GCSB Journal of Converged Security
Peer-reviewed research in converged security.
The Journal publishes original research and review articles from external authors, reviewed under a double-blind process by the GCSB Research & Development Board. There are no submission or publication fees.
R&D & Journal portal
Submit, review and edit online
Authors track their papers and upload revisions, peer reviewers complete double-blind reviews, and editors manage every decision in the portal. Papers by GCSB office holders, including the founder, are handled by another editor and reviewed by panel members with no connection to the author.
Workflow
From submission to publication
Stage 1 · Author
Submitted
The manuscript is submitted through the portal (or the public form) with an anonymised file and declarations.
Stage 2 · Editor
Editorial screening
A handling editor checks scope, format, originality and ethics within 14 days, then sends it to review or declines it.
Stage 3 · Peer reviewers
In review
At least two independent reviewers with no conflict of interest assess the paper under double-blind review, normally within 21 days.
Stage 4 · Author
Revision requested
The author receives anonymised reviewer comments, uploads a revised manuscript and a response letter.
Stage 5 · Editor
Accepted / Rejected
The handling editor decides on the basis of the reviews. Reasons are given to the author in every case.
Stage 6 · Author
Galley proof
The editor sends the typeset proof in the GCSB Journal layout. The author confirms the proof checklist and approves it, or returns corrections, within 3 working days. Only spelling, grammar and typesetting errors may be corrected at this stage.
Stage 7 · Editor
Published
Papers with an approved proof receive a GCSB-J reference number, are published in the archive and deposited in the GCSB Zenodo community, and the author receives a free certificate of publication.
Published papers
Journal archive
The first issue is in preparation. Submissions are open - accepted papers appear here with a permanent GCSB reference number and a free certificate of publication for the authors.
Verify
Check a journal certificate
Open access
Copyright and reuse
Authors retain copyright and grant GCSB a non-exclusive licence to publish. Published Journal articles are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
You may share and adapt the work for any purpose, including commercially, provided you give appropriate credit, link to the licence and indicate any changes. You must not imply endorsement or impose additional legal or technological restrictions. Third-party material identified as excluded in a credit line requires separate permission where applicable. This licence does not apply to confidential submissions or unrelated GCSB materials.
Zenodo repository and DOIs
Final approved publications are deposited in the GCSB Zenodo community, where all Converged Security Framework standards, procedures and playbooks are already published with registered DOIs. Eligible articles without an existing DOI receive a free Zenodo DOI when the deposit is published following community acceptance. Articles with an existing DOI retain it. No submission, review or publication fee is charged. A reserved DOI is not yet registered, and deposit does not guarantee external indexing. Confidential submissions and private drafts are excluded.
Read the CC BY 4.0 licenceCall for papers
Submit a manuscript
Scope
- •Converged security governance and leadership
- •Enterprise risk management and organisational resilience
- •Physical, cyber and operational security integration
- •Security standards, certification and assurance practice
- •Regulatory compliance and data protection in security operations
- •Security education, professional development and workforce research
Publication prerequisites
- •Aligned with the GCSB standards and limited to converged security domains and closely related topics.
- •Directly relevant to converged security. Engagement with the GCSB Converged Security Framework is welcome but not required, and critical evaluation is encouraged.
- •High community and industry value: practical, evidence-based findings that security professionals and organisations can apply.
Not considered
- ×Medicine and health sciences
- ×Agriculture and food sciences
- ×General IT or general security topics without a converged security focus
Instructions for authors
- Submissions must be original work, not published or under consideration elsewhere.
- Manuscripts are accepted in PDF, DOC or DOCX format, up to 20 MB.
- Include an abstract of 150-300 words and list all authors with their affiliations.
- An ORCID identifier is required for the corresponding author.
- By submitting, you declare the work is your own and free of plagiarism.
Peer review & ethics
Every submission is acknowledged by email and assessed by the Editor-in-Chief, then reviewed double-blind by at least two members of the Peer Review Panel who have no connection to the authors. Reviewer appointments may be publicly acknowledged, but manuscript-specific reviewer identities remain confidential. Plagiarism, fabricated data or undisclosed conflicts of interest lead to rejection; papers authored by Board members are reviewed independently of the author.
No fees
There are no submission, review or publication charges. Authors of accepted papers receive a free certificate of publication.
Prefer email? Send your manuscript to journal@gcsb.uk. Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bunic.
Editorial board
Who reviews the Journal
The Journal is edited by the GCSB Research & Development Board. Editorial decisions are independent of the Governing Council. Reviewer and Editorial Board seats are voluntary, not monetized and remote.
- Prof. Dr. Vladimir Bunic - Editor-in-Chief (interim); Global Converged Security Board, United Kingdom
- Dr. Adegbenga William Koko - Academic Board Member and Peer Reviewer
Papers by GCSB office holders are handled by another editor and reviewed by panel members with no connection to the author. Further editor and reviewer seats are open.