Defence Studies

Aims & Scope

Defence Studies is a scholarly journal aimed at the study of contemporary defence and emergent warfare from both a theoretical and empirical perspective.

The scope of the journal is set to examine how armed forces seek to engage with conceptual, strategic and operational challenges.

We welcome papers that consider how states and non-state actors think and determine insecurities through defence policies.

The journal also encourages papers that engage with how defence strategy is constructed and operationalised.

Following this, we look for papers that explore operational deployment in conflict zones and alternative battlespaces.

The journal is an arena for debate in and around defence studies from both traditional and critical studies.

We welcome scholars who explore these debates in the areas of war studies, strategic theory, policy studies, critical security as well as case study, regional and global comparisons.

The journal has recently published on force transformation, cyber defence, counter-insurgency (COIN), naval warfare and tactical nuclear strategy.

Articles and essays are aimed at defence scholars, analytics and professionals as well as those in war and conflict studies.

The journal is especially keen to appeal to those working on defence from cross-disciplinary and policy perspectives.

While we note the emphasis in relating to those looking for discussion and analysis without the depths of theoretical meandering, we aim to indicate how the nature and character of war are influenced by the martial, political, economic and techno-scientific fields.

Submissions to Defence Studies will proceed through a double-blind peer review process.

Referees are drawn from proven defence and war studies experts in academia, think tanks, non-governmental organisations and, on occasion, defence and police forces.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	0.493

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

h-index

Year	Value
2024	20

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	11719

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	190

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Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar

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Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

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Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• Back to the future? Nordic total defence concepts

  Citation: 58

  Authors: James Kenneth

• Automating the OODA loop in the age of intelligent machines: reaffirming the role of humans in command-and-control decision-making in the digital age

  Citation: 34

  Authors: James

• Surrogate warfare: the art of war in the 21st century?

  Citation: 32

  Authors: Andreas, Jean-Marc

• Defence industries in the 21st century: a comparative analysis

  Citation: 31

  Authors: Çağlar, Stephanie G.

• War, vagueness and hybrid war

  Citation: 29

  Authors: Jan

• Towards Cultural Integration in Multinational Peace Operations

  Citation: 29

  Authors: Joseph, Tibor Szvircsev

• New sources of military change – armed forces as normal organizations

  Citation: 27

  Authors: Per M.

• A nation-in-the-making, in arms: control of force, strategy and the Ukrainian Volunteer Battalions

  Citation: 26

  Authors: Ilmari

• How pressure for change challenge military organizational characteristics

  Citation: 26

  Authors: Arita, Aida

• EU security and defence cooperation in times of dissent: analysing PESCO, the European Defence Fund and the European Intervention Initiative (EI2) in the shadow of Brexit

  Citation: 26

  Authors: Simon, Neil

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