About the Journal

Aims and Scope

The Journal of Security and Defense Studies (JSDS) is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by the Defense Research Institute of Mongolia under the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia.

The journal publishes original theoretical, methodological, empirical, and policy-oriented research in security studies, defense studies, military science, military art, defense technology, and military history. It seeks to advance scholarly knowledge, promote interdisciplinary research, and provide research-based evidence for public policy, strategic planning, and decision-making in the security and defense sectors.

The principal areas covered by the journal include:

• National, regional, and international security;
• Security policy, strategy, risks, and emerging threats;
• National resilience and societal cohesion;
• Defense policy, legislation, planning, and evaluation;
• Civil-military relations, defense governance, and leadership;
• Military science, military art, doctrine, tactics, and operational art;
• Lessons learned from contemporary wars and armed conflicts;
• Weapons, military equipment, advanced technologies, and innovation;
• Defense industry and capability development;
• Military history, traditions, and historical lessons.

The journal primarily publishes articles in Mongolian. English-language manuscripts may be considered by the Editorial Board. Titles, author information, abstracts, and keywords are provided in both Mongolian and English.

About the Journal

The Journal of Security and Defense Studies is a peer-reviewed scholarly periodical published by the Defense Research Institute of Mongolia under the Ministry of Defense of Mongolia.

The journal provides a professional forum for disseminating original research findings, theoretical and methodological analyses, empirical studies, policy analyses, and review articles in security and defense studies, military science, and policy research.

The journal pursues the following objectives:

• To expand the body of knowledge in security studies, defense studies, and military science;
• To disseminate innovative research findings nationally and internationally;
• To support the development of research theory and methodology;
• To provide evidence-based information for public policy, strategic planning, and decision-making;
• To strengthen collaboration among scholars, researchers, policymakers, and military professionals;
• To bring Mongolian security and defense research into international scholarly circulation.

Brief History of the Journal

According to the records of the ISSN International Centre, the Journal of Security and Defense Studies has been registered as a continuing scholarly periodical under its current title since 2010.

The journal has regularly disseminated research on security, defense policy, and the theory, methodology, and practice of military science. It is issued in both online and print formats and uses eISSN 2708-1230 for its online edition and ISSN 2220-9115 for its print edition.

Recent reforms include assigning a persistent DOI to each article, expanding English-language metadata, implementing double-anonymous peer review, and progressively introducing international standards for publication ethics, open access, digital preservation, and indexing.

Peer Review Process

Each original research manuscript submitted to the journal is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject-matter expertise.
The review is conducted under a double-anonymous model: the identities of authors and reviewers are not disclosed to one another.

Reviewers assess manuscripts using the following criteria:

• Rationale and significance of the research problem;
• Originality of the research;
• Theoretical and methodological foundation;
• Research design and methods;
• Reliability and accuracy of the data;
• Strength of the evidence supporting the findings;
• Coherence among findings, discussion, and conclusions;
• Contribution to theory, policy, and practice in the field;
• Use of relevant sources;
• Language, presentation, and structure;
• Compliance with publication and technical requirements;
• Research ethics.

On the basis of the reviewers' reports, the Editorial Board makes one of the following decisions:

• Accept for publication;
• Accept after minor revisions;
• Invite major revisions and a further round of review;
• Reject.

The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief, the Editor, and the Editorial Board, taking into account the reviewers' reports, the journal's scope, scholarly quality, and ethical requirements.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on the scholarly quality of the manuscript, the outcome of peer review, the journal's scope, and applicable standards of research and publication ethics.

The publisher provides the organizational and financial support required for continuity of publication. It does not influence editorial decisions to accept, revise, or reject individual manuscripts.

Editorial decisions are made independently of funders, political and administrative bodies, military command organizations, public officials, and interest groups.

Audience

The journal is intended primarily for:

• Scholars and researchers in security and defense;
• Public policymakers and decision-makers;
• Senior officials in defense organizations and the armed forces;
• Military professionals and analysts;
• University and research-institute faculty and researchers;
• Doctoral and master's students, officer cadets, and undergraduate students;
• Researchers in international relations, political science, law, economics, sociology, and technology;
• Defense-industry, engineering, and technology professionals;
• Readers with a scholarly interest in security and defense affairs.

Publication Frequency

The journal is published regularly three times per year. Issues are scheduled for publication in:

• The final week of March;
• The final week of June;
• The final week of September.

Special issues may be published when required by decision of the Editorial Board.

Open Access Policy

The journal follows a combined open-access model to increase access to scholarly knowledge and disseminate research findings nationally and internationally.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright in articles published by the journal.

Authors grant the journal a non-exclusive right to publish the article; distribute it in online and print formats; archive it; and register it in databases, discovery systems, and indexing platforms.

Openly accessible articles may be published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY) license. The applicable license is agreed between the Editorial Board and the author and is displayed clearly on the article's webpage.

Editor Responsibilities

The Editor-in-Chief, the Editor, and members of the Editorial Board are responsible for:

• Evaluating manuscripts on the basis of scholarly content and quality;
• Treating authors fairly regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, religion, political views, or institutional affiliation;
• Protecting the independence of peer review;
• Maintaining the confidentiality of author and reviewer information;
• Recusing themselves from decisions on manuscripts involving a conflict of interest;
• Protecting the integrity of the scholarly record and the accuracy of published work;
• Investigating ethics-related complaints and reports on the basis of evidence;
• Issuing corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern, or retractions where necessary;
• Preventing business, funding, or institutional interests from influencing editorial decisions;
• Continuously improving publication quality, access, preservation, and indexing.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:
Evaluate manuscripts professionally, fairly, and independently;

• Provide clear, evidence-based reasons for their assessments;
• Avoid personal criticism of authors;
• Offer constructive recommendations that improve the manuscript;
• Maintain the confidentiality of manuscript information, data, and conclusions;
• Refrain from using information obtained during review for personal benefit or the benefit of others;
• Decline manuscripts outside their area of expertise;
• Notify the Editorial Board immediately of any conflict of interest;
• Identify relevant works and sources that have not been cited;
• Report suspected plagiarism, data fabrication, duplication, or other ethical concerns;
• Submit their reports within the deadline set by the Editorial Board;
• Notify the Editorial Board in advance if the review cannot be completed on time.

Publication Ethics

The journal follows generally accepted international principles and guidelines to uphold research integrity, scholarly quality, and transparency.

The following actions are regarded as breaches of research and publication ethics:

• Using another person's work, ideas, data, or text without appropriate citation;
• Reusing one's own previously published material without citation;
• Fabricating data;
• Altering or falsifying data;
• Overstating research findings without adequate support;
• Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one publication;
• Republishing work without sufficient justification;
• Listing as an author a person who made no genuine contribution;
• Omitting a person who made a genuine contribution from the author list;
• Concealing a conflict of interest;
• Using another person's images, tables, figures, or other materials without permission;
• Disclosing confidential peer-review information;
• Attempting to exert improper influence on an editorial decision.

Plagiarism and Originality Screening

Every submitted manuscript is screened with an internationally recognized similarity-detection system before being sent for peer review.

When interpreting a similarity score, the Editorial Board considers the following factors:

• Whether sources have been cited correctly;
• Whether direct quotations have been used appropriately;
• Whether an excessive amount of text has been taken from a single source;
• Whether the author has inappropriately reused prior work;
• Whether the central ideas and conclusions of the study are original.

A manuscript may be rejected when serious plagiarism, fabricated data, or duplicate publication is detected. If such a problem is identified after publication, the journal may issue a correction, retract the article, and notify the relevant institution.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose in advance any financial, institutional, professional, or personal conflict of interest related to a manuscript.

An editor or Editorial Board member with a conflict of interest must not participate in the initial screening, reviewer selection, discussion, or decision concerning that manuscript.

Each published article includes a statement declaring whether a conflict of interest exists.

Publisher's Confirmation

When an allegation concerns research misconduct, fraudulent publication, plagiarism, data falsification, or copyright, the publisher and Editorial Board investigate the matter on the basis of relevant evidence.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue, the journal may:

• Request an explanation from the author;
• Require revision of the article;
• Publish a correction;
• Publish an editorial expression of concern;
• Retract the article;
• Notify the relevant institution.

Article Processing Charges

The journal does not charge authors a submission fee or any fee for processing, peer review, or publication.

Articles are published free of charge on the basis of scholarly quality, originality, alignment with the journal's scope, and the outcome of peer review.

Confidentiality and Information Security

The confidentiality of manuscripts, author information, reviewer reports, and editorial decisions is maintained throughout every stage of peer review.

Before an article concerning defense, military, or security affairs is published, it undergoes a security review to determine whether it contains state or official secrets, internal organizational information, or personal data.

A security review does not replace the scholarly assessment or peer review of the manuscript.