About

Presentation

Two mandates are attached to the founding of the journal New Perspectives in the Social Sciences (NPSS). The first of these mandates is to provide a channel for the dissemination of social science research that is carried out as a relational approach or a complex systems approach. The second is to promote studies which, though rigorous, do not manage to find their niche in the established networks of social sciences, as well as those who dare to venture into unexplored territory.

Mission statement

The journal New Perspectives in Social Sciences (NPSS) aims to accompany researchers who wish to explore new venues in social sciences. Within this frame, innovative analyses may emerge which make it possible to overcome the obstacles faced by established models without sacrificing rigour. The Journal does not represent a departure from these models. It recognizes their significance. But because all power bears its weaknesses and can thus propel as well as cripple, foster as well as hinder new discoveries, this recognition is not sufficient to prohibit one from confronting, bypassing or breaking free of these models.

Understanding the limits of the established models in social sciences opens up many new pathways. The critique of utilitarianism is one of them; but there are many more. NPSS intends to promote these new channels – notably but not exclusively – through complex systems theory and relational analysis. The fecundity of complex systems modelling is recognized in numerous areas of scientific knowledge. It is now time for it to exist in a light which allows to override the hasty recusals and stigmatisations to which it so often falls victim to in social sciences. On a micrological level, the relational approach is one of very few which suggest that human relations be studied outside of a phenomenological perspective, where all is explained by reference to personal intentions. On a macrological level, it is one way to understand social phenomena through a non-anthropocentric lens, where all that is social is centered on the actor.

This two-fold theoretical orientation is by no means exclusive. Because it is unlikely that unexplored territories which reveal themselves to the social observer not be the expression of plural approaches and objects of analysis, as a rule, all innovative and rigorous thought must be welcomed.

A complex systems theory and a relational approach both focus on the study of dynamics either between objects or between the ties binding the elements which make up a whole rather than on the study of objects themselves. Thus, for both, a specific phenomenon or particular object can never be understood in and of itself, outside of the entity to which it belongs or the relationships tying it to other phenomena or objects. In this regard, they are both almost necessarily interdisciplinary, as reflect the works produced in the Systems Science European Union, the MCX-APC European Program or the Santa Fe Institute. This epistemological stance reaches across a broad spectrum comprising cybernetics, communication analysis, and systems analysis and through fields such as biology, sociology, linguistics and political science. And so, any selection of its promoters could only be arbitrary.

Anti-plagiarism rule

The journal prohibits plagiarism, not only copying of a document, but also any borrowing, whatever the type, if no reference is made to the source. The journal prohibits just as well the reproduction by the authors of a part of a paper that they published elsewhere if no reference to it has been made. If the editorial board discovers that an author has contravened this policy, the paper, needless to say, is automatically rejected and the author is advised. If the editorial board were to find out after publication that the policy has been infringed, the article would be denounced in a subsequent issue.

The editorial board considers as plagiarism:

• any reproduction word for word of a text,
• any paraphrase of a text,
• any reproduction of an idea,

when there is no explicit reference to its author or source in accordance with the modes prescribed by the journal [cf. general instructions (http://npssrevue.ca/guide/consignes_gen/ http://npssrevue.ca/guide/biblio/) and reference format (http://npssrevue.ca/guide/biblio/)].

Before an article is sent out for external evaluation, particular attention is given to this anti-plagiarism rule by the editorial board and by the editors of the journal issues. The editorial board will investigate any suspicion of plagiarism indicated by an external reviewer or any denunciation received after the publication of an article.

Indexing

Sociological Abstracts

Editorial policy and ethics

Text types

The journal Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales (NPSS) accepts articles written by an individual or a group, that have not been published elsewhere, that are closely linked to its mission statement, and that reflect either an empirical analysis, a more speculative and theoretical contribution which, from an original perspective, establishes connections between previous research and current theories, or a critical reading – concise and synthetic – of a theory or a body of theories.

Language and length of texts

Articles are written in French. An article contains between 15 and 30 pages, apart from book reviews which count between 3 and, at most, 6 pages. Imperatively, articles are accompanied by an abstract of about 150 words in French and its English translation; these synopses are followed by a list of key-words in both languages. Each page contains between 3,500 and 4,300 characters – spaces included (that is to say approximately 2,500 to 3,500 characters without spaces).

Article selection mode

The selection principle is as follows: 1) articles undergo an initial screening by an internal committee of reviewers composed of members of the editorial board in order to check the conformity with the journal mission statement, sorting that preselects papers for future issues; 2) each article is then anonymously reviewed by at least two external experts. The editorial committee notifies as soon as possible the author (or the authors) of its decision regarding his or her article. A report is sent to the author, which includes evaluators’ comments.

At this point, if the article is not rejected, a complementary phase is proposed to the authors and evaluators: the idea is to add to the traditional review process a dialogue between those who explicitly agree with the principle. In this case, those of the authors and those of the evaluators who have committed themselves to doing so will dialogue face uncovered, under the direct supervision of the editorial board and correct the paper together. This “collaborative evaluation” allows evaluators to specify and justify their demands and the authors to debate with them, and all to reach the compromises which are likely to improve the article. Those who have engaged in this type of evaluation found that its main interest lies in the appeasement of the evaluation process and the advancement due to collaborative discussions. The journal hence embodies its philosophy that authors, evaluators, and members of the editorial board inseparably be its creators and driving force.

Essential information

Authors are requested to kindly submit with their article a cover sheet on which the following information appears (this confidential page will not be transmitted to the external reviewers): name and surname; name of the University, research group (more generally name of the professional affiliation); e-mail address, imperatively; web site address if applicable.

Transfer of copyright

Author whose article has been accepted for publication transfers permanently the copyright to Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales. Author may republish this work in printed or electronic form under the condition of 1) mentioning the reference to the initial publication in the journal Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales, 2) advising the editorial board of the journal Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales by sending an electronic mail.

Archiving

Permanent archiving of Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales is carried out by Portico.

Sending mode

Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales (NPSS) favors that articles be sent as an attachment to an email. In an email, an author will transmit, in the attachment format: 1) the article, 2) a translation in English of the title of the article, an abstract of about 150 words, in French and in English, both followed by a list of key-words; 3) a cover sheet with full name and institutional affiliation. An author will make sure that the paper is in the RTF (.rtf), DOC (.doc) or WPD (.wpd) format. It should be specified, in the body of the message, if the attached documents are compressed and, if so, with which program (rar, stuffit, zip, etc.). The management of the journal does not accept papers processed with Page Maker, Quarck Xpress or any other publishing program.

General instructions

Voir la page http://npssrevue.ca/guide/consignes_gen/.

Bibliography, references, and notes

Voir la page http://npssrevue.ca/guide/biblio/.

La revue n’admet pas le plagiat, non seulement la copie de texte, mais aussi tout emprunt, quel qu’il soit, sans que soit fait référence à la source. La revue n’admet pas non plus que les auteurs reproduisent une partie d’un texte qu’ils auraient publié ailleurs sans y référer. Si le comité de rédaction découvre que les auteurs contreviennent à ce règlement, leur texte, il va sans dire, est automatiquement rejeté et les auteurs en sont informés. Si le comité de rédaction découvrait après publication que cette règle a été enfreinte, l’article serait dénoncé dans un numéro ultérieur.

Est considéré comme plagiat :

• toute reproduction littérale d’un texte,
• toute paraphrase d’un texte,
• toute reproduction d’une idée,

quand il n’est pas fait explicitement référence à son auteur ou à sa source selon les modes qui sont prescrits par la revue [voir les consignes générales (http://npssrevue.ca/guide/consignes_gen/ http://npssrevue.ca/guide/biblio/) et le format des références (http://npssrevue.ca/guide/biblio/)].

Une attention particulière est accordée à cette règle antiplagiat, avant qu’un article ne soit envoyé en évaluation, par les membres du comité de rédaction et par les directeurs des numéros. La direction de la revue mènera une enquête sur toute suspicion de plagiat de la part des appréciateurs externes ou sur toute dénonciation qui lui sera faite après publication d’un article.

Editorial board

Founding Members