Democracy and Security
Editor-in-Chief/Team of Co-Editors required
Deadline 30 September 2026
About the role
Democracy and Security is seeking an Editor in Chief or a team of Co-Editors.
We welcome applications from academics with a strong track record in mechanisms and policies utilized by democracies to deal with security challenges and relevant moral, social and political dilemmas. Having prior journal editor experience will be a great plus to this role.
This is an excellent opportunity for leaders who will shape the journal’s editorial vision, drive the growth of high-quality submissions, and champion excellence within the research community.
In this role, you will:
- Make final editorial decisions on acceptance, revision, or rejection of submitted manuscripts.
- Direct the peer-review process, ensuring rigorous, fair, transparent, and timely evaluations.
- Lead and expand the Editorial Board, recruiting diverse experts to support emerging research areas.
- Set the strategic vision in partnership with the Publisher to increase citations, impact, and high-quality submissions.
- Commission high-impact content, including themed collections, expert perspectives, and review articles.
- Uphold research integrity, addressing ethical issues in line with COPE guidelines.
- Act as the public face of the journal at international conferences and within the academic community.
Stepping into an editor role is a fulfilling journey that enables you to shape the future of your discipline. You will advance the latest research in your field, expand your professional network, and be recognized as a leading figure in the community.
The role offers:
- Annual honorarium.
- Free access to 100 articles on tandfonline.com.
- 30% discount on books at routledge.com.
- Access to Taylor & Francis editorial resources and training.
- Formal recognition on the journal’s Editorial Board page.
The appointment will start in October 2026.
About the journal
Democracy and Security is the authoritative source for rigorous exploration of the mechanisms and policies utilized by democracies to deal with security challenges, as well as relevant moral, social, and political dilemmas. The journal publishes conceptual, theoretical, and empirical articles on concepts and functions that shape the relations between various international and national security policies, concerns, and needs on the one hand, and central values, institutions, and processes of democratic societies on the other. The journal is committed to provide exposure to diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives, as well as policy approaches.
Democracy and Security features timely and informative contributions from leading scholars on a range of topics, including:
- Democratic societies and their struggle with domestic threats.
- Moral dimensions of national security in democracies.
- Legal dimensions of national security in democracies.
- Mass communications and national security.
- Social implications on national security issues.
- Constraints of democratic governments in shaping national security policy.
- Forms of government and perceptions of national dilemmas.
- Democracies, minorities, and national security.
- The role of civil society in shaping national security decisions in democratic regimes.
- Public opinion, counter-terrorism, and national security dilemmas.
- The politics of defense policies.
- The psychology of decision-making processes in the context of national security issues.
- Civilian sphere of domestic and human security.
- The role of the legislative branch in shaping security policies.
- Electoral processes, party politics, and national security.
Democracy and Security will be of interest to scholars from a variety of academic disciplines such as: political science, sociology, philosophy, law, psychology, mass communications, criminology, security studies, environmental studies, history, military studies, and anthropology.
Key Skills and Attributes
Ready to apply? We’re seeking candidates who demonstrate:
Editorial Excellence & Leadership
- Proven experience in academic publishing across the full editorial lifecycle.
- Skill in reading, synthesizing, and making sound editorial decisions based on reviewer reports.
- Willingness to lead and energize the Editorial Board, including organizing and chairing meetings.
- Recognized thought leadership and a strong professional reputation within your academic discipline.
- Expertise for attracting and commissioning high-impact submissions.
- A clear vision and enthusiasm for the journal’s ongoing development.
Operational Proficiency
- Ability to commit time each week to the role and to participate in Editorial Board meetings and training as needed.
- A track record of managing submitted manuscripts promptly, consistently, and professionally.
- Proficiency with online peer-review management systems, with the confidence to guide and support the editorial team in their use.
- Proactive engagement with Taylor & Francis staff and suppliers to implement processes and drive improvements.
- Knowledge of, and commitment to, the open access publishing environment.
Integrity & Excellence
- Experience collaborating effectively with independent peer reviewers.
- Consistently prompt, professional communication with authors throughout the peer-review process.
- Uncompromising ethical standards; knowledge of COPE guidelines and a commitment to always uphold them.
- Active growth of academic networks through conference participation and professional use of social media.
Application instructions
Applications should include your CV, a Cover Letter and a Vision Statement.
Your Vision Statement should be no longer than 500 words and include how you would:
- Direct the editorial vision and scope of the journal in collaboration with the publisher.
- Maintain high ethical standards and ensure compliance with Editorial policies.
- Act as an ambassador for the journal at academic conferences and on social media.
- Drive sustainable and timely high-quality submissions, through commissioning and content development, in collaboration with the publisher.
- Lead the editorial board in setting priorities for the journal’s content.
- Work with the publisher to appoint additional Lead Editors, Supporting Editors and Advisors to the journal.
Early application is encouraged. For any questions, please contact the journals publisher Elliott Finn at [email protected].
Please apply through the button below.
Apply for the role by filling in our formJournal pledge
The journal is committed to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion within its editorial team and decision making processes. All applications will be treated as strictly confidential, and each will be judged on its merits without bias for seniority of institutional affiliation. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national origin, religion, or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or protected veteran status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics.
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