Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the preparation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/CuS composite nanofibres, and the effects of solution and process parameters on the resulting nanofibres. Design/methodology/approach - A facile method coupling self-assembly and electrospinning technology was used to prepare PVA/CuS nanofibres from PVA/CuCl(2)center dot 2H(2)O solution. Findings - CuS nanoparticles were well dispersed in the composite nanofibres, the dimension of which was in the range of 4-9 nm. Low amount of salt in electrospinning solutions and high-applied voltage were beneficial for forming smooth-and small sized nanofibres. The tip-to-collector distance has not affected the morphology of resulting nanofibres. Research limitations/implications- The orientation of the composite nanofibres was hardly controlled and the diameter distribution of nanofibres was not uniform enough. Practical implications - The method combining electrospinning and self-assembly provided an effective strategy for preparing nanoparticles doped composite nanofibres. Originality/value - The morphology of composite nanofibres was well controlled via adjusting the solution and process parameters, therefore, the fibres obtained will have potential applications as controllable nano-optoelectronic materials.