Our mission, subject coverage, article types, and indexing information — everything you need to know before submitting your work to The Practical Computer Science.
The Practical Computer Science is a peer-reviewed, gold open-access journal dedicated to advancing computer science, software engineering, and information systems through rigorous scholarship and unrestricted global dissemination. Founded in 2026, the journal serves as an international platform for original research that bridges theoretical foundations and practical application.
We are committed to methodological rigour, ethical integrity, and rapid dissemination of findings that carry genuine potential to advance the field. Every submission is evaluated solely on scientific merit, independent of the authors' institutional affiliation, geographic location, or funding source.
"We believe that transformative computing knowledge should be freely accessible to every researcher, developer, and educator on the planet — regardless of institutional affiliation or geographic location."
The Practical Computer Science actively encourages contributions from researchers worldwide, including those based in low- and middle-income countries. APC waivers are available for eligible authors; see our Article Processing Charges page for details.
The journal covers the full breadth of computer science, software engineering, and information systems, with particular emphasis on research that carries theoretical findings toward practical implementation. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
Studies with a clear empirical validation or formal proof are especially encouraged. Purely speculative work without empirical or formal justification falls outside the journal's primary scope.
The journal accepts a range of article formats to accommodate different research outputs. Authors should select the most appropriate type before submission. Full word limits and structural requirements are detailed in the Author Guidelines.
| Article Type | Max Words | Max References | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 5,000 | 60 | Structured, 250 w |
| Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis | 8,000 | 100 | Structured, 300 w |
| Narrative Review | 6,000 | 80 | Unstructured, 200 w |
| Case Study | 4,000 | 50 | Structured, 250 w |
| Short Communication | 2,000 | 25 | Unstructured, 150 w |
| Letter to the Editor | 800 | 10 | None |
Empirical studies must comply with relevant reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design. Systematic reviews should follow PRISMA guidelines. Software artefacts and datasets associated with submissions should be deposited in a recognised open repository where applicable.
All articles are published under the CC BY 4.0 licence, enabling unrestricted reuse with appropriate attribution. The journal operates a Gold Open Access model; no subscription or access fee is ever charged to readers or institutions.
Founding Year Waiver: In recognition of the journal's launch year, article processing charges are fully waived for all manuscripts accepted before 1 January 2027. Authors incur no publication costs for submissions accepted during this founding period. All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo double-blind peer review.
Following the waiver period, standard APC rates will be announced in advance of implementation, with continued discount and waiver provisions for authors from low- and middle-income countries.