Air and Space Power Journal Editorial Standards and Content Submission Standards and Process
General Information
Air & Space Power Journal (ASPJ), published by Air University, is the Air Force’s flagship professional journal. First published as Air University Quarterly Review in 1947, ASPJ is a leading forum for worldwide air and space power dialogue. The journal fosters intellectual and professional development for members of the United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and Allied and partner air forces worldwide. The journal content includes original, thoroughly researched, and peer-reviewed full-length articles and shorter commentaries.
Articles
Articles submitted to ASPJ must be unclassified and releasable to the public and must not be under consideration for publication with any other press. Articles must be within the following range of: 4,000–6,500 words, including endnotes. Articles, including endnotes, must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. Articles will undergo a double-blind peer review by two reviewers.
Commentaries
Commentaries must be within the following range of: 1,500–2,500 words, including endnotes. Articles, including endnotes, must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. Commentaries will undergo a double-blind peer review by one reviewer.
A Word on Graphics: No more than two graphics per article are permitted.
Graphics (e.g., US government figures, tables, photos) must add to the text rather than replicate what is in the text.
Authors must obtain written permission from the owner to use any graphic not in the public domain (e.g., US government) or of their own creation. It is insufficient to cite the source of the graphic (copyright on graphics is different in fair use than copyright on written material). Authors may include their original graphics.
PowerPoint slides are discouraged.
Authors must provide a high-resolution file for any graphic submitted.
Authors must provide an alternative (alt) text of no more than 150 characters (not words) describing any graphics. (This is for 508 compliance purposes.) The alt text should explain the graphic, not repeat the caption or title; the purpose is to tell someone unable to see the figure why it is important to the text. Do not start with “Image/Picture/Graphic of. . . .” The screen reader will say “Image,” and then it will read your alt text.
Journal Content Acceptance Process
Authors of commentaries and articles must first submit an abstract to ASOR@au.af.edu for review by the editors.
An abstract of no more than 150 words must explicitly include these elements:
A. Thesis in one or two sentences
B. Research approach
C. How the article differs from other work on the same subject (what is new?)
D. Why it is relevant to the operational force
- The editors will review the submitted abstract and decide whether to decline it or request the article for review.
- The editors will review the article and decide whether to decline it or send it for peer review.
- The editors will review the results of the (2) double-blind peer reviews and decide whether to decline it, send it back to the author(s) for revision and resubmission, accept pending author(s) revisions, or accept for publication as written.
- In the case of “revise and resubmit,” the editors will review author(s) revisions to determine if the author(s) sufficiently addressed the concerns of the peer reviews. The editors will then decide to decline or accept the article for publication, or, in some cases, send it for another peer review. In the case of “accept pending revisions,” the editors will review author(s) revisions to determine if those revisions addressed the editors’ concerns, and if so, will accept the article for publication.
- Once an article has been accepted for publication, the article will undergo a security review, mechanical edit, fact check, and substantive/developmental edit. The results of Team ASPJ edits will be returned to the author(s) for review, with a deadline for that review.
- Once the article has been returned to ASPJ, the article will be formatted for the journal and the author(s) will have the opportunity to review the proof one final time prior to publication. PLEASE NOTE: Content changes will not be allowed during the review of the proof. The review is to ensure accuracy of information only.
- After the author reviews the proof and returns it, the article will undergo a final round of detailed copyediting to correct any remaining punctuation and grammar errors.
ASPJ reserves the right to make last-minute determinations regarding the issue in which the article will feature but guarantees that the article, upon acceptance, will run in a print version of the quarterly journal. In cases of significant delays between acceptance and publication, the author(s) will have an opportunity to update text and references.
Book Review Program
Air & Space Power Journal (ASPJ maintains a current list of books available for review. The journal can often provide a copy free of charge to individuals who agree to complete a review in accordance with the Journal’s specifications. In order to provide a breadth and depth of reviews, individuals will be restricted to no more than two reviews in a calendar year.
Procedure
Contact us at ASOR@au.af.edu if you are interested in conducting a review. Please include a short bio in your request. Please specify at least two alternative titles in case your first choice is not available.
No later than 45 days after you receive the book, please e-mail the review (Microsoft Word) to ASOR@au.af.edu. If the review is accepted, it will be edited per Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition and published on the ASPJ website, a process that typically takes about two months. Some reviews will be featured in the quarterly print edition of ASPJ.
Content and Structure
Please ensure your review is an analytical examination of the book, not a mere summary. You should address elements and aspects of the book such as the type/genre (biography, anthology, history, nonfiction, memoir), the author’s main argument, the book’s level of authority/credibility, its strengths and weaknesses, its suitability for ASPJ's audience, and your overall scholarly assessment of the work. If you paraphrase or quote directly from the book, locate those passages by following them with the page number(s) in parentheses—for example, (p. 72)—but do not include citations of other sources by means of footnotes or endnotes. Please limit your review to 1,000 words—the more concise, the better, but use as much space (within a 1,000-word limit) as you need to give the book a fair and honest review.
High-quality reviews are not always laudatory. The Journal has an obligation to inform its readers about books that promise more than they deliver. If you challenge the book’s style, content, authority, objectivity, and so forth, back up your assertions with facts and examples.
In the heading of your review, please include the title, author, publisher, and year of publication.