Online first
Current issue
All issues
About
Aims and scope
Academic quality and international visibility
Peer review process
Publication policy and ethics & malpractice statement
Editorial Board
Reviewers
Publisher
Guide for authors
Call for papers
Book Reviews
Special Issues Archive
New and emerging technologies in defence education, training and governance
Aims and scope
Security and Defence Quarterly (ISSN 2300-8741; eISSN 2544-994X) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in specific subfields of security and defence. The focus spans several distinct yet interconnected areas, including the protection of states, societies, organisations, and individuals from threats of a physical, digital, social, and geopolitical nature. The field encompasses protecting people, assets, information, and critical infrastructure through comprehensive policies, strategies, and operational plans that address both conventional and unconventional threats, such as cyberattacks, terrorism, and hybrid warfare. It also involves the integration of emerging technologies, consideration of ethical and legal implications, and the promotion of international cooperation to enhance resilience and stability in a complex global environment.
SDQ serves as a platform for scholarly contributions from a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics, practitioners, and current and former military personnel/officers, making it a unique and invaluable resource. The journal aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of security and defence issues, encompassing the evolution of defence studies and the challenges related to security in the global environment, by encouraging rigorous scholarship and practical insights.
SDQ invites original research papers, reviews, conceptual articles, short papers, book reviews, commentaries, and interviews that address various aspects of security and defence. Security and Defence Quarterly also publishes special issues as part of its regular publishing schedule or as additional issues. These special issues focus on pressing national and international security concerns, often underserved in traditional security studies literature.
Established in 2013 by the National Defence University (renamed the War Studies University in 2016), Security and Defence Quarterly initially aimed to promote scientific research at universities affiliated with the Central European Forum on Military Education (CEFME). Since 2016, Security and Defence Quarterly has been published under the auspices of the Faculty of National Security of the War Studies University in Warsaw, Poland. The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is indexed in DOAJ, ERIH+, EBSCO, Semantic Scholar, CEJSH (The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities), ROAD, Academic Journals, Directory of Research Journal Indexing, Open Academic Journals Index, Sherpa Romeo, and other databases.
Journal profile
SDQ serves as a platform for scholarly contributions from a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics, practitioners, and current and former military personnel/officers, making it a unique and invaluable resource. The journal aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of security and defence issues, encompassing the evolution of defence studies and the challenges related to security in the global environment, by encouraging rigorous scholarship and practical insights.
SDQ invites original research papers, reviews, conceptual articles, short papers, book reviews, commentaries, and interviews that address various aspects of security and defence. Security and Defence Quarterly also publishes special issues as part of its regular publishing schedule or as additional issues. These special issues focus on pressing national and international security concerns, often underserved in traditional security studies literature.
Established in 2013 by the National Defence University (renamed the War Studies University in 2016), Security and Defence Quarterly initially aimed to promote scientific research at universities affiliated with the Central European Forum on Military Education (CEFME). Since 2016, Security and Defence Quarterly has been published under the auspices of the Faculty of National Security of the War Studies University in Warsaw, Poland. The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is indexed in DOAJ, ERIH+, EBSCO, Semantic Scholar, CEJSH (The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities), ROAD, Academic Journals, Directory of Research Journal Indexing, Open Academic Journals Index, Sherpa Romeo, and other databases.
Journal profile
- International peer-reviewed journal;
- Double-blind peer review;
- Member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
- International Scientific Board;
- 92% international Scientific Board members;
- 82.9% international authors (2025);
- 70.9% international reviewers (2025);
- 67% rejection rate;
- 23 days average time to first decision;
- avg. 97000 annual downloads/views.
Academic quality and interdisciplinarity
Due to the interdisciplinary character of contemporary security challenges, Security and Defence Quarterly publishes research situated within security studies, security engineering, political science and public administration, international relations, law, sociology, management and quality studies, as well as media and communication studies. The journal regularly publishes articles examining political decision-making, legal aspects of security and cyber governance, social dimensions of resilience and conflict, strategic and media communication, organisational management in crisis situations, and international security dynamics. The interdisciplinary profile reflects both the thematic scope of submitted manuscripts and the evolving nature of contemporary security research, which increasingly integrates social sciences, legal studies, communication research, management studies, and international relations perspectives.
International visibility and scholarly impact
The journal demonstrates growing international scholarly visibility reflected in citation metrics, international indexing, and global academic collaboration. Articles published in Security and Defence Quarterly are cited in international scholarly circulation and in publications indexed in international bibliographic databases (e.g. they have received 537 citations indexed in Scopus (as of May 2026), indicating sustained academic impact and increasing recognition within the international scientific community).
Security and Defence Quarterly is indexed and abstracted in recognised international databases and bibliographic systems, including: European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences (ERIH+), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), EBSCO, Index Copernicus International, Semantic Scholar, CEJSH, BazHum, Polish Scientific Bibliography (PBN) and other databases. The journal is also archived in the Portico digital preservation system, which ensures long-term accessibility and preservation of published scientific content.
Editorial quality and scientific standards
Security and Defence Quarterly applies rigorous editorial and ethical standards consistent with international academic publishing practices. All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review process involving both Polish and international reviewers. In 2025, 70.9% of reviewers represented international academic institutions. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least one reviewer affiliated with a foreign research institution. The journal cooperates with recognised scholars and experts representing universities, defence institutions, and research centres from different regions of the world. The full list of reviewers is available in the Reviewers section: here.
In 2025, 67% of submitted manuscripts were rejected following editorial assessment and peer review, which reflects the journal’s high selectivity and commitment to scientific quality.
The journal follows internationally recognised publication ethics standards and is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics. Editorial procedures include plagiarism screening, independent peer review, conflict-of-interest policies, and transparent editorial guidelines.
Internationalisation
Security and Defence Quarterly has achieved a high level of internationalisation. In 2025, 82.9% of published articles were authored by researchers affiliated with foreign institutions, compared to 69% in 2024. The journal’s international scientific profile is further strengthened by its highly internationalised review and editorial structure. In 2025, 70.9% of reviewers represented foreign academic institutions, while 92% of members of the Scientific Board were affiliated with international universities and research centres. The full composition of the Scientific Board is available here: here.
Contribution to Polish and international scholarship
Alongside internationally recognised researchers, the journal regularly publishes articles authored by scholars affiliated with Polish universities and research institutions, thereby actively contributing to the promotion of Polish scientific achievements and analytical thought within the international academic environment. The journal supports the dissemination of Polish research representing not only security studies and defence-related disciplines, but also political science and public administration, international relations, law, sociology, management and quality studies, as well as media and communication studies. Through its interdisciplinary profile, the journal promotes research addressing issues important to Polish security, governance, public communication, social resilience, and technological development, strengthening the international visibility of Polish scholarship across multiple scientific disciplines.
Open access
All articles are Open Access, which means they are freely available to read and download. Security and Defence Quarterly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 International License see here.
The journal does not impose any submission or article-processing charges.
All texts should be submitted in English. The journal provides its own proofreading services.
Most read
- Month
- Year
Most cited
