Planning to submit your paper? Check the contributors guidelines!

The Pax et Bellum Journal is looking for academic papers written in English, produced by bachelor’s or master’s level students or recent graduates that are relevant to the field of peace and conflict. We will publish short papers between 3,000 and 5,000 words, and longer papers between 8,000 and 10,000 words (references excluded). Papers with multiple authors are accepted; please clarify whether there is a main author or all authors contributed equally to the writing process. Papers are expected to be of first-submission, if this is not the case a waiver giving us the right to publish the paper must be included.

Aims and Scope

Pax et Bellum Journal is an international academic journal edited by master’s level students or recent graduates of Peace and Conflict studies or a related field. The journal has a wide focus centered around peace and conflict.

Key points

  1. a) GOOGLE DOCUMENTS
    Our editing process is undertaken through Google Documents. Therefore, please conform to this requirement by sending us your work in such format, or, alternatively, in a Word file (no PDF).
    b) INTERACTIVE PROCESS
    Our editing process is interactive and iterative: you will have opportunities to defend your writing and content choices; please argue your statements when disagreeing with the Editors, especially when referring to substantial issues.
    c) DEADLINES
    Please respect deadlines, but remember that we are open to discuss flexible terms according to evolving conditions.
  2. Submission Rules

Contributors must submit their piece of work as a Google or Word Document to the official Pax et Bellum Journal email: journal@paxetbellum.org, in plain text (avoid the use of headings and footers; you can always use page numbers).

Google Document-formatted work will help the entire editing process, allowing for a transparent exchange of suggestions, edits, comments, and interactions between the Editors and the Contributor.

In this way, we intend to guarantee accountability and cross-examination, as Contributors and Editors will be able to engage in constructive debates while editing articles.

     3. Language style      

If no rule is enforced in terms of style and English spelling, consistency is firmly required. American English and British English will be both accepted, provided that the style is consistent throughout the entire paper.

E.g. ANALYSE and ANALYZE are both accepted. 

When using acronyms, please be consistent: U.S. or US, U.N. or UN.

    4. Mandatory formatting rules

Required settings:

  • Font: Times New Roman.
  • Size: 12 pt. 
  • Space: 1.5 spaced.
  • Alignment: justified.
  • Page number required.
  • NO PREVIOUS FORMATTING: no page header and footer.
  • Harvard in-text citation.
  • 2.5 cm margins.
  • Non-english words and book titles should be italicised.

Divide your text into clear paragraphs that help the reader following your argumentation. 

We also recommend the use of headings and subheadings to better signal the structure of your article.

    5. Referencing 

Use Harvard in-text referencing.

For in-text Harvard referencing should follow this format: (Author , Year : Page Number). E.g (Smith, 2021: 13). Page number should always be included after a direct quote. 

For the bibliography it should follow this format:

Author Last Name, Author First Name (Year), ‘Article Title’, Journal Title, Volume (Issue), page numbers 

    6. Quotations Marks

Use double inverted commas when directly citing someone else’s words: “_____”.
If your quotation exceeds three lines of the original work, you should separate it from the text of your article by centering and italicising the cited passage.

When removing or adding a word from a direct quote, please make use of brackets: […], [insert word].

Use single inverted commas for emphasis on a word or expression: ‘_____’.

    7. Essential elements

At the beginning of the paper, the contributor should suggest a title, or ask the Editors to write one. An Abstract should be written at the top of the paper: it should be rich in key words, concise, and aimed at signposting the content (± 200 words).

   8. Images and graphs

Images (copyright-free), own graphs, diagrams, and any other visualisation expedients are encouraged. They must be submitted alone in a separate file, as well as within the article.

   9. Plagiarism and double-submission

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. We as a Journal adhere to the highest academic standards in this regard; accordingly, we run checks through sources and quotations, in order to assess originality of the submitted work.

We only accept pieces that have never been published before.

Once published in the Pax et Bellum Journal, the Contributor will clearly retain rights on their intellectual product; that said, re-submission of an article published on P&BJ to another Academic Journal, Website, Blog, or other media, is not forbidden, but advised against.

In fact, this would constitute a form of self-plagiarism and double-submission, entitling the second publisher to retract the article.

Contributors can re-submit an article published on P&BJ after seeking an agreement with the Journal, and then stating clearly such a concession in the second publication.

Second publications of a previous work, in order not to be ethical, should concern revised material, new findings, and clearly improved contribution to the topic.

Send your paper along with relevant information to journal@paxetbellum.org until November 27, 2022.