Collective Intelligence will be co-owned by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and SAGE Publishing with support from and in collaboration with the innovation foundation Nesta. The online-only, gold open access journal will bring together and shape an emerging field devoted to understanding group performance in diverse systems from adaptive matter, cellular and neural systems and animal societies to human organizations and systems of all kinds, hybrid AI human teams and nanobot swarms. The journal will provide a home for theoretical and empirical results from many disciplines that can contribute to this cross-disciplinary body of knowledge about how, why, and when collective intelligence works and how it can be improved. 

Collective Intelligence will publish high-quality practitioner reports in addition to original academic research that will be subject to rigorous editorial and review processes. Both academic research papers and practitioner reports will include short commentaries outlining the impact for practice or research with the aim of creating a regular dialogue between academics and practitioners.

Many researchers in fields relevant to collective intelligence are frustrated at finding a home for their work which doesn’t sit comfortably in a single traditional disciplinary journal. Collective Intelligence will welcome contributions from the fields of Computer Science, Physics, Biology and Mathematics right through to Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology, Political Science and from the practitioner community. To support this goal of being truly interdisciplinary, the journal will be edited by four leading experts across key fields: Jessica Flack (Santa Fe Institute), Panos Ipeirotis (New York University), Scott Page (University of Michigan), and Geoff Mulgan (University College London). The Editors have worked with Thomas Malone (Center for Collective Intelligence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to bring on an impressive list of Associate Editors and Editorial Board members who, together, will work to shape this emerging field.

Collective Statement from Editors Jessica Flack, Scott Page, Panos Ipeirotis, and Geoff Mulgan:

“The Internet and other digital technologies have given the world powerful new means to harness collective intelligence at a time when it has never been more needed, not least to address unprecedented challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and inequality. But our understanding of how intelligence emerges and operates, particularly among large populations - whether in biology, social contexts or computing - remains nascent. This journal will bring together the various communities and disciplines working on collective intelligence to advance our understanding of its foundations and to better equip us to put its principles into practice.”

Miranda Nunhofer, Vice President of Research at SAGE said:

“Now more than ever, a journal that questions and explores ways to improve how groups can act intelligently, building vital bridges across disciplines and between academia and practice, can help society to embrace change and solve some of the most complex problems of our time. This is a hugely exciting launch; we are thrilled to be working with the ACM and Nesta and we look forward to the journal having a major impact in developing the field of Collective Intelligence.” 

Scott Delman, Director of Publications at ACM said:

“ACM is thrilled to be working closely with SAGE Publishing and Nesta on this new open access journal, which will bring together formerly siloed communities of researchers and practitioners in areas such as computer science, economics, biology, sociology, political science, and philosophy. SAGE’s expertise in publishing high-quality social science research and Nesta’s longstanding dedication to bold innovation fits perfectly with ACM’s increased focus on serving the entire computing community with publications that bridge the gap between research and practice.”

Peter Baeck, Head of Collective Intelligence Design, Nesta said

“We are delighted to have worked with ACM and SAGE on founding this new journal. At Nesta’s Centre for Collective Intelligence Design we explore how human and machine intelligence can be combined to develop innovative solutions to social challenges by bridging research and practice. We hope the journal can bring together the growing but often fragmented global community across different disciplines to advance our understanding of the opportunities in collective intelligence design.”

For more information about Collective Intelligence, please email [email protected]

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Notes to editors

Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 1000 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company's continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com 

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking. www.acm.org

About Nesta

Nesta is a global innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. Over 20 years we’ve been tackling the big challenges facing society through research, evidence and policy, practical programmes, making grants and investments, and running experiments. We use these methods to make positive change happen where it matters to everyone, from the frontiers of personalised healthcare to stretched public services and a fast-changing jobs market. Nesta is based in the UK and supported by a financial endowment. We work with partners around the globe to bring bold ideas to life to change the world for good. In 2018, Nesta established the Centre for Collective Intelligence Design (CCID) with a mission to explore how to best combine human and machine intelligence to solve social problems. CCID generates practical knowledge on how to design collective intelligence well and supports a growing community of practitioners and academics. www.nesta.org.uk