well as acceptable and unacceptable authorship practices.

ACM Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy

The ACM Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy describes what a COI is, who is responsible for being aware of such conflicts, how to manage COIs, and how to report violations.

ACM Peer Review Policy

ACM recognizes that the quality of a refereed publication rests primarily on the impartial judgment of their volunteer reviewers. Expectations of reviewers and ACM, including key topics such as confidentiality, the use of large language models in the peer review process, and conflicts of interest, can be found in the ACM Peer Review Policy and its associated list of Frequently Asked Questions.

ACM Publications Policy on Research Involving Human Participants and Subjects

All authors conducting research involving human participants and subjects must meet appropriate ethical and legal standards guiding such research. These requirements are detailed in the ACM Publications Policy on Research Involving Human Participants and Subjects.

Templates

Manuscripts accepted for publication in any ACM publication must be formatted using the ACM authoring template. Submissions must also use the ACM authoring templates. ACM style files will closely approximate the final output, enabling authors to judge the page-length of their published articles.

ACM authoring templates and detailed instructions on formatting can be found at http://www.acm.org/publications/authors/submissions. For both Word and Latex technical support, contact [email protected].

ACM Computing Classification System (CCS)

If your paper has been accepted, please read the HOW TO CLASSIFY WORKS USING ACM'S COMPUTING CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM for instructions on how to classify your document using the CCS and insert the index terms into your LaTeX or Microsoft Word source file. Providing the proper indexing and retrieval information from the CCS provides the reader with quick content reference, facilitating the search for related literature, as well as searches for your work in ACM's Digital Library and on other online resources.

Author Rights

ACM authors can manage their publication rights in either of the following ways:

  • A license granting ACM non-exclusive permission to publish—allowing authors to self-manage all rights to their work by choosing to pay for perpetual open access from the ACM Digital Library.
  • A publishing license agreement granting ACM exclusive publication rights—by granting ACM the right to serve as the exclusive publisher of a work and to manage ongoing rights and permissions associated with the work, including the right to defend it against improper use by third parties. (This license is roughly the equivalent of ACM’s traditional Copyright Transfer Agreement except that the author continues to hold copyright.)

As of January 2023, per decision of the ACM Publications Board, the traditional Copyright Transfer Agreement option is no longer available for ACM authors.  ACM will continue to defend all ACM-published works against improper use when allegations of publication-related misconduct are brought to light.  For more information please refer to this article in The Blue Diamond.

Additionally, ACM authors may post all versions of their work, with the exception of the final published "Version of Record", to non-commercial repositories such as ArXiv. See the ACM Author Rights page for additional information.

Learn more, including about posting to pre-print servers and institutional repositories, by visiting the ACM Author Rights page.

Open Access

ACM has made a commitment to become a fully sustainable and Plan S compliant Open Access (OA) scholarly publisher within approximately five years. ACM offers a number of ways to achieve this goal, including Hybrid OA, Gold OA, and the ACM OPEN program.

Most ACM journals, with the following exceptions, are Hybrid OA.  ACM Gold OA journals are:

Click here to view the Article Processing Charges (APCs) to publish your article Open Access.

Additionally, all corresponding authors from an institution participating in ACM OPEN will have their research articles published OA at the time of publication at no cost to the authors.  Click here for a list of participating institutions. To ensure eligibility for the program, corresponding authors from participating institutions must use their institutional email address upon submission.

Language Services

ACM has partnered with International Science Editing (ISE) to provide language editing services to ACM authors. ISE offers a comprehensive range of services for authors including standard and premium English language editing, as well as illustration and translation services, and also has significant outreach in China. Editing is available for both Word and LaTeX files. As an ACM author, you will receive a generous discount on ISE editing services. To take advantage of this partnership, visit the Dedicated ACM Editing Service. (Editing services are at author expense and do not guarantee publication of a manuscript.)

Author-izer Service

Once your manuscript is published, this service allows you to generate and post a link on your home page or institutional repository to your published article. This link will let any visitors to your personal bibliography pages download the definitive version of the articles for free from the ACM DL. These downloads will be recorded as part of your DL usage statistics. A detailed description of the service and instructions for its use may be found at the ACM Author-Izer Service page.

LaTeX Collaborative Authoring Tool on Overleaf Platform

ACM has partnered with https://www.overleaf.com/, a free cloud-based, authoring tool, to provide an ACM LaTeX authoring template. Authors can easily invite colleagues to collaborate on their document. Among other features, the platform automatically compiles the document while an author writes, so the author can see what the finished file will look like in real time. Further information can be found at https://www.acm.org/publications/authors/submissions. The ACM LaTeX template on Overleaf platform is available to all ACM authors https://www.overleaf.com/gallery/tagged/acm-official#.WOuOk2e1taQ.

Kudos Article Sharing Platform

Kudos is a free service that you can use to promote your work more effectively. After your paper has been accepted and uploaded to the ACM Digital Library, you'll receive an invitation from Kudos to create an account and add a plain-language description. The Kudos “Shareable PDF” allows you to generate a PDF to upload to websites, such as your homepage, institutional repository, preprint services, and social media. This PDF contains a link to the full-text version of your article in the ACM DL, adding to download and citation counts.

Author Gateway

Please be sure to visit the ACM Author Portal for additional important author information.

Contact Us

For further assistance and questions regarding the journal editorial review process and paper assignment to an issue, contact the journal administrator ([email protected]).