Contributions

We welcome submissions from researchers, scholars, policy makers, practitioners, and informed observers on such topics as strategic and security issues, international relations, civil-military relations, leadership, ethics/morality, women in society, economics, democracy, terrorism, human rights, and so forth. Articles should take existing theories and concepts in a new direction or bring a novel perspective to current literature.

Manuscripts submitted to ASPJ-A&F 's Editor should follow the guidelines provided in AU-1, Air University Style and Author Guide, or the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Even before the founding of the United States Air Force, Air University initiated Air University Quarterly Review in 1947 as a professional publication in the highest sense of the word—one that would reflect the best professional thought concerning global concepts and doctrines of air strategy and tactics. Since its inauguration, the journal has appeared under the titles Air University Quarterly Review, Air University Review, Airpower Journal, Aerospace Power Journal, and, currently, Air and Space Power Journal.

Software

We prefer that authors use Microsoft Word to prepare their manuscripts and that they not use templates or similar desktop-publishing features.

Length

Manuscripts should be approximately 3,000 to 6,000 words in length.

Title

The article’s title should catch a reader’s attention rather than serve as an executive summary or overview. It should not exceed 10 words. Authors may propose a shortened title for the running head.

Structure

Articles should be concise, straightforward, and well developed, including an introduction, a problem statement or thesis, an analysis of the problem or thesis, a solution or recommendation, and a conclusion. Active voice should predominate, and authors should avoid jargon and “mission specific” language since doing so reduces clarity.

Endnotes

Authors should use the numbered-endnote system of documentation, paying particular attention to the accuracy as well as the correct and complete presentation of citations. In-text references and footnotes are not acceptable. Notes should be numbered consecutively—beginning with 1—throughout the article and throughout the list of notes at the end of the article. Only one note number should appear at the end of a sentence or clause, but the endnote itself may include multiple references. Use Microsoft Word’s “insert endnote” feature (under “references”) to “embed” the notes, which enables automatic renumbering when notes are added, deleted, or moved. We will not accept manuscripts without embedded endnotes. For a detailed discussion of endnotes and their proper formatting, see section 5.1 and Appendix A, “Note Citations,” of AU-1, Air University Style and Author Guide.

Tables and Illustrations

Authors who wish to include tables, figures, charts, or other graphics (not recommended) in their articles should submit either original creations or reproduce them from noncopyrighted sources. The use of copyrighted tables or illustrations requires a formal (written) release from the copyright owner (please provide us with a copy). (Note that articles published in ASPJ-A&F become part of the public domain.) Artwork should be submitted on separate files (one illustration per file), not embedded in the manuscript. Include the illustration number in the title of the file. Tables and illustrations should be numbered consecutively throughout the article and referred to in the text; their position in the text should be clearly marked. Acronyms and/or abbreviations used in tables or illustrations should include their meanings if not already defined in the text of the article. Artwork should be of sufficient quality for reproduction without amendment. For resolution requirements, see Appendix B, “Submitting Images for Publication,” on p. 219 of AU-1, Air University Style and Author Guide.

Abstract

The manuscript should include an abstract of no more than 150 words that succinctly describes the research topic, analytical approach, and major findings. It should not include references and citations to other works.

Key Words

Authors should provide an alphabetized list of no more than 10 words or short phrases, excluding terms used in the title, chosen carefully to reflect the precise content of the article.

Turnaround Time

ASPJ-A&F’s editor makes every effort to process manuscripts as quickly as possible. As a general guideline, authors should allow three months from the date of submission for a publication decision. Occasionally, the review process takes longer than that. In some cases, however (human resources permitting), the editor will make a decision more quickly and notify the author. Contributors should be aware that their manuscripts must go through security clearance and policy review by the public affairs office here at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, to ensure that they contain no classified and sensitive information and do not misrepresent current Air Force policy.

Editorial Process

Manuscripts will undergo anonymous peer review, which will evaluate them on the basis of their creativity, quality of scholarship, and contribution to advancing the understanding of the subject addressed. At any point in the review process, the editor may accept the article for publication, return it for revision, or reject it. The editor determines final disposition of any submission. Articles accepted for publication are scheduled for a specific ASPJ-A&F issue or placed in reserve for use in a subsequent issue. If the editor requests revisions, the author should submit the revised manuscript within three weeks. Otherwise, revisions may be treated as new submissions and sent for further evaluation by new referees unless the editor has agreed to extend the revision period.

ASPJ-A&F’s editor makes a final decision based upon the findings of the review process.