Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies is an accredited, peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes articles and book reviews on themes related to defence, security, and military affairs. The editorial team is passionate about providing scholars and industry experts with the opportunity to use the journal as a platform through which they can participate in professional and scholarly debates, and book reviews offer one such opportunity.

Over the past few years, the editorial team has fostered relationships with several national and international publishers, thereby expanding the network of the journal. Generally, with every issue of Scientia Militaria, several book reviews are published on recent book titles, as can be viewed in the online archives of the journal. Apart from inviting academics, avid and knowledgeable readers, and industry experts to review the latest titles, the editorial team also welcomes any potential reviewers to contact us with book review suggestions. Book reviews or any queries relating to these can be submitted via email to the book reviews editor, Evert Jordaan ( ejordaan@sun.ac.za ).

Submission Guidelines

Please note that all submissions should be between 750 and 1,200 words in length, and must conform to the technical aspects of the journal as outlined in the General Guidelines of the journal. References used must adhere to the requirements as they appear in the Referencing Style Guide of Scientia Militaria.

Format and Information Requirements

A template is available for ease (click here), and indicates where the following information should be included in the book review:

• The title of the book;

• The first and last names of the author(s) or editor(s) (also indicate whether it is an edited book);

• Place of publication;

• Publisher;

• Year of publication;

• Number of pages;

• Year of publication; and

• ISBN of the particular copy of the book

At the end of the book review, kindly add the following details:

• First and last name of the reviewer;

• Institutional affiliation;

• ORCID ID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID)

Additional Guidance for Early-Career Reviewers

Since the journal embraces independent and original thought, it does not prescribe a rigid structure or pro forma for book reviews. Early-career book reviewers and young academics who might need some guidance, may however consider addressing the following questions in their book review:

• Who is the author, what are his or her institutional associations, fields of expertise, and perspectives of writing?

• What is the relationship between the content or main arguments of the book and other related works, expert debates, and trends?

• Without summarizing the book, what is the main aim, objective, or dominant themes that the author tries to address?

• How does the author approach the aim and objectives of the book (e.g. key concepts, research design, methodology, the type and quality of sources, originality, writing style and readability)?

• Does the author achieve the purpose of the book?

• What are the key strengths and contributions of the book within the applicable body of knowledge?

• What are the main shortcomings of the book (e.g. subjectivity, omissions)?

• Which implications does this latest publication hold for the field of study and further debate?

• Who is the intended target audience and readership?

External Resources for Further Guidance

For further ideas and guidance, see the book review guidelines of Massey University and The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

We look forward to receiving your book review submission.

Evert Jordaan

Book reviews editor: Scientia Militaria

Click here to download the template and click here to download this page.