Submissions

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Author Guidelines

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

Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submitting, authors confirm that:
 • The manuscript is original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere.
 • The article aligns with the mission, scope, and audience of the ISSA Journal.
 • The content is vendor-neutral and free from promotional or marketing language.
 • All authors and contributors are properly credited.
 • References and citations are accurate and consistently formatted.
 • Required copyright and author release materials are acknowledged.
 • The manuscript file is complete and submitted in an acceptable format.

Articles

Section default policy

Copyright Notice

By submitting a manuscript to the ISSA Journal, the author affirms and agrees to the following:

The author warrants that the submitted work is original, that they are the sole author or have authority to act on behalf of all authors, and that all content included in the work (including text, code examples, illustrations, charts, and graphs) is freely available for publication without restriction or limitation. The author further warrants that the work does not infringe upon any third-party rights.

The author grants the Information Systems Security Association, Inc. (ISSA) the right to copy, edit, modify, and publish the work as part of the ISSA Journal, including the creation of derivative works as necessary for editorial, formatting, and publication purposes. The author agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ISSA, Inc. against any breach of these warranties.

The author understands and agrees that ISSA, Inc. will be the copyright owner of the complete ISSA Journal issue in which the work is published and consents to copyright registration under applicable United States copyright law. The author grants ISSA, Inc. a perpetual, worldwide license to publish, distribute, and reproduce the work as published, including reprints and portions thereof.

The author represents that the work has not been published elsewhere within the past twelve months, except in limited internal contexts such as company newsletters or internal documentation. If any prior publication exists, the author agrees to fully disclose it and revise the work as directed to ensure it is unique to the ISSA Journal.

If the work is accepted and published, the author agrees not to submit, release, or distribute the work for publication or reproduction in any form for a period of twelve (12) months without the express written consent of ISSA, Inc. The author may post PDF of the Work to a personal or company website and may share PDF of the Work with a limited number of friends and colleagues. After the twelve (12) month exclusivity period, copyright reverts to the author. The author may thereafter share the final published PDF on a personal or company website and with colleagues, provided that the original publication in the ISSA Journal is properly acknowledged.

Authors whose employers require authorization for external publication are responsible for obtaining the appropriate approval prior to submission.

Completion of submission constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these terms. 

Privacy Statement

The ISSA Journal is committed to protecting the privacy of its users. The names, email addresses, and other personal information entered into this journal site are used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial communication, publication, and member services. Such information will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party without the consent of the individual, except as required by law.

Personal data collected through this site may be shared with journal editors, reviewers, and administrative staff solely as necessary to support the editorial and publication process. Information may also be used for operational purposes related to journal management, system administration, and communications relevant to ISSA Journal activities.

Users may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information by contacting the journal editorial office at editor@issajournal.com, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.

By registering with this site or submitting content to the ISSA Journal, users consent to the collection and use of their information as described in this Privacy Statement.