Deepening the role of data science as a transformational force for innovation, discovery, and societal benefit. The aim of the Joint Conference on Data Science 2018 (JCDS18) is to bring together academics, policy-makers, and business people passionate about the emergent field of data science as a force for strategic transformation in an academic and professional context. There is a call for academic papers in order to attract high quality, cutting-edge thinking, and also a call for Lightning Workshops, Tutorials, and Demos.