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ISSA Journal Submission & Production Process

1. Publication Cadence

The ISSA Journal is a bi-monthly publication:

• Jan/Feb

• Mar/Apr

• May/Jun

• Jul/Aug

• Sep/Oct

• Nov/Dec
  
  

Target publication timing is the first week of the second month of each issue (e.g., Jan/Feb publishes in early February).

2. Content Categories

ISSA Journal accepts two primary types of content:

 

A. Journal Articles

Long-form, research-oriented, or deeply analytical pieces that:

• Typically includes references/citations

• Present original research, case studies, or substantial analysis

Target Length: 2,000–3,000 words (flexible where appropriate)

Peer Review: Formal peer review required

 

B. Columns

Short-form practitioner-focused pieces including:

• Opinion or perspective pieces

• How-to / practitioner guidance

• Trend commentary

• Case examples

• SIG and Committee updates

Target Length: 600–1,000 words (SIG / Committee updates recommended max: 800 words)

Peer Review: None/Light editorial overview

 

3. Submission Method

All content (articles, columns, and updates) must be submitted through the ISSA Journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform (https://issajournal.org/). Submissions sent via email or other channels will be redirected to OJS.

OJS serves as the system of record for:

• Submissions

• Author information

• Peer review

• Editorial decisions

• Revisions

• Final acceptance

4. Deadlines by Issue

 

Deadlines are approximate and may adjust slightly based on production needs. Submissions within these timeframes do not guarantee placement in that issue.

5. Editorial Review & Quality Standards

All content is subject to editorial review for:

• Clarity

• Technical accuracy

• Grammar, spelling, punctuation

• Consistency with ISSA Journal style and tone

Editors may request revisions.

6. ISSA Journal Style Guide

The ISSA Journal publishes practitioner focused, vendor neutral, high quality content intended for a global information security audience. All submissions must adhere to the following style and content standards.

Editorial Principles

• The ISSA Journal does not accept articles that promote a specific company, product, or commercial offering.

• Submissions must be vendor-neutral and focus on technologies, methods, practices, trends, or lessons learned.

• All submissions must be the original work of the author(s) and must not have appeared in other publications.

• The ISSA Journal does not accept articles generated by artificial intelligence tools; AI-assisted editing or grammar checking is permitted, but authors must be the primary creators of all content and responsible for its accuracy and originality.

• Where appropriate, manuscripts should be written for an international audience, avoiding region specific assumptions.

• All accepted manuscripts are subject to editorial editing for: Adherence to journal format and style, Clarity and readability, and Grammar, syntax, punctuation, and consistency

• Authors are encouraged to write clearly and concisely.

• Authors are encouraged to supply relevant visual materials that clarify or enhance the manuscript. Authors must ensure they have rights to all submitted artwork.

References and Citations (APA Style)

The ISSA Journal follows APA (7th edition) citation and reference style.

• Sources must be cited in-text using author date format.
  Example: (Williams, 2008)

• A reference list must appear at the end of the manuscript.

• Authors should cite foundational books, scholarly articles, industry publications, and publicly accessible web sources where applicable.

Example References

Book

Williams, B. R. (2008). Cyber forensics: A field manual for collecting, examining, and preserving evidence of computer crimes. Auerbach Publications. https://www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com

Journal Article

Marcella, A. J., & Menendez, D. (2008). Data flow made easy. ISSA Journal, March 2008. https://www.issa.org

Author Information

Each submission must include:

• Author name(s)

• Email address (to allow reader contact)

• Short professional biography (2–3 sentences)

• ISSA chapter affiliation (if applicable)

• LinkedIn profile URL

Writing Mechanics and Usage

• American English spelling and conventions

• organization (not organisation)

• authorization (not authorisation)

• Minimal capitalization

• information security is not a proper noun

• Oxford comma

• this, that, and the other

• Quotation punctuation follows standard American usage

• Commas and periods inside quotation marks

Grammar and Pronoun Usage

Pronoun agreement should be maintained:

• Singular: a user and his or her

• Plural: users and their systems

Gender neutral phrasing is encouraged where possible.

Ethics and Attribution

Authors must:

• Properly attribute all sources

• Avoid plagiarism and excessive self citation

• Disclose potential conflicts of interest