Nexus Reports
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Records Members Curation policy About

1. Mission and Scope

Nexus Reports aims to produce high-quality, open-access research and guidance at the intersection of water, food, energy, health, and climate systems. By publishing and curating diverse outputs—articles, datasets, code, policy briefs, etc.—the journal fosters a multi-stakeholder environment that champions interdisciplinary thinking, just transition frameworks, and Earth system stewardship.

Core Pillars

  1. Integrated Governance: Encouraging research that breaks sectoral silos and synchronizes policies, finance, and social capital for nexus resilience.
  2. Open Science: Embracing transparent, reproducible, and accessible scholarship with assigned DOIs, open licenses, and public data.
  3. Equity & Just Transition: Centering marginalized voices, fair labor practices, cultural respect, and equitable distribution of benefits.
  4. Planetary Integrity & Earth System: Anchoring all actions in recognized planetary boundaries, climate targets, and biodiversity safeguards.

2. Submissions and Curation

2.1 Submission Types and Formats

Nexus Reports accepts a wide array of research outputs via Zenodo, including:

  1. Research Articles and Papers (preprints, postprints, published manuscripts)
  2. Datasets (experimental, observational, simulation, survey)
  3. Software (code repositories, tools, scripts)
  4. Presentations (slides, posters, workshop materials)
  5. Multimedia (videos, audio, tutorials)
  6. Reports (technical, project, policy briefs)
  7. Theses and Dissertations
  8. Images (graphs, illustrations, photographs)
  9. Books and Chapters (complete books, separate chapters)
  10. Supplementary Material (appendices, additional analyses)
  11. Training & Educational Resources (tutorials, manuals, lecture notes)
  12. Projects (proposals, deliverables, milestone reports)
  13. Documentation (user guides, methods, protocols)
  14. Policy and Standards (white papers, policy docs, guidelines)
  15. Other Research Outputs (lab notebooks, experiment protocols)

Contributors can target any Section (I, II, or III) and relevant chapters within Nexus Reports. Each submission should indicate the most applicable section/chapter(s) to streamline editorial assignment and peer review.

2.2 Curation Strategy

  • Editorial Screening: Submissions are initially checked for alignment with Nexus Reports scope (integrated resource governance, Earth system boundaries, just transition, open science).
  • Open Review: Eligible submissions undergo transparent, multi-disciplinary review, with reviewers’ identities and critiques ideally disclosed (unless privacy or conflict-of-interest considerations arise).
  • Versioning: Submissions can be updated as authors refine data, code, or analyses. Zenodo’s versioning feature ensures clarity about each revision.
  • DOI Assignment: Each accepted submission receives a DOI for citation and discoverability, strengthening academic recognition and accountability.

3. Open Science and Open Review Principles

3.1 Open Access & Licensing

  • Creative Commons Licenses (CC-BY or similar) are encouraged for textual content, ensuring reuse with attribution.
  • Open Source software typically uses MIT/GPL/BSD licenses, while data sets often apply CC0 or CC-BY. Authors should indicate any legal or ethical constraints if full openness is not feasible.

3.2 Open Review Mechanism

  • Transparency: Reviewers provide feedback in a publicly accessible format, and authors’ responses are visible as well.
  • Constructive Critique: Emphasis on dialogue rather than gatekeeping. The editorial board may facilitate “live” review sessions (webinars, Slack channels) to clarify questions.
  • Optional Anonymity: Reviewers may opt to remain anonymous if concerns about professional repercussions or biases arise, but the default preference is open identification.

3.3 Data & Methods Reproducibility

  • FAIR Data: Submissions must strive for data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable.
  • Detailed Protocols: Authors provide clear methodological descriptions (lab/field procedures, code scripts, model assumptions) to enable replication or secondary analyses.

4. Editorial and Governance Structures

4.1 Editorial Board

  • A multi-disciplinary team of Section Editors ensures coverage of water, food, energy, health, climate, social equity, economics, Earth system sciences, etc.
  • Board members champion open science, interdisciplinary synergy, just transition frameworks, and ethical oversight.

4.2 Review Process

  1. Submission: Authors upload to Zenodo, tagging “Nexus Reports” and specifying relevant Section(s) and Chapter(s).
  2. Editorial Screening: Basic checks for scope, ethical compliance, data integrity, CC licensing.
  3. Open Peer Review: Assigned reviewers critique methodology, nexus relevance, completeness, and alignment with RRI (Responsible Research & Innovation) principles.
  4. Revision & Final Decision: Authors address feedback; final acceptance is recorded with an updated Zenodo version and citation details.

4.3 Conflict of Interest and Bias Mitigation

  • Authors & Reviewers must disclose affiliations or financial interests that might bias evaluations.
  • The editorial board arranges alternative reviewers or disclaimers if conflicts arise.

5. Compliance with Earth System & Just Transition Norms

5.1 Earth System Compliance

  • Submissions are encouraged to reference planetary boundaries, GHG emission thresholds, or biodiversity metrics when relevant.
  • Any potential adverse impacts on ecosystems or climate stability should be addressed, with mitigation or adaptation plans specified.

5.2 Just Transition & Equity

  • Engagement with front-line or marginalized communities is expected in field-based or policy research.
  • Submissions highlighting equitable benefit-sharing, culturally sensitive approaches, or labor justice receive priority recognition.

6. Ethics and IRB Considerations

  • Any research involving human subjects or community knowledge must follow institutional review board (IRB) guidelines, ensuring informed consent and cultural respect.
  • Data with personal identifiers must be securely anonymized or redacted unless explicit permission is granted for open sharing.

7. Plagiarism and Originality

  • Authors confirm that all submissions are original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism.
  • The editorial board may use similarity checks (software tools) to detect unoriginal content, requesting clarifications or rejections if infractions are found.

8. Post-Publication Engagement

  • Living Repository: Authors can update or expand content with new data, alternative analyses, or code improvements.
  • Community Discussions: Slack channels, webinars, or workshop series can facilitate further critique or collaboration.
  • Citation: Encouraged to cite relevant materials within the Nexus Reports Zenodo community for synergy and cross-referencing.

9. Guidelines for Each Submission Category

  1. Research Articles & Papers

    • Provide structured abstracts, highlight nexus significance, explain methodology and results.
    • Potential for open review commentary to enrich discussion.

  2. Datasets

    • Include metadata with sample details, collection methods, file formats, and any code for reproducibility.
    • Clarify licensing (CC0, CC-BY) and privacy provisions.

  3. Software & Tools

    • Upload source code, instructions, and test examples or workflows.
    • Indicate version(s) and roadmap for future enhancements.

  4. Presentations & Multimedia

    • Provide slides, videos, or podcasts in user-friendly formats.
    • Summaries or transcripts help stakeholders quickly assess content relevance.

  5. Reports & Policy Briefs

    • Offer concise, actionable insights relevant to nexus policy or regulatory changes.
    • Align recommended measures with ESG or Earth system guidelines.

  6. Theses, Dissertations, & Books

    • Summaries or short chapters recommended if length is extensive.
    • Cite references to ensure integration with existing nexus scholarship.

  7. Training Materials & Projects

    • Provide step-by-step user guides, syllabi, or project outlines.
    • Encourage reusability, adapt for different socio-cultural contexts.

Call to Action

Nexus Reports invites broad participation from academics, practitioners, community leaders, policymakers, and private-sector innovators to share their outputs on Zenodo. Together, these contributions advance knowledge, inspire solutions, and build resilience across the water-food-energy-health-climate nexus—upholding planetary boundaries, equity, and socio-economic well-being for future generations.

Join us in shaping an open science ecosystem where peer collaboration, just transition principles, and Earth system insights converge to drive action and impact through the Nexus Reports platform.