Get ready to engage with Real World Data Science as we unveil an exciting editorial refresh! We’re thrilled to announce that submissions are now open across our four dynamic sections: The Pulse, Applied Insights, Foundations & Frontiers, and People & Pathways. Join us as we redefine the conversation in data science with fresh perspectives and insights. Real World Data Science is relaunching to meet the pace and complexity of today’s data-driven world in real time, with the RSS’s trademark steadying presence. We will be publishing high-quality case-studies, tutorials and think-pieces that bridge the gap between rigorous analysis and real-time relevance, and that speak directly to latest events and emerging trends.
All submissions will be peer-reviewed by members of the Real World Data Science Editorial Board.
Our Audience:
People working in data science looking for practical insights, methodological rigour and thought-leadership that informs their work and decision-making.
Our Voice:
Authoritative, Trustworthy, Cutting Edge
Our Editorial Sections:
Real World Data Science has four editorial sections. Please read through and consider where your piece would fit best. Each piece we publish needs to be tailored towards the focus of one of these sections.
News, updates and real time commentary.
Purpose: To respond to current events, trends and debates in the data science world with rigour, insight and relevance.
Content Types: Articles that speak directly to current events/trends/launches
Example Call To Action: Invite readers to share your commentary with their networks as a trusted voice in the space. Invite engagement, discussion and debate over the topics.
APPLIED INSIGHTS
How data science is used to solve real-world problems in business, public policy and beyond.
Purpose: To showcase real-world applications of data science, including hands-on tutorials, project walk-throughs, and case studies from industry, academia, or public service.
Content Types:
- High-quality step-by-step tutorials with code
- Case studies detailing a problem, approach, and outcome
- Lessons learned from real-world deployments
Example Call To Action: Readers should walk away with something to try.
FOUNDATIONS & FRONTIERS
The ideas behind the impact: the concepts, tools and methods that make data science possible.
Purpose: To deepen understanding of the theoretical and ethical foundations of data science, and to spotlight thought leadership and emerging ideas.
Content Types:
- Think-piece style articles with an engaging angle on methodology, ethics and standards
- Interviews with thought-leaders
- Data Science Bites - our handy summaries/explainers of academic papers
Example Call To Action: Invite discussion and engagement – pose questions and challenges to the reader.
PEOPLE & PATHS
Strategic reflections on careers, leadership and professional evolution in data science.
Purpose: To explore the evolving nature of data science careers through the lens of experience, leadership, and long-term impact. This section highlights how professionals shape and are shaped by the field—through roles, decisions, and philosophies.
Content Types:
- Profiles of/interviews with senior professionals reflecting on career philosophy and leadership
- Roundtables with experts on hiring, mentoring, or organisational design
- Commentary on career-defining trends, such as the rise of AI governance or the shift toward interdisciplinary teams
Example Call To Action: Encourage readers to share our strategic insights with their community.
Use of AI in Submissions
We recognise that LLMs and other generative AI tools are increasingly part of the data science workflow, from code generation and data cleaning to drafting documentation and shaping analysis. We welcome a transparent approach in submissions that have made use of these tools, and ask that authors include a declaration outlining where and how AI was used in the development of their submission. This helps us maintain transparency, uphold standards of reproducibility, and better understand the evolving role of AI in real-world data science practice.
To make your submission, please review our contributor guidelines and email us at rwds@rss.org.uk
- Copyright and licence
- © 2025 Royal Statistical Society
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) International licence. Thumbnail photo by Virgina Johnson on Unsplash.
- How to cite
- Real World Data Science Editorial Board. 2025. “Call for Submissions” Real World Data Science, July 7, 2025. URL