Guideline for Contributors
Beyond the Horizon International Strategic Studies Group is a non-partisan, independent, and non-profit think tank. The mission of Beyond the Horizon is to promote global peace and security by empowering decision- and policy-makers with knowledge and advocating paths to prevent, mitigate or end crises and conflicts. We believe in the value of field experience and the necessity to synthesize academic work with realities on the ground. That is why we enlist experts in security theory and practice.
Our website is the platform we use as interface between us and our clients and general public. In line with our mission, through this platform we disseminate research offering in-depth analyses, insight and realistic policies about chronic and emerging security challenges, crises, conflicts, and war. For a better understanding of the matters covered, please consult research in our website and our quarterly journal, Horizon Insights which can be downloaded free of charge below products tab.
Research
If you think your work is aligned with our publishing policies and the subjects we cover, be it original manuscript or formerly published work, please feel free to share with us. As we take on the mission of promoting global peace and security, we believe in the need of good works to resonate from different corners. Multiplication of sound advice will certainly multiply effect.
In this regard, we are asking for your manuscripts between 5.000-10.000 words including notes and references. Your manuscript should include a short description about you (the author), abstract, keywords, introduction contextualising your work, results, discussion, conclusion, references and if any appendices. Both abstract and conclusion should be commensurate with the text in length and content.
We preferably accept manuscripts in British English using APA 7th edition referencing style. But manuscripts using another citation style in a consistent way are also accepted. Please leave 1″ margin on all sides and use double-space between lines and Helvetica 11 as the font. Main heading and chapter headings should be in bold, each word capitalised. We do not want indentions in the text but rather spacing between paragraphs. Your figures and tables within the text should be submitted in a separate word or excel file as well. We encourage them to be in tones of blue in accordance with our logo. In any case we retain the right to make changes in the appearance of your tables and graphics. We encourage you to have your manuscript checked by a native English speaker before submitting in order to avoid a direct refusal. Although our editors check your manuscripts from language standpoint, too many problems in English cause early refusals.
Your manuscripts are checked primarily for suitability of the content with the journal’s publishing policies, originality of the ideas and academic rigour. If found appropriate they are sent to a technical editing process which ensures basic editing processes like spelling and line editing. Then the articles are forwarded to our editors to provide a broad overall assessment pinpointing strengths and weaknesses, flagging specific problem areas, and providing general suggestions for improvement. During this process, we retain the right to make changes in your text and headings during all those editorial processes. You may also be asked to make revisions for multiple times. We appreciate your patience.
All manuscript submissions should be made at info@behorizon.org. The same email address can be used for general inquiries also.
Commentary
We disseminate commentaries on our website on our expertise areas. These are sometimes thought provoking commentaries depending on author’s personal experience and expertise whereas most others are tailored to catch up trending or sensitive issues that require attention. They are short in length when compared to research, ranging between 500-2000 words. Based on their nature, editing process is much quicker than research. After an initial technical editing process your commentary proposals are examined by the relevant directorate. Depending on the time sensitivity of the issue we publish your contributions in three business days. In these commentaries we expect contributers to hyperlink the resources on the web and use endnotes for other references.
Policy Brief
Policy briefs are publications that reflect the results of policy-relevant research. They include a short description of the problem, the context, probable or so-far observed courses of action for solution and policy recommendations. They are specifically designed in a way to make their consumption easy for policymakers and stakeholders in the respective field. In some cases they aim to carry first-hand experience during research or project to the target audience or to make suggestions at a time when a solution is sought to an emerging problem. In any case, policy briefs are publications with potential for high impact.
We welcome policy briefs that are relevant and succeed the following:
- An executive summary under the rubric of “Key Points”
- An introduction or background to contextualize the problem
- An analysis that depicts what exists in terms of solution, and finally
- Policy recommendations
The average length of policy briefs should be between 2000-5000 words. We expect our contributors to use APA citation style and end notes.
Book Review
We welcome reviews of books that are recent and important dealing with security and defense. Among many, especially subjects dealing with current problems Europe face like migration, terrorism and radicalization are especially encouraged.
The reviews should not be a summary of the book. But they should succeed the following:
- An initial paragraph describing the book and its author.
- A paragraph presenting the main argument of the author. This paragraph should also show in what ways the book contributes to the literature or the niche it fills within its field.
- Two paragraphs maximum summarizing the content of the book.
- A paragraph noting what the book succeeds well.
- A paragraph noting what the book fails to succeed despite being promised.
- A concluding paragraph including a general assessment to include remarks made hereto and recommendations based on its stated purpose.
The reviews are subject to conditions described above for manuscript except for length. The submitted book reviews should be 1000 words maximum. We also welcome your suggestions about the books to be reviewed with justifications why you deem it is important. You can send the book for review to Davincilaan 1, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. We do not guarantee that we will review the book suggested.
If you are willing to suggest a book for review or want to be one of our reviewers, please send us your short biography at info@behorizon.org.