The SAIS Review is a journal of international affairs published in print twice annually and digitally on a rolling basis by the Johns Hopkins University Press for the Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The editors welcome articles, documentary reviews, *book reviews, photo essays, and interviews with foreign policy experts and professionals. The SAIS Review makes no effort to exact an editorial consensus. All inquiries should be directed to: [email protected].

*We do not accept self-submitted book reviews. If you would like to publish a book review on The SAIS Review, then please contact us to coordinate an independent book review and see our list of books available for review.

Web Article Submissions

ATTENTION

The SAIS Review is now receiving submissions for its online edition.

To submit to the online edition, send your article as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject line “Web Article Submission” along with a brief author bio.

We encourage fresh, research-backed perspectives on current foreign policy issues and look to publish pieces that offer new insights, highlight emerging trends, examine underexplored topics, and/or enrich our readers’ understanding of international affairs. The SAIS Review welcomes submissions from writers across all levels of academic and professional foreign policy experience.

The online edition does not publish Op-Eds or self-submitted independent book reviews. If you would like to publish a book review on The SAIS Review, then please contact us [[email protected]] to coordinate and see our list of books available for review.

Web Article Submission Guidelines:
  • Web publications are usually between 1,000-3,000 words, though we do not have strict upper or lower word limits. More in-depth essays or research papers that warrant a higher word count are welcomed.
  • Our online edition uses in-text hyperlink citations with a works cited list at the end. We make exceptions to this format if an essay extensively uses sources that cannot be linked to, such as information acquired from interviews and field research.
  • Our publication aims to dive deep into policy questions while being accessible for the average reader familiar with foreign affairs. Authors should avoid jargon, define terminology, and provide the necessary background and context for a non-expert to understand.
  • We accept pieces dealing with historical events, but they should be relevant to a current issue, pertain to an ongoing historical debate, offer a novel perspective, or make use of newly uncovered or rarely used primary sources.
  • Please allow up to two weeks for a publication decision after your draft has been submitted.

Print Edition Submissions

ATTENTION

The SAIS Review is now accepting submissions for the Spring 2025 Journal.

The SAIS Review of International Affairs Spring 2025 Journal Topic
Forgotten Wars: Beyond the Mainstream 

Since 2022, global media has heavily concentrated on two major conflicts—the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah War. While these wars have significant geopolitical, economic, and humanitarian implications, this narrow focus often obscures other conflicts that continue to shape international security, governance, and regional stability. The 2024 overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, for instance, caught many by surprise, highlighting the lack of sustained international attention on this conflict. 

Beyond these headline-dominating wars, numerous conflicts persist, displacing millions, exacerbating human rights violations, and fueling cycles of violence with far-reaching consequences. Some of these conflicts involve civil wars, insurgencies, ethnic violence, or transnational interventions, yet they remain underreported in mainstream discourse. The lack of sustained international attention often limits policy responses, humanitarian aid, and conflict resolution efforts. “Forgotten Wars” may also refer to historical wars that induced significant economic and humanitarian catastrophe but are relatively underexplored. These wars can provide lessons for more modern conflicts.

In this issue,The SAIS Review aims to shed light on these overlooked crises. By elevating underreported conflicts, we seek to foster a deeper understanding of their historical roots, political dynamics, and humanitarian consequences while exploring potential paths toward resolution. 

The SAIS Review Editorial Team has included some writing prompts below. However, we strongly encourage potential authors to also go beyond our prompts to discuss their ideas. 

Forgotten Wars Today 

  • Sudan 
  • Yemen 
  • Myanmar 
  • Burkina Faso 
  • Haiti  
  • Niger  
  • Central African Republic  
  • Mali 
  • Libya 

Policymakers, professionals, academics, and activists with expertise may submit to [email protected]. Abstracts are due March 15, 2025, and manuscripts are due March 29, 2025. See submission guidelines below. 

Print Edition Submission Guidelines:

The SAIS Review welcomes print edition submissions that relate to the theme specified above. Manuscript length should range from twenty to twenty-five pages (4,000 to 7,000 words), including introduction, text, conclusion, tables, figure captions/legends, and footnotes. Please include subheadings to highlight substantive divisions within the article. The SAIS Review will rely on the author to verify facts within the text. On a separate sheet please include an author identification as you would like it to appear at the foot of the title page. Please supply an abstract of 100 or fewer words with your paper. Please format the manuscript as follows:

  • Submit as a double-spaced Microsoft Word document.
  • Use 1-inch margins.
  • Place all citations in endnotes.
  • Number all pages, including endnotes.
  • Figures, including photos, illustrations, charts, and graphs may be submitted, separately, as .tiffs or high-quality .jpgs of at least 300 dpi. Make note of the positions of all figures in the manuscript.

For citations, please follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, and Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary (Unabridged). The editorial process focuses on organization, flow, clarity, and consistency but also reviews grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. All publications use American Spelling, except where other spellings appear in proper nouns, quotations, and the like. The SAIS Review aims to strike a balance between varying levels of knowledge among the journal’s readership.

After your article has been edited, you will receive a printout for approval and any necessary clarifications or updates. If you would like reprints of your article, please contact The SAIS Review before the date of publication.