Editorial Standards & Research Integrity
The Centre for Security & Strategic Studies (CeSCube) is committed to non-partisan scholarship, empirical verification, and analytical rigor across all published strategic assessments, policy briefs, and research monographs.
1. Editorial Mission & Analytical Independence
CeSCube operates as an independent strategic intelligence forum and think tank. Our research is governed by our founding 3:3:3 panarchic governing architecture, which unites early-career researchers (Dynamics), mid-career specialists (Professionals), and veteran practitioners (Experts) under a shared commitment to rigorous inquiry.
The Centre accepts no institutional funding that restricts research findings or compromises analytical independence. All assessments published on CeSCube reflect the scholarly perspectives of their respective authors and are evaluated solely on intellectual merit, factual grounding, and relevance to regional and international security discourse.
2. Peer-Review & Editorial Workflow
Every manuscript submitted to CeSCube undergoes a structured editorial and peer-evaluation pipeline prior to publication:
- Desk Evaluation: Initial screening by the Editorial Secretariat for thematic alignment, original thesis, word count compliance, and structural readiness.
- Domain Specialist Review: In-depth examination by a senior fellow or subject-matter specialist with expertise in the corresponding geographic area (e.g., Indo-Pacific, South Asia, West Asia) or operational domain (e.g., maritime doctrine, cyber defense, energy transition).
- Source Verification & Fact Checking: Verification of primary sources, official data, treaty references, and chronological assertions.
- Copy-Editing & Technical Layout: Final line-editing for clarity, conciseness, neutral analytical tone, and adherence to Chicago/APA citation formatting.
3. Fact-Checking, Evidence & Sourcing Standards
Strategic analysis must be rooted in verifiable fact. CeSCube authors and fellows are required to cross-verify all assertions against recognized primary and credible secondary sources:
Anonymous or unverified leaks are treated with strict editorial skepticism and are only cited when substantiated by multiple independent corroborating indicators.
4. Human Authorship & Artificial Intelligence Policy
CeSCube maintains a strict stance on authentic human authorship, original scholarship, and intellectual accountability:
- Author Accountability: Every published paper, brief, commentary, and review is attributed to an identified human scholar, veteran, or researcher who assumes personal accountability for the accuracy and originality of the text.
- Prohibition on Synthetic / AI-Generated Content: CeSCube strictly prohibits the publication of automated, template-generated, or unreviewed AI-generated articles. All analytical assessments must represent original human analysis.
- Ethical Research Tools: Where digital tools or natural language algorithms are utilized solely for initial data sorting or literature indexing, authors must disclose the methodology and verify every resulting citation personally.
5. Corrections, Updates & Retractions Policy
CeSCube is dedicated to prompt, transparent corrections whenever a factual error, misattribution, or inaccurate figure is brought to our attention:
- Minor Clarifications & Typographical Errors: Corrected immediately within the text without altering the core thesis.
- Substantive Factual Corrections: If an error alters a factual premise, the article is updated promptly, and a prominent Correction Notice is appended at the top or bottom of the article specifying what was amended and on what date.
- Reporting Errors: Readers, scholars, and officials may submit factual correction requests directly to editor@cescube.com with the subject line "Correction Request: [Article Title]".
6. Conflicts of Interest & Funding Disclosures
Authors must disclose any personal, professional, or institutional affiliations that could be perceived as influencing their analytical evaluations. When analyzing commercial defense contractors, state procurement programs, or bilateral agreements, contributors must declare any advisory or consulting roles relevant to the subject matter.