Author Guidelines

The Indonesian Journal of Defence, Security and Strategic Studies welcomes original scholarly manuscripts that fall within the journal's focus and scope. The journal publishes research that contributes to theoretical, empirical, comparative, methodological, and interdisciplinary debates in defence, military affairs, security, and strategic studies.

Authors are required to read and comply with these Author Guidelines before submitting a manuscript. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal's basic requirements may be returned to the authors for correction or rejected during the initial editorial screening.

1. Types of Manuscripts

The journal accepts the following principal types of scholarly contributions:

Original Research Article

An Original Research Article presents original theoretical, empirical, methodological, or conceptual research and should make a clear contribution to the relevant scholarly literature.

Review Article

A Review Article provides a critical and analytical synthesis of existing scholarship. Systematic, scoping, or other rigorous forms of evidence-based review are encouraged where appropriate.

Other Scholarly Contributions

The journal may consider conceptual or theoretical articles, research notes, policy-oriented scholarly analyses, and other contributions that are relevant to the journal's scope. Acceptance of such contributions is subject to editorial assessment.

Authors should select the appropriate manuscript type during submission.

2. Originality and Exclusive Submission

Manuscripts must be original and must not have been published previously in substantially the same form.

A manuscript submitted to the journal must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors must disclose any closely related publication, preprint, conference paper, working paper, thesis, dissertation, report, dataset, or other research output that substantially overlaps with the submitted manuscript.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes confirmation that the authors have complied with these requirements.

3. Language

The journal accepts manuscripts written in English.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are written in clear, coherent, and academically appropriate English.

Authors may use professional language-editing services where necessary. The use of language-editing services does not influence editorial decisions.

4. Manuscript Length

Unless otherwise specified for a particular manuscript type, an Original Research Article should normally contain approximately 6,000–8,000 words, including the main text and references.

Review Articles may be approximately 7,000–10,000 words, depending on the scope and methodology of the review.

The Editorial Board may consider manuscripts outside these ranges when the length is justified by the research and scholarly contribution.

5. General Formatting

Manuscripts should be prepared using a standard word-processing format, preferably Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

Unless otherwise specified in the journal's manuscript template, authors should observe the following general requirements:

page size: A4;
font: Times New Roman, 12 pt;
line spacing: 1.5;
text alignment: justified;
margins: 2.54 cm on all sides;
paragraphs: clearly separated and consistently formatted;
page numbers: included consecutively;
headings: clearly distinguished and consistently structured; and
tables and figures: numbered consecutively and referred to in the text.

Authors should use the journal's official manuscript template where one is provided.

6. Manuscript Structure

An Original Research Article should normally contain the following sections:

Title
Author information
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Literature Review and/or Theoretical Framework
Research Methodology
Results and/or Findings
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgements, where applicable
Funding Statement
Conflict of Interest Statement
Data Availability Statement, where applicable
References

The structure may be adapted where justified by the nature and methodology of the research.

7. Title

The title should be concise, informative, specific, and accurately reflect the content of the manuscript.

Authors should avoid unnecessary abbreviations, overly broad terminology, rhetorical expressions, and claims that cannot be supported by the research.

8. Author Information

The submission system should include the following information for each author:

full name;
institutional affiliation;
department or research unit, where applicable;
city and country;
institutional email address, where available; and
ORCID iD, where available.

The corresponding author must be clearly identified in the submission system.

Because the journal uses double-anonymous peer review, author-identifying information should not appear in the anonymized manuscript file.

9. Abstract

The abstract should provide a concise summary of the research and normally include:

research background or problem;
objective or research question;
methodology or analytical approach;
principal findings; and
conclusion and/or implications.

The abstract should normally contain 150–250 words and should be understandable independently of the main text.

Citations and unnecessary abbreviations should generally be avoided in the abstract.

10. Keywords

Authors should provide 4–6 keywords that accurately represent the main concepts, themes, methods, or geographical focus of the manuscript.

Keywords should be specific and useful for indexing and scholarly discovery.

11. Introduction

The Introduction should establish the research context and explain why the topic is significant.

It should normally:

identify the research problem;
establish the relevant scholarly context;
identify the gap or unresolved issue in existing literature;
formulate the research objective and/or research question; and
explain the contribution of the study.

The introduction should not simply provide a general background to the topic.

12. Literature Review and Theoretical Framework

The manuscript should engage critically with relevant and current scholarly literature.

Authors should demonstrate how the study relates to existing theoretical and empirical debates and clearly identify the conceptual or theoretical foundation of the research where applicable.

Literature reviews should prioritize relevant peer-reviewed scholarship and authoritative academic sources.

Authors should avoid excessive reliance on citations that are unrelated to the central research question.

13. Research Methodology

The methodology section should provide sufficient information to allow readers to understand how the research was conducted and, where applicable, assess or reproduce the research.

Authors should clearly describe:

research design;
research approach;
research setting or context;
data sources;
sampling or case-selection procedures, where applicable;
data collection methods;
analytical methods;
validity, reliability, or robustness procedures where relevant; and
ethical considerations where applicable.

For qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, comparative, case-study, historical, legal, policy, or other forms of research, the methodology should be appropriate to the research question and clearly justified.

14. Results and Findings

Results or findings should be presented clearly and systematically.

Authors should distinguish empirical findings from interpretation and ensure that conclusions are supported by the evidence presented.

Tables, figures, quotations, statistical outputs, and other forms of evidence should be used selectively and should directly support the research argument.

15. Discussion

The Discussion should interpret the findings in relation to the research questions and relevant scholarly literature.

Authors should explain the theoretical, empirical, methodological, or policy significance of the findings and identify how the study contributes to existing knowledge.

The Discussion should avoid introducing major claims that are not supported by the research.

16. Conclusion

The Conclusion should directly address the research objectives or questions and summarize the principal contribution of the study.

Where appropriate, authors may discuss:

theoretical implications;
policy implications;
practical implications;
limitations; and
recommendations for future research.

The Conclusion should not simply repeat the abstract or results section.

17. Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be clear, necessary, and appropriately referenced in the text.

Each table and figure should have:

a consecutive number;
a concise and descriptive title or caption; and
a source note where applicable.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted tables, figures, photographs, maps, or other third-party materials where required.

All third-party material should be appropriately attributed.

18. Quotations and Paraphrasing

Direct quotations must accurately reproduce the original source and include an appropriate citation.

Long quotations should be used selectively and formatted consistently.

Paraphrased material must be genuinely expressed in the author's own words and must still acknowledge the original source.

Changing a few words or rearranging the structure of another author's text without appropriate attribution may constitute plagiarism.

19. Citation and Referencing

The journal requires consistent and accurate citation practices.

Authors should ensure that:

every in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the reference list;
every reference listed is cited in the manuscript where appropriate;
bibliographic information is accurate;
DOIs are provided where available;
sources are relevant to the research argument; and
citations are not manipulated for the purpose of increasing citation counts or journal metrics.

The journal's required referencing style should be followed consistently as specified in the manuscript template or submission system.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use a recognized reference management tool such as Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, or equivalent software.

20. Research Ethics

Authors must comply with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements governing their research.

Where research involves human participants, personal data, vulnerable populations, or other ethically sensitive subjects, authors must obtain appropriate ethical approval or provide an explanation where formal approval is not required.

Authors must protect participant privacy and confidentiality and obtain informed consent where applicable.

For defence, military, intelligence, and security research, authors must ensure that manuscripts do not disclose classified, restricted, confidential, or otherwise protected information without appropriate authorization.

21. Data Availability

Authors should provide a Data Availability Statement where appropriate.

Where legally, ethically, and practically possible, authors are encouraged to make supporting data or research materials available through appropriate repositories.

Where data cannot be publicly shared because of confidentiality, privacy, security, legal, contractual, or institutional restrictions, authors should explain the reason for the restriction.

22. Funding Disclosure

Authors must disclose all significant sources of funding or institutional support related to the research.

The Funding Statement should identify the funding organization and, where applicable, describe the role of the funder in the research.

If the research received no specific funding, authors should state this explicitly.

23. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could reasonably be considered relevant to the research or its publication.

If no conflict exists, authors should provide an appropriate declaration indicating that there are no conflicts of interest to disclose.

24. Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI

The journal permits responsible use of AI and generative AI tools in research and manuscript preparation, subject to its Artificial Intelligence Policy.

AI systems cannot be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content.

Where AI or generative AI has materially contributed to the research or manuscript preparation, authors should disclose:

the AI tool or system used;
the purpose of its use;
the stage of the research or manuscript preparation in which it was used; and
the nature of the contribution.

Authors must independently verify AI-assisted content, including factual claims, references, quotations, data, interpretations, and analytical outputs.

Authors must not use AI tools to fabricate data, references, sources, research findings, or evidence.

Reviewers must maintain manuscript confidentiality and should not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished research materials to external AI systems unless expressly authorized by the journal.

25. Plagiarism and Similarity Screening

All manuscripts may be subject to plagiarism and text-similarity screening.

The journal does not determine plagiarism solely on the basis of a similarity percentage. Editors assess the nature, extent, source, and context of identified similarities.

Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism, unattributed material, duplicate publication, or other forms of inappropriate text reuse may be rejected or subjected to further publication ethics investigation.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all borrowed ideas, words, data, figures, and other intellectual contributions are appropriately acknowledged.

26. Authorship and Contributorship

All individuals listed as authors must have made a substantial contribution to the research and/or manuscript and must approve the final version.

The corresponding author is responsible for communicating with the journal and confirming that all authors have approved the submission.

The journal does not permit ghost authorship, guest authorship, honorary authorship, or other inappropriate authorship practices.

Changes to authorship after submission require a legitimate justification and the agreement of all affected authors. The journal may request additional documentation where necessary.

27. Acknowledgements

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship may be acknowledged with their permission.

Acknowledgements should not contain information that compromises the anonymity of the peer review process in the anonymized manuscript.

28. Anonymous Manuscript for Peer Review

The journal uses a double-anonymous peer review process.

The manuscript submitted for peer review should therefore not contain:

author names;
institutional affiliations;
author biographies;
acknowledgements that identify the authors;
identifying references such as "our previous study at [institution]" where these reveal author identity; or
other information that could reasonably compromise reviewer anonymity.

A separate title page containing author information may be uploaded where required by the submission system.

29. Submission and Editorial Process

After submission, manuscripts normally undergo:

administrative and technical checks;
initial editorial screening;
plagiarism and similarity screening where applicable;
assessment of suitability for peer review;
double-anonymous peer review;
editorial decision;
revision, where required;
final editorial assessment;
copyediting and production; and
publication.

The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts at any stage if serious ethical, legal, authorship, originality, or scholarly concerns are identified.

30. Article Processing Charge

The journal operates under a Gold Open Access model.

An Article Processing Charge (APC) of IDR 5,000,000 per accepted article applies.

The APC is charged only after formal acceptance and is not a submission fee.

Authors may request a full or partial waiver or discount in accordance with the journal's APC Policy.

Payment or non-payment of the APC does not influence peer review or editorial decisions.

31. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published articles.

Published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, subject to the journal's Copyright and Licensing Policy.

Authors retain the right to share and reuse their published work in accordance with the licence.

32. Open Access

All accepted and published articles are immediately and freely accessible online.

The journal does not impose an embargo on access or repository deposit of the published Version of Record.

Authors may deposit the published article in appropriate institutional, subject-based, or other legitimate repositories.

33. Corrections and Retractions

Authors have a responsibility to notify the journal promptly if they discover a significant error in their published article.

The journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Such actions are governed by the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and relevant international publication ethics guidance.

34. Post-Publication Responsibilities

Publication does not terminate the authors' responsibility for the integrity of their work.

Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal in responding to credible post-publication concerns, including questions concerning data, authorship, research ethics, plagiarism, conflicts of interest, or significant errors.

35. Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that all of the following requirements have been satisfied:

Manuscript

References

All sources cited in the text appear in the reference list.
All references in the reference list are cited in the text where appropriate.
Reference information has been checked for accuracy.
DOIs or persistent identifiers are included where available.
The required citation and referencing style has been applied consistently.
Citations are relevant and have not been manipulated to increase citation metrics.

Ethics and Integrity

AI and Technology

Any material use of generative AI or other AI systems has been disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI Policy.
AI tools have not been listed as authors.
AI-assisted factual claims, references, quotations, data, and analytical outputs have been independently verified.
AI tools have not been used to fabricate data, references, findings, or evidence.
No confidential manuscript or research material has been improperly submitted to an external AI system.

Peer Review

The manuscript file intended for peer review is anonymized.
Author names and institutional affiliations have been removed from the anonymized manuscript.
Self-identifying acknowledgements have been removed from the anonymized manuscript.
References to the authors' own work do not unnecessarily compromise reviewer anonymity.
A separate title page containing author information has been prepared if required.

Submission

The corresponding author has been identified.
All authors' names, affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID iDs have been entered accurately in the submission system where available.
The manuscript file and all required supplementary files have been uploaded.
The appropriate manuscript type has been selected.
The corresponding author is authorized to communicate with the journal on behalf of all authors.
The authors understand the journal's Gold Open Access model and APC of IDR 5,000,000 per accepted article.
The authors have read and agreed to the journal's publication ethics, copyright, licensing, and open access policies.

Submission of a manuscript confirms that the authors have reviewed and complied with the applicable requirements of these Author Guidelines.