Conflict-of-Interest Policy

Security Studies seeks the highest level of integrity in its editorial practices. The intent of this policy is to avoid situations that could reasonably be interpreted as placing a submission to Security Studies at an unfair advantage or disadvantage. This document clarifies what constitutes a conflict of interest between editors and authors and then outlines Security Studies’ policy for preventing such conflicts from potentially biasing, or creating the perception of bias, in the editorial process. This policy aims to insulate Security Studies’ editorial decisions from conflicts of interest, both real and perceived, and thereby to assure the scholarly community of the journal’s integrity.

Editorial Team. For the purposes of this policy, the Security Studies editorial team includes the Editor(s)-in-Chief and Associate Editors, if any, who individually and together manage the journal. All such members of the editorial team are referred to hereafter simply as Editor.

Conflict of Interest. A conflict of interest (COI) is a transaction or relationship which may present an incompatibility between an Editor’s obligations to treat all submissions fairly and the Editor’s personal, professional, third-party or other interests. Such COIs potentially bestow a benefit or impose a cost on an author for reasons that are not based solely on the merits of the submitted work. These potentially include transactions that are financial or in-kind, as well as relationships that are professional and/or personal. COIs include but are not limited to: current or former dissertation committee chair or committee member (ever); current colleagues at the same institution; professional research, teaching, or funding collaborators within the last five years; and current or former spouses or partners. A COI also exists when there is a record of either an author or an Editor having exerted unethical forms of power or influence over the other or having engaged in any form of harassment of the other.

Appointment of an Ethics Committee. A three-person Ethics Committee, drawn from the Editorial Board, shall be appointed by the Chair(s) of the Editorial Board to serve staggered 3 year terms. The Ethics Committee is responsible for supporting the editorial team in the implementation of this policy. The Ethics Committee can be reached at secstudiesethics@gmail.com. The members of the Ethics Committee and their individual contact information will be published on the journal’s website (see below). The Ethics Committee will review this policy annually and make recommendations on procedural and definitional changes as necessary.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest by Editors.  Security Studies will follow existing practices in flagging any potential COIs that arise from professional and personal networks. Notably, the Managing Editor screens manuscripts for COIs, and Editors themselves disclose COIs. The Editor-in-Chief will assign any manuscript with a potential COI to a member of the Editorial team who does not have a COI with respect to the author. In cases in which the Editor-in-Chief has a COI, the Editor-in-Chief will appoint an Associate Editor to serve as lead Editor with all decision-making authority regarding the manuscript in question. If the Editors flag a COI that cannot be handled within the editorial team, the Editor-in-Chief will request that the Ethics Committee oversee the review process.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest by Authors. Should any author (including co-authors) submitting a paper to Security Studies believe they have a conflict of interest with any Editor, they should disclose this conflict at the time of submission via an email to the Managing Editor and to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief may request additional information about the COI from the submitting author. The Editor-in-Chief will be bound by strict rules of confidentiality and will not inform the Editor in question about the alternative review process request. The Editor-in-Chief may consult and share information with the Ethics Committee at the Editor-in-Chief’s discretion. Upon reviewing the information provided, the Editor-in-Chief will determine whether a COI exists and decide upon an appropriate course of action.

Should any author (including co-authors) submitting a paper to Security Studies believe they have a conflict of interest with the Editor-in-Chief, they should disclose this conflict at the time of submission via an email to the Managing Editor and to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee may request additional information about the COI from the submitting author. Upon reviewing the information provided, if the Ethics Committee determines that a COI exists, it will oversee the review process.

Alternate Procedures for Review. In the event that an author reports a COI, and the Editor-in-Chief concurs, the manuscript’s review will be supervised by another Editor selected by the Editor-in-Chief. Under most circumstances, the other Editor will be another member of the editorial team. In the event that an author reports a COI with the Editor-in-Chief, and the Ethics Committee concurs, the manuscript’s review will be supervised by an alternate Editor selected by the Ethics Committee. If the Ethics Committee assigns an alternate Editor a manuscript, and if that manuscript is accepted and published, the fact that an alternate Editor was assigned will be noted in the journal.

Submissions by Members of the Editorial Team. Members of the Security Studies editorial team, with the exception of the Editor-in-Chief, are permitted to submit manuscripts to the journal for consideration. In such cases, the Editor-in-Chief will ask a former Editor of the journal to manage the submission. If the manuscript is accepted and published, the fact that an alternate Editor was assigned will be noted in the journal.

All new Editors, Ethics Committee Members, and Editorial Board Members will receive a copy of this policy and indicate in writing that they have received it, that they understand it, and that they will endeavor to uphold it.

Approved by the Security Studies Editorial Board, April 5, 2021