Homeland Security Affairs

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Submission Guidelines

To have an article considered for publication in Homeland Security Affairs, please ensure your manuscript complies with all of our submission guidelines before starting the process.

How to Submit

We no longer accept submissions via email. All manuscripts must be submitted through our secure online portal:

Submission Requirements

When filing your application through Scholastica, the platform will prompt you to provide the following items:

  • Main Manuscript: Upload your article file directly to the system as a primary attachment.
  • Abstract: Paste or upload your brief abstract (150 words or less) into the designated abstract field.
  • Author Biography: Upload your short bio(s) of 150 words or less as a separate attachment or enter it into the author profile fields.

For comprehensive details on formatting and scope, please review our full Submission Guidelines.

What We Publish

Original research articles. New empirical findings or theoretical frameworks.
Short-form articles. Focused analysis under 3,000 words.
Essays. Argument-driven pieces on current issues.
Book reviews. Critical assessments of recent publications.
Commentary. Practitioner perspectives on emerging challenges.

We publish work that advances homeland security and defense practice and scholarship. We prioritize pieces that spark debate among practitioners and academics.

Who Can Submit

Academics and practitioners working in homeland security, defense, public safety, emergency management, public health, or related fields. No geographic restrictions. No submission or processing fees.

Submission Rules

Co-authored papers are accepted. Previously published work is not.

Excerpts from unpublished work (theses, dissertations, book manuscripts) are acceptable. Working papers do not count as prior publication.
Exclusive submission required. Do not submit work under review elsewhere. Notify us immediately if this changes.
No classified or controlled unclassified information (CUI). This is an open-access journal.

Questions? Contact hsaj@nps.edu.

Plagiarism Policy

Homeland Security Affairs uses anti-plagiarism software to screen all submissions.

What constitutes plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when an author uses the words, ideas, data, or arguments from another author’s work without appropriate attribution. This ranges from minor instances (a few improperly cited words) to major violations (substantial text copied without citation or large portions of another’s argument used without acknowledgment).*

During submission

If originality concerns arise during review, editors will contact the author(s) directly.

After publication

If plagiarism evidence emerges post-publication, the journal will contact the author, share findings, and determine appropriate action. Responses range from issuing corrections (minor instances) to retraction and institutional notification (major violations).**

*Elizabeth Wagner, “How Should Editors Respond to Plagiarism?” COPE Discussion Paper, Committee on Publication Ethics, April 26th, 2011, Last accessed on April 18, 2017, https://publicationethics.org/files/u7141/Discussion document_0.pdf

**Plagiarism and Fabrication Policy Statement, Nature, Last accessed on April 24, 2017, http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/plagiarism.html

Rights for Authors and Homeland Security Affairs

Homeland Security Affairs allows authors to hold the copyright and publishing rights of published articles without restriction.

Definitions

“Author” refers to both single-author and multiple-author articles. In multiple-author cases, it refers to authors singly and collectively.

“Copyright holder” refers to both single-copyright holder and multiple-copyright holder articles. In multiple-copyright holder cases, it refers to copyright holders singly and collectively.

License Grant

Homeland Security Affairs does not seek copyright on published articles.

In consideration for publication, the author (or copyright holder if different) grants Homeland Security Affairs and its subsidiaries a perpetual, worldwide right to:

  • Archive, publish, and republish the article
  • Use any medium or media of their choosing
  • Exercise these rights at their discretion and as often as they wish
  • Do so without further consideration to the author (or copyright holder if different)

The author (or copyright holder if different) further grants Homeland Security Affairs and its subsidiaries the right to transfer, sell, or license these rights—in whole or in part—to any entity of their choosing, at prices of their choosing, and without further consideration to the author (or copyright holder if different).

Guidelines for Human Subject Research

Submitting authors are responsible for treating human and animal subjects humanely and in accordance with federal, state, and local laws or regulations, as well as generally accepted scientific procedures.

Author Responsibilities

Proportionality. Determine, through consultation with colleagues or institutional review committees, that exposure of research subjects to hazards, stress, disclosure of personal information, or tedium is proportionate to the research’s significance.

Risk assessment. Determine the degree of hazard present in research. Avoid any exposures to human subjects that may result in death, dismemberment, permanent dysfunction, or extreme pain. Use the lowest exposure levels consistent with the research objectives for both human and animal subjects.

Oversight. Ensure ethical treatment of human and animal research subjects by collaborators, assistants, students, and employees.

Informed consent. When required by institutional, state, or federal codes or regulations, establish informed consent with human research subjects. Use plain language to explain participation terms, particularly any elements of risk or stress. Adhere to these terms throughout the experiment. Subjects must have the right to terminate participation at any time without prejudice.

Voluntary participation. Do not coerce potential human research subjects to participate. Do not use undue monetary rewards to induce subjects to take risks they would not otherwise take.

Confidentiality. Preserve the confidentiality of any information obtained from human research subjects that, if divulged, may harm those subjects.

*These guidelines were created by the Journal of Human Factors.

Reviewing and Editing Articles

Research articles undergo double-blind peer review by our Editorial Review Board and outside experts.

Review process:

Initial submission. Submit your manuscript, abstract, and author bio via Scholastica

Assignment (1-2 weeks). The managing editor forwards your article to two reviewers.

Review period (3-5 weeks). Reviewers assess your work and recommend one of five outcomes: publish, publish with minor revisions, publish with major revisions, rewrite and resubmit, or decline. Note: Reviews will take longer if reviewers are unavailable.

Author notification. We send you the decision and reviews, including revision requests and deadlines if applicable. All articles recommended for publication require final approval from the HSAJ Editorial Committee.

Final preparation. Once accepted, we copyedit and format your manuscript, then send it to you for approval before scheduling publication.

Essays and short-form articles follow the same process but are not subject to double-blind peer review.

Book and Media Review Guidelines

Reviews should address four questions:

  1. Content. What is this book or film about? Cover themes, central arguments, scope, and perspective.

  2. Quality. What are the work’s strengths and weaknesses?

  3. Contribution. What does this work add to the field and existing literature?

  4. Impact. Does this work advance homeland defense and security? Where does it fit in current debates?

Length

Single work reviews: 1,000-2,000 words

Comparative reviews (multiple works): ~5,000 words

Required information

Books: Author, title, place and date of publication

Films: Title, director(s), studio, year of release

Author bio: 3-4 sentences about the reviewer

Submission Deadlines

There are no set submission deadlines. We welcome submissions at any time and will begin the review process as manuscripts are received. Once an article or book review has been accepted for publication, and all revisions and formatting are completed, it will be published in the next available issue.

Author Guidelines

This document provides details on article submission, copyediting, typesetting, and layout requirements and recommendations pertaining to final manuscript submission to Homeland Security Affairs.

Author’s guidelines available for download at hsaj.org/submission-guidelines

Article Length

Because Homeland Security Affairs is published electronically, page limits are not absolutely critical. The following length recommendations are based on our experience with readers and reviewers.

  • Research articles: 30-35 pages (up to 10,000 words) in length, including notes and appendices
  • Essays and short-form articles: Up to ten pages (approximately 5,000 words) in length
  • Book Reviews: 1,000 to 2,000 words for a single book; up to 5,000 words for a multi-book review

Formatting Requirements

Do not include a title page or abstract in the text you prepare for submission. (Begin the article with title and introduction.) You will be asked to provide an abstract of approximately 150 words with your submission, as well as a brief (150 words or less) author’s bio.

General Rules

Homeland Security Affairs adheres to the rules of the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.

  • Provide a bibliography following the body of the paper with entries formatted for Chicago Style (17th Edition)
  • Use end-note citations, rather than footnotes. Please be sure these are complete
  • Do not include headers or footers. (Homeland Security Affairs will add the appropriate header with page numbers)
  • Submit your manuscript, including tables, figures, appendices, etc., as a single file (Word or RTF)
  • Page size should be 8.5 x 11-inches
  • All margins (left, right, top and bottom) should be 1 inch
  • Double space your text
  • Use a single column layout, justified right and left
  • Do not use special formatting or spacing between paragraphs
  • Use only one space at the end of each sentence

Font

  • Main Body: 12 pt. Georgia or Times New Roman, or the closest comparable font available
  • Endnotes: 10 pt. Georgia or Times New Roman, or the closest comparable font available
  • If figures are included, use high-resolution figures, preferably encoded as encapsulated PostScript (eps)

Layout

Please use the following document structure (remember there is no title page):

  1. Title
  2. Introduction (titling this section is optional)
  3. Subsequent sections including all tables, figures, and footnotes referenced in the text
  4. Bibliography
  5. Appendices (if any)
  6. Endnotes

Please note that acknowledgements should be submitted as a separate attachment so that they may be incorporated into the article for publication.

Headings and Sub-heads

Please use the following guidelines in setting headings and subheads.

  • MAIN HEADINGS: 14pt, bold, all caps
  • SECONDARY HEADINGS: 12 pt, bold, all caps
  • 1st Subhead: 12 pt, bold, upper and lower case
  • 2nd Subhead: 12 pt, upper and lower case

For additional information regarding formatting your article, please contact hsaj@nps.edu.