International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies

About the Journal

International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, open-access, international journal published twice a year. It serves as a platform for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to share high-quality research and practical insights on contemporary security issues.

IJCSS explores a broad range of security topics, including but not limited to national security, cyber security, intelligence studies, counterterrorism, organized crime, geopolitical conflicts, hybrid threats, military strategy, crisis and emergency management, critical infrastructure protection, radicalization, border security, international relations, environmental security, fire safety, disaster risk reduction, nuclear, biological, and chemical security threats, transnational organized crime, migration and border control, space security, human security, public safety, and security governance. The journal also examines the intersection of technology, human rights, and security policy in an evolving global landscape.

The publisher is the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Security Studies, Serbia.

• ISSN (electronic edition): 3042-3988

Journal Abbreviation

Int. J. Contemp. Secur. Stud. (IJCSS)

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No Submission Fees or Processing Charges.

Submission of articles does not involve article processing charges (APCs) or submission fees.

IJCSS is an open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to users without charge. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to full texts of articles or use them for any other lawful purpose without prior permission from the publisher or the author.

Aims and Scope

The journal aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform for theoretical and empirical research in security studies. It seeks to facilitate communication between academics, security practitioners, policymakers, and analysts, encouraging a deeper understanding of security challenges in a rapidly changing global environment. The International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) explores a broad range of security-related topics, covering both traditional and emerging security challenges. These include, but are not limited to:

• National security and defense policies
• Cyber security, digital warfare, and information security
• Intelligence studies, surveillance, and strategic analysis
• Counterterrorism, violent extremism, and deradicalization strategies
• Transnational organized crime, human trafficking, and illicit networks
• Geopolitical conflicts, hybrid warfare, and asymmetric threats
• Military strategy, defense technologies, and arms control
• Crisis and emergency management, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian response
• Critical infrastructure protection and resilience planning
• Environmental security, climate change, and resource conflicts
• Fire safety, risk assessment, and emergency response strategies
• Nuclear, biological, and chemical security threats
• Border security, migration policies, and cross-border crime
• Public safety, urban security, and law enforcement strategies
• Human security, human rights protection, and ethical challenges in security studies
• Security governance, policy-making, and legal frameworks
• Space security and emerging threats in outer space operations

IJCSS aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform that facilitates dialogue between academics, practitioners, policymakers, and analysts to enhance global security, stability, and resilience in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. The journal promotes collaboration between different disciplines to develop comprehensive security solutions and enhance global stability and resilience.

Abstracting and Indexing Information

• SCIndeks
• CEOOL
• ICI Journals Master List
• Dimensions
• National Library of Serbia
• Crossref 
• ROAD
• Fatcat
• Google Scholar Citations

Instructions for Authors

1. Manuscript Submission Checklist

 Before submitting your manuscript, please make sure that:

1. You have reviewed the journal’s scope and objectives to confirm that your manuscript is a good fit.
2. Your manuscript is formatted according to the required Microsoft Word template for IJCSS.
3. All relevant aspects, including publication and research ethics, copyright considerations, authorship, figure and data presentation, and citation formatting, have been properly addressed in accordance with international standards and best practices for academic publishing.
4. All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and are familiar with the journal’s submission guidelines.
5. You have considered adding an optional author short biography to accompany your submission, which can also be shared on the journal’s website.

2. Manuscript Submission Guidelines

 2.1. Reproducibility and Data Transparency

 Authors must provide complete methodological details to ensure the reproducibility of results. In line with international academic standards, all necessary experimental controls should be documented, and, where feasible, full datasets should be made accessible to support transparency and further research. Additional materials, including supplementary data and references to unpublished sources, should adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Supplementary Materials section.

2.2. Originality, Prior Publication, and Preprints

 Manuscripts submitted to IJCSS must be original and must not have been previously published or be under consideration by another journal. However, IJCSS allows the submission of manuscripts that have been previously made available on recognized preprint platforms. Authors should disclose any preprint versions at the time of submission and ensure that the final published version cites the preprint appropriately. Preprints should be updated or removed upon final publication in IJCSS, where applicable.

2.3. Article Types

 IJCSS publishes a range of article types, each following specific structural and content requirements. Below are the primary categories of submissions:

• Research Article: These manuscripts present original empirical or theoretical research that contributes new insights to contemporary security studies. Submissions should include methodologically sound research, provide a significant contribution to the field, and reference the latest relevant literature. The standard structure includes:

• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Findings/Results
• Discussion (include Recommendations and Limitations)
• Conclusion

• Review Article: Review articles provide a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature, critically assessing key debates, knowledge gaps, and methodological challenges. These should be analytical and constructive, offering recommendations for future research without introducing new, unpublished data. A typical structure includes:

• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Key Themes or Sections
• Discussion (include Recommendations and Limitations)
• Conclusion
• Scoping Review: IJCSS accepts scoping reviews, which should map existing research, identify key concepts, and highlight gaps in the literature on security-related topics. These must adhere to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and submit the PRISMA checklist as supplementary material during submission. Authors are encouraged to pre-register protocols in open-access registries such as the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/) or Inplasy (https://inplasy.com/). A statement on PRISMA compliance and registration should be included in the Methodology section. The PRISMA flow diagram should be incorporated within the main text.

2.4. Ethical Considerations

 IJCSS upholds high ethical publishing standards, in line with international best practices for security studies research. Authors must:

• Ensure proper citation and attribution of all sources.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest.
• Obtain necessary ethical approvals for research involving human participants, sensitive data, or classified materials.
• Adhere to open science principles, including the responsible sharing of data where applicable.

For additional details, refer to the Instructions for Authors section on the journal's website.

2.4. Manuscript Submission

Authors submitting to the International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) must complete the submission process through the journal's online submission system. If you have some tehnical problems, you can use email address - ijcss@fb.bg.ac.rs. The corresponding author, responsible for managing the manuscript throughout the submission and peer review stages, must ensure that:

• All eligible co-authors are correctly listed (in accordance with authorship criteria).
• All authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

To begin the submission process, authors must register and log in to the online submission portal. Once registered, the corresponding author can access the IJCSS submission form. Co-authors can view the manuscript details in the system if they register using the same email address provided at submission.

2.4.1. Accepted File Formats

To facilitate the review and publication process, authors should format their manuscripts using the IJCSS Microsoft Word template. Properly formatted submissions help streamline the editorial process and ensure timely publication.

• Microsoft Word: Manuscripts must be submitted as a single file, incorporating all figures, tables, and appendices within the main text, following their first mention. Authors are encouraged to use the IJCSS Microsoft Word template for consistency.
• Supplementary Files: Additional materials (such as datasets, appendices, or multimedia files) can be submitted in various formats, though it is recommended to use widely accepted, non-proprietary file types to ensure accessibility.

Important Notes

• The use of IJCSS submission templates is intended solely for manuscript preparation and peer review. These templates must not be uploaded to preprint servers or shared on external websites for other purposes.
• The total file size of all uploaded documents should not exceed 100 MB. Authors facing technical limitations should contact the IJCSS Editorial Office for assistance.

For further details on manuscript preparation and submission, please refer to the IJCSS Instructions for Authors section on the journal's website.

2.5. Manuscript Length Guidelines

The International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) establishes the following word limits for submitted manuscripts, depending on the type of contribution:

1. Original Research Articles:
• Recommended length: 4,000 – 8,000 words
• Maximum length: 10,000 words (longer manuscripts will be considered if they provide substantial scholarly contribution and require additional space for methodological details, data presentation, or theoretical discussions).
2. Review Articles:
• Recommended length: 5,000 – 8,000 words
• Exceptionally, longer reviews may be considered if they present a comprehensive synthesis of existing research and contribute significant insights to the field.
3. Short Communications:
• Recommended length: 1,500 – 3,000 words
• These manuscripts should present preliminary findings, methodological advancements, or theoretical perspectives that require rapid dissemination.

Manuscripts exceeding the recommended limits may require extended review and editorial processing, potentially leading to longer publication timelines. Authors submitting extended manuscripts should provide a justification in their cover letter.

2.6. Manuscript Structure

Front Matter

• Title: The manuscript title should be clear, concise, and relevant. It should reflect the nature of the study (e.g., empirical research, systematic review, or meta-analysis). Avoid abbreviations, running titles, or short forms.
• Authors and Affiliations: Provide full first and last names of all authors, along with institutional affiliations (city, country). The corresponding author must be designated, and their email address will be published with the manuscript unless otherwise requested during proofreading. Equal contributions should be marked with a superscript symbol (†) and acknowledged in the Author Contributions section.
• Abstract: Limited to 200 words, summarizing the research background, methods, key findings, and conclusions in a structured but unheaded format. The abstract must reflect the manuscript’s content without exaggeration.
• Keywords: Include 3–10 relevant keywords that accurately represent the manuscript’s focus.

Main Manuscript Sections

• Introduction: Provides the research context, significance, and objectives. Clearly state the study’s hypothesis or research question. Review relevant literature and highlight key debates.
• Materials and Methods: Describe the methodology with sufficient detail to ensure reproducibility. Standard methods may be cited, while new methods should be fully detailed. Include software names and versions if applicable.
• Results: Present findings concisely, with appropriate interpretation. Use tables and figures where necessary.
• Discussion: Interpret the results in relation to existing research, highlight implications, acknowledge limitations, and suggest future research directions. This section may be combined with Results if appropriate.
• Conclusions: Optional but recommended for lengthy discussions. Summarize the study’s key contributions.

Back Matter

• Supplementary Materials: List any additional data (figures, tables, datasets, videos) available alongside the manuscript.
• Author Contributions: Specify each author’s role using the CRediT taxonomy (e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Review & Editing).
• Funding: Disclose all sources of funding, using standardized funder names and grant numbers. If no funding was received, state: “This research received no external funding.”
• Ethical Approval: For studies involving human or animal subjects, provide an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval statement or justification for exemption.
• Informed Consent: Required for studies involving human participants. State whether consent was obtained or waived, with justification if applicable.
• Data Availability: Indicate whether research data is publicly accessible and provide relevant links if available.
• Acknowledgments: Recognize contributions that do not meet authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, administrative assistance).
• Conflicts of Interest: Declare any potential conflicts. If none, state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
• References: Follow a numbered citation format APA Style (6th edition). Use a consistent reference style for journal articles, books, conference proceedings, and online sources. Reference management tools like EndNote or Zotero are recommended.

 Guidelines for Figures, Schemes, and Tables

The International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) welcomes multimedia elements in research articles and supplementary files. For more information, authors can reach out to the Editorial Office.

3.1. Resolution, Color, and Format

• Figures and schemes should be submitted as a compressed ZIP file, ensuring high resolution (preferably 600 dpi or more) in PNG, JPEG, or TIFF formats.
• Authors are encouraged to use color figures and schemes in the RGB mode (8-bit per channel), as there are no additional fees for color images.
• To prevent formatting issues, images should be properly combined, and all components should be non-editable.
• Tables should be created using Microsoft Word’s "Table" function, with each column clearly labeled. For better readability in larger tables, font sizes should not be smaller than 8 pt.

3.2. Placement and Numbering

• Figures, schemes, and tables must be positioned near their first reference in the text.
• All graphical and tabular elements should be numbered sequentially based on their order of appearance (e.g., Figure 1, Scheme 1, Table 1, Figure 2, Scheme 2, etc.).

3.3. Content and Formatting

• All figures should include English text and accurate mathematical symbols (e.g., hyphen (-) instead of an em dash (—), and decimal points rather than commas).
• The content of figures must be clear, with all text and symbols visible. Elements like red wavy lines or unnecessary formatting markers should be removed.
• Numbers with five or more digits should be formatted with commas for clarity (e.g., 10,000 instead of 10000) in figures, schemes, and tables.
• Each figure, scheme, and table should have an informative title and caption. Any special characters used (such as *, **, #) must be explained in the caption.

3.4. Copyright Compliance

• If figures or tables are taken or modified from another source, appropriate copyright permissions must be secured.
• Any required copyright attributions should be included in the caption, in line with intellectual property regulations (e.g., copyright, patent, and licensing policies).

To assist authors in producing high-quality graphics for publication, IJCSS provides editorial support services for optimizing figures and visual elements in research papers.

4. References – APA Style (6th Edition) for IJCSS

All references should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition style. In-text citations should use the author-date format (e.g., Smith, 2018 or Smith & Jones, 2019), and the full reference list should be formatted according to APA 6th edition guidelines.

1. In-Text Citations (Author-Date Format)

• Single author: (Smith, 2018)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2019)
• Three to five authors: First citation: (Smith, Jones, & Taylor, 2020); subsequent citations: (Smith et al., 2020)
• Six or more authors: (Johnson et al., 2021)
• Direct quote: (Smith, 2018, p. 45)

2. Reference List Formatting

• Alphabetize by the first author’s last name.
• Use a hanging indent (0.5 inches).
• List all authors up to 7; for more than 7 authors, list the first 6, followed by an ellipsis (…) and the final author.

3. Reference Examples

• Journal Article
  Smith, J. A., & Brown, K. T. (2020). Cybersecurity threats in modern warfare. Journal of Security Studies, 45(3), 210–225. https://doi.org/xxxx
• Book
  Johnson, M. P. (2018). Intelligence and national security strategies. Oxford University Press.
• Book Chapter
  Doe, J. (2021). Counterterrorism strategies in the digital age. In R. Clark (Ed.), Global security challenges (pp. 50–75). Springer.
• Conference Paper
  Miller, T. (2019). Emerging threats in hybrid warfare. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Security Studies (pp. 55–70). Berlin, Germany.
• Website
  United Nations. (2022). Global security trends report. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/security-report
• Government/Institutional Report
  World Economic Forum. (2021). The global risks report 2021. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/reports.

The International Journal of Contemporary Security Studies (IJCSS) maintains a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the publication of high-quality, original research in the field of contemporary security studies. The review process is designed to uphold academic integrity, methodological rigor, and scholarly excellence, fostering meaningful contributions to the discipline.

5. Review Process Overview

 Manuscript Submission

• Authors submit their manuscripts through the online submission system.
• Each submission is checked for compliance with the journal’s scope, formatting guidelines, and ethical standards.
• Manuscripts that do not meet basic requirements may be desk rejected before entering the review stage.
1. Double-Blind Peer Review
• The journal follows a double-blind review process, ensuring anonymity between authors and reviewers.
• At least two independent experts in the field assess the manuscript based on its originality, theoretical framework, methodology, and contribution to contemporary security studies.
• Reviewers are selected based on their expertise and familiarity with the manuscript’s subject matter.
2. Reviewer Responsibilities
   • Originality and significance of the research
   • Theoretical and methodological rigor
   • Clarity of argumentation and structure
   • Contribution to the academic and policy discourse on security studies.
• Maintain confidentiality and refrain from discussing the manuscript outside the review process.
• Identify potential ethical concerns such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or conflicts of interest.
• Provide fair, evidence-based, and constructive feedback to support the improvement of the manuscript.
• Reviewers are required to follow the Reviewer Guidelines and complete the official Review Form when assessing manuscripts.
• Evaluate key aspects such as:
3. Decision-Making Criteria
   • Accept – The manuscript meets the journal’s standards and is ready for publication.
   • Accept with Minor Revisions – The manuscript requires minor clarifications or formatting adjustments.
   • Major Revisions Required – The manuscript has potential but requires substantial revisions before reconsideration.
   • Reject – The manuscript does not meet the journal’s academic and methodological standards.
• Based on reviewers’ evaluations, the editorial team makes one of the following decisions:
4. Revision and Resubmission
• If revisions are required, authors are given a deadline to submit the revised version along with a response letter detailing how they addressed the reviewers' comments.
• Revised manuscripts may be sent for a second round of review if necessary.
5. Final Decision and Publication
• The editorial board makes the final decision based on reviewers' recommendations and the quality of revisions.
• Accepted manuscripts undergo final language editing and formatting before being published in the journal.

Ethical Review Standards

IJCSS is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. Reviewers and authors must adhere to the principles of academic integrity, transparency, and impartiality. Any ethical concerns should be reported to the editorial team.

By maintaining a thorough and objective peer review process, IJCSS ensures that published research contributes meaningfully to contemporary security studies and advances the field with scholarly rigor and innovation.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Vladimir M. Cvetković, vmc@fb.bg.ac.rs
Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, Gospodara Vučića 50,
11040 Belgrade, Serbia; Technical University of Leoben in Austria, Dept. of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Safety and Disaster Management (SDM), Interdisciplinary Study