International Journal of Police Science & Management
The International Journal of Police Science & Management publishes original empirical work, conceptual articles, theoretical reviews, as well as articles on practice implementation and evaluation. We encourage and support submission of work from practitioners and academics, with the view of advancing knowledge and good practice in policing-associated disciplines.
The principal objective of the journal is to facilitate interdisciplinary, international exchange of knowledge and research, stimulating conversation, debate and collaboration across academic research and practice within the criminal justice system. This breadth of disciplinarity is facilitated by the editorial board who represent a range of applied research in the associated area of policing.
The International Journal of Police Science and Management is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to promote a cross-disciplinarity approach to the sharing of innovative, impactful research in the ever-evolving world of science aligned to policing. The five Editors represent distinct areas within this broad discipline including: (1) the role of psychology in policing and investigation, (2) the application of forensic science to investigations, (3) technological advances and implementation, (4) cybercrime and the digital space, and (5) criminology and global policing including human rights and conflict. Though all submissions are welcomed within the scope of the Journal.
Psychology has been at the forefront of science within the policing world for many years. Indeed, Dr. Ian McKenzie and Prof. Jennifer Brown, the founding editors of IJPSM, are both psychologists. Psychological research and theory have been at the juxta-position of real-world problems for decades and thus psychology is central to implementing research-based practice.
Forensic Science is vast in scope and crucial in many investigations, ranging from routine volume crime scene examination methodology through to niche forensic sciences. Current and future research focuses on providing a relevant, impactful and validated evidence base across the discipline. Topics welcomed will align to the application of science to death scene investigation and reconstruction in areas such as; all aspects of taphonomy, trace evidence, digital technologies, genetics, drugs and toxicology, marks and impressions, ballistics, and decision-making & heuristics.
Technological Advances offer significant opportunities for enhancing criminal justice practice. Rapid identification, detection, monitoring and surveillance systems, and Big Data are increasingly being used in law enforcement, while immersive technologies such as AR and VR are at the forefront of research, education, training, and practice. Efforts must be made to ensure that the application of emerging technology is beneficial, ethical, and fit for purpose. Equally, the sharing of evidence and good practice is key to the further development of technology with the specific requirements of the criminal justice system in mind.
Cybercrime in its various forms presents unprecedented risks to individuals, organisations and nations across the world. Significant steps are being taken to research these 'new' and evolving forms of crimes, their risks and impacts offline, and the ways in which cyberspace can be policed and controlled. New and rapidly changing landscapes of crime are emerging, illuminating new patterns of cyber offending, cyber victimhood and the pressing need for the development of cyber safety policies with a global reach. There is a need to nurture the implicit and direct interplay between ongoing research in this field, and the industry experts, policymakers and policing agencies that are responsible for the practical, moderation and mitigation of these crimes.
Global policing includes topics such as international criminal justice, international and regional police cooperation, comparative approaches to international policing models, and the role, function and policy-making process of international criminal justice bodies. Policing and the human rights system within International Organisations is a central area of focus. Topics such as war-crimes, gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict policing, and peacebuilding are examples of areas within this field.
Criminology. Contemporary criminology inhabits a rapidly changing landscape. The concept, definition and explanation of the criminal act and of criminal behaviour have formulated criminological theory as a living history over the centuries. Criminology has been shaped through its history by many and varied disciplines: the early positive sciences, the classical school, psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, politics, geography, history, anthropology, economics, political science, jurisprudence, legal theory, biology and even human genetics. Criminological enquiry revolves around the analysis of the causes of crime and an evaluation of society’s response to crime. Criminology and police studies are therefore inevitably intertwined. Theoretically, culturally and operationally, the policy implications necessitate an ongoing discussion between the two, so as to bridge the gap between academic study and police practice.
Environmental Justice is a broad subject area that includes wildlife crime, the marginalisation of communities through the exposure to hazardous waste and resource extraction. It combines with Green Criminology and also discusses ethics and issues arising from neo-colonialism and inequality.
| Katherine Brown | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Dina Kapardis | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Amy Meenaghan | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Becky Milne | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Lisa Sugiura | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Luke Hauser | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Emma Williams | Canterbury Christchurch University, United Kingdom |
| Michelle Addison | Durham University, UK |
| Jennifer Brown | London School of Economics, UK |
| Sophie de Kimpe | VUB, Belgium |
| Chu Yiu Kong | Hong Kong University, Hong Kong, China |
| Stuart Lister | University of Leeds, UK |
| Alida V. Merlo | Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA |
| Rebecca Milne | University of Portsmouth, UK |
| Anthony de Villiers Minnaar | UNISA, South Africa |
| Kevin Morrell | Durham University, UK |
| Megan O'Neill | University of Dundee, UK |
| Milan Pagon | Zayed University, United Arab Emirates |
| Jan Terpstra | Radboud University, Netherlands |
| Elrena van der Spuy | University of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Mike Webb | New Zealand Police, New Zealand |
| Adam White | University of Sheffield, UK |
| Angela Workman-Stark | Athabasca University, Canada |
| Tim Prenzler | University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia |
| Aram Ghaemmaghami | University of Portsmouth, UK |
Manuscript Submission Guidelines: International Journal of Police Science & Management
Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psm to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.
Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of International Journal of Police Science & Management will be reviewed.
There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.
As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.
- What do we publish?
1.1 Aims & Scope
1.2 Article types
1.3 Writing your paper - Editorial policies
2.1 Peer review policy
2.2 Authorship
2.3 Acknowledgements
2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests - Publishing policies
3.1 Publication ethics
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
3.3 Open access and author archiving - Preparing your manuscript
4.1 Formatting
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
4.3 Supplementary material
4.4 Reference style
4.5 English language editing services - Submitting your manuscript
5.1 ORCID
5.2 Information required for completing your submission
5.3 Permissions - On acceptance and publication
6.1 Sage Production
6.2 Online First publication
6.3 Access to your published article
6.4 Promoting your article - Further information
Before submitting your manuscript to International Journal of Police Science & Management, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.
The International Journal of Police Science and Management publishes original articles and book reviews.
The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources.
1.3.1 Make your article discoverable
When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online.
The International Journal of Police Science and Management adheres to a rigorous double-anonymize reviewing policy in which the identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties.
Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two referees. All manuscripts are reviewed as rapidly as possible, and an editorial decision is generally reached within 6-8 weeks of submission.
All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.
Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools.
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.
Please supply any personal acknowledgements separately to the main text to facilitate anonymous peer review.
2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests
International Journal of Police Science & Management encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the Sage Journal Author Gateway.
SAGE is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity and view the Publication Ethics page on the SAGE Author Gateway.
It is required that, regardless of national or institutional requirements, a favourable ethical opinion or exemption is obtained from an appropriate institutional review board, prior to conducting and irrespective of the nature of the study. A statement to confirm either a) a favourable ethical opinion, b) an exemption or c) no requirement to review, must be included within the manuscript. Authors must also be prepared to provide further information to the journal editorial office upon request.
3.1.1 Plagiarism
International Journal of Police Science & Management and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.
3.1.2 Prior publication
If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below.
3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway.
3.3 Open access and author archiving
International Journal of Police Science & Management offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.
4. Preparing your manuscript for submission
The preferred format for your manuscript is Word. LaTeX files are also accepted. Word and (La)Tex templates are available on the Manuscript Submission Guidelines page of our Author Gateway.
The journal will normally accept submissions of up to 8000 words long, including endnotes, and must contain a 250 word abstract providing a concise statement of the purpose of the article and a broad indication of its findings or conclusions. Papers must be accompanied by a short (80 word) description of the author(s) and, if appropriate, details of the organisation of which he or she is a member.
Tables, figures or diagrams must be presented on separate sheets with an indication of their location given in the text. Each should have a self-explanatory title and be comprehensible without reference to the text. Except by previous arrangement with the editor, and as a general rule, authors should avoid having - in total - more than 7 tables/ figures/ plates/ photographs embedded in any article.
Book reviews
Book reviews are up to 1000 words in length. Very brief book reviews are also acceptable.
4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
For guidance on the preparation of illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please visit Sage’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines.
This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, podcasts, videos, images etc) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files.
International Journal of Police Science & Management adheres to the Sage Harvard reference style. View the Sage Harvard guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.
If you use EndNote to manage references, you can download the Sage Harvard EndNote output file.
4.5 English language editing services
Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.
International Journal of Police Science & Management is hosted on Sage Track, a web based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/psm to login and submit your article online.
IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created. For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.
As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.
The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.
If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.
5.2 Information required for completing your submission
You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).
Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway.
6. On acceptance and publication
Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly. Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate.
Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.
6.3 Access to your published article
Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.
Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice.
Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the International Journal of Police Science & Management editorial office as follows:
Becky Milne, Editor-in-Chief
becky.milne@port.ac.uk
Luke Hauser, Journal Manager
luke.hauser@port.ac.uk