>> 1   Purpose and Focus

Created in 2015, the RESOLVE Network is a global consortium of researchers, research organizations, practitioners, and policy experts committed to better research, informed practice, and improved policy on violent extremism. RESOLVE provides insights into violent extremism around the world, elevates rigorous research, and networks the research, policy, and practice communities at both the local and international level. The RESOLVE Network Secretariat is housed at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), building upon the Institute’s decades-long legacy of deep engagement in conflict-affected societies. For more on RESOLVE and to view its publications, visit: www.resolvenet.org.

RESOLVE publications and resources deliver high-quality, methodologically rigorous research insights and findings on violent extremism to policymakers, practitioners, and academics around the world.

In line with RESOLVE’s research priorities, RESOLVE Network publications are focused on:

• Providing insight on global and local dynamics related to violent extremism, including:
  • Violent extremist organizations, their evolution and spread locally and internationally,
  • Drivers of support for or recruitment into violent extremist organizations in local contexts,
  • Sources of resilience to violent extremism in local contexts,
  • Analysis of international and local policies to prevent and counter violent extremism.
• Providing nuanced, actionable recommendations to improve local and international policy and practice to prevent and address violent extremism.
• Identifying gaps in existing literature on violent extremism to prioritize in future research.

>> 2   Publication Types and Opportunities

RESOLVE publications vary in their intended policy audience, scope and focus, and opportunities for authorship. All publications should be prepared and formatted with a view toward targeting busy policymakers and practitioners who are looking for quick answers and clear guidance on complex problem sets. Please review the publications types below for further details:

• Research Reports

There are two types of Research Reports:  

(1) “Original Research Reports” (ORRs) present long-form analysis based on original research. Like other RESOLVE publications, ORRs note areas for further research and present policy-relevant recommendations based on findings. ORRs must include a substantial section explaining the methodology used and its applicability in great detail. 

(2) “Mapping Papers” (MPs) map and interrogate the current state of the field in violent extremism-related literature on a specific topic and/or geographic area and identify areas for further research. MPs may present policy-relevant recommendations, but that is not their primary focus. MPs rely on desk research primarily, functioning as a long-form literature review delineating the state of knowledge and key gaps in our collective understanding of the topic of focus. 

Both types of Research Reports are held to high-quality standards through a double-blind peer-review process. 10,000-13,000 words in length. 

• Research Series Chapters and Edited Volumes

Research Series Chapters are topic-specific, research products that are submitted to RESOLVE through invitation or through a call for contributions on a specific topic or region. Chapters should adhere to the parameters set forth in the invitation or call for contributions. Chapters are published as standalone research reports and later incorporated into an edited volume coordinated and produced by the RESOLVE Secretariat. Research Series Chapters are held to high-quality standards. 8,000-10,000 words in length.

• Policy Notes

RESOLVE Network Policy Notes are exclusively focused on presenting policymakers with a short list of timely and targeted recommendations based on the analysis of a mix of scholarly, grey, and practice-based literature as well as developing violent extremism-related trends. Subject to standard editorial review and copyediting. 1,500-2,000 words in length.

RESOLVE Network Secretariat Publications – Created and organized by the RESOLVE Network Secretariat

• Backgrounders

Created exclusively by the RESOLVE Network Secretariat. 1-2 pagers describing and providing background on the purpose and goals of a particular RESOLVE Network initiative.

• Fact Sheets

Created exclusively by the RESOLVE Network Secretariat. 1-2 pagers created to supplement RESOLVE Network Research Reports. RESOLVE Fact Sheets use data visualizations and graphics to present the key findings of RESOLVE Network original publications.

>> 3   Publication Standards

The RESOLVE Network is dedicated to local insights, accuracy, impartiality and objectivity, empiricism, and policy relevance. Authors of RESOLVE Network publications are expected to uphold those values in their research and writing. The views expressed in RESOLVE Network publications are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the RESOLVE Network, its partners, the U.S. Institute of Peace, or the U.S. government.

All written materials published for RESOLVE are expected to adhere to the aforementioned and following standards:

Research Integrity and Ethics

• RESOLVE upholds high standards of research and publication ethics. Falsifying information and/or data and plagiarism—including self-plagiarism—is unacceptable. Direct quotes, paraphrasing, summarizing, data, graphics, and figures must all be properly cited.
• The RESOLVE Network adheres to Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines and secures IRB approval for all research involving human subjects.
• All publications must be original and solely published with RESOLVE. RESOLVE will not accept manuscripts currently undergoing review at other outlets. For more information, see RESOLVE and USIP authorship terms and conditions (provided to authors).
• If the manuscript findings were derived from other research projects, the specific projects and funding (if applicable) must be clearly stated at the time of submission and in the “Acknowledgements” or “About this Report” section. All necessary permissions must have been received from third parties for the use of materials not publicly available. The author, not RESOLVE, is responsible for obtaining those permissions.
• Conflicts of interest and biases should be clearly stated and declared to the Editorial Council prior to submission.

Authorship

• To be a listed author, individuals must have contributed significantly to the study in at least one of the following ways:
  • Collecting and analyzing data
  • Substantial writing and editing of publication content
• Acknowledgments for contributions from individuals not listed as authors must be given in an “Acknowledgments” section.

Clarity in Language, Methodology, and Transparency in Limitations

• All publications should be clearly worded, concise, and accessible to diverse audiences, while also providing targeted information and insight to policymakers and practitioners.
• Clearly state all author assumptions in analyses presented.
• For Research Reports, a comprehensive methodology section denoting how, where, when, and from what types of populations and resources the data informing the publications was obtained.
• Where necessary, note limitations in research findings and their applicability to other contexts.

Timely and Local Insight

• Analysis should tap into current trends and interests to deliver lasting and targeted recommendations for policy and practice.
• Where possible, seek information from local and/or primary sources (consultations, interviews, literature, news, etc.) to verify and/or question concepts and theories derived from literature review. If human subjects are involved, authors are again required to maintain IRB ethics standards and approvals, if necessary, in representation and citation.

>> 4   Guidelines for Submission

Authors submitting manuscripts to RESOLVE agree to RESOLVE and the U.S. Institute of Peace’s copyright and intellectual property terms and conditions (provided to authors). RESOLVE only accepts submissions via email. No paper submissions will be accepted.

All submissions must be in the English language. Unless otherwise specified, RESOLVE will not cover translation costs for manuscripts submitted in languages others than English. All feedback and edits to manuscripts will be in the English language unless otherwise specified.

For Invitation-Only Submissions, submission guidelines will be distributed to individual authors at the time of invitation. Submissions should be sent via email to the author(s)’ point of contact in the RESOLVE Network Secretariat.

Those seeking to author a RESOLVE Network publication are required to follow a two-step submission process (as laid out on pages 6-7 of this document).

>> Step 1: Inception Report/Outline Submission

Prior to submitting a draft manuscript, authors are required to submit an inception report (for Research Research Reports only—see guidance provided to authors) or an abstract and outline (for Policy Notes and Research Series Chapters, see guidance provided to authors) via one (1) email to research@resolvenet.org or the author’s main point of contact on the RESOLVE Network Secretariat team. The emails should include the following:

In the email body:

• Manuscript Type (Policy Note, Research Report, etc.)
• Manuscript description (no more than 100 words)
• Statement of Acknowledgement and Disclosure:
  • In the email of submission, please provide a statement acknowledging that you have read and adhered to all RESOLVE publication guidelines and disclose any conflicts of interest (real or potential). If necessary, please also provide documentation of research ethics (IRB or equivalent) approval.
• Brief author bio(s) (no more than 250 words total).

Email attachment (ONE document):

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) file
• Purpose of the research product:
  • Why are you conducting this research?
  • Why is it important to understand this topic?
  • Who is the main audience?
  • What is its relevance to RESOLVE Network research priorities?
• Outline of key points/headings for the research product
• Additional items for Research Reports only:
  • Preliminary Findings/Literature Review
  • Research Questions
  • Methodology and Data Collection Instruments
  • Sampling Strategy
  • Limitations to the Study

Upon receipt, RESOLVE Network Staff and, in some cases, Research Advisory Council members will review the inception report or outline. Accepted authors will be asked to submit a full manuscript (step 2, next page).

>> Step 2: Draft Manuscript

For those asked to submit a full manuscript, please send one (1) email to research@resolvenet.org (or the author’s main point of contact on the RESOLVE Network Secretariat team) including the following:

In the email body:

• Manuscript Type (Research Report, Research Series Chapter, Policy Note, etc.)
• Manuscript description (no more than 100 words)
• Statement of Acknowledgement and Disclosure:
• In the email of submission, please provide a statement acknowledging that you have read and adhered to all RESOLVE publication guidelines and disclose any conflicts of interest (real or potential). If necessary, please also provide documentation of research ethics (IRB or equivalent) approval.
• Brief author bio(s) (no more than 250 words total).

Email attachments:

• Draft Manuscript:
  • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
  • Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition footnotes and bibliography (NOTE: Authors must include both footnotes and a “Sources” section in the proper format).
• Additional Content:
• Author name(s)
  • Short bio for the “About the author” or “About this report” sections
  • Acknowledgments (no more than 60 words for Policy Notes), if applicable.

>> 5   Publication Timeline

The timeline below is for RESOLVE Network Research Report submissions wherein original research is funded by the RESOLVE Network. Other publications may be subject to different publication timelines (typically 1-3 weeks from the time of inception report/outline submission to publication).