Contribute to the CDA Institute: 

Thank you for your interest in writing for the CDA Institute. Our mission is to encourage diverse, informed, and robust discussions on a wide range of issues relevant to Canada’s national defence and security. 

We welcome submissions from authors from all backgrounds, including scholars, students, practitioners, serving- and retired military personnel, and encourage authors to draw on their specific area(s) of expertise. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis – outside of calls for submissions for special series, which may include specific deadlines.  

The CDA Institute reserves the right to edit contributions prior to publication for editorial coherence and accuracy.  

Authors are responsible for the content of their papers. In keeping with the CDA Institute’s nonpartisan mandate, the views expressed through written publications do not necessarily represent those of the Institute or its staff.  

 

Publication Types: 

The CDA Institute welcomes five publication types: 

Op-Ed (700-1,200 words) 

Opinion pieces present well-informed perspectives grounded in scholarly or analytical expertise.  

• Abstracts are not required for op-ed submissions. 

• Authors should provide a brief biography to accompany their work. 

• Must be written in clear, accessible language, free from academic or technical jargon as much as possible.  

• Authors are encouraged but not required to use headings and subheadings to organize their ideas and guide readership.  

• Claims, figures, and evidence provided must be backed up by credible references. 

• Hyperlinks must be used for all references.  

 

Threat Assessment (2,000-3,500 words) 

Threat assessments focus on national defence and security threats facing Canada in a 1–3-year time frame. Threat assessments should present timely, actionable insights that help decision-makers and Canadians understand emerging threats and their impacts. 

• Abstracts are required for threat assessments (250 words max). 

• Authors should provide a brief biography to accompany their work. 

• Authors are encouraged to use headings and subheadings to organize their ideas and guide readership. 

• Threat assessments may be peer reviewed. 

• Endnotes must be used for all references.  

• Threat assessments should be appropriately cited in Chicago (author-date) for references. For referencing style, please consult: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/chicagostyle/.  

• Word count is exclusive of references. 

 

Policy Paper (3,000-4,500 words) 

Policy papers are designed to address broader defence issues and propose policy solutions. Policy papers focus on a problem, review existing approaches (if any), analyze possible policy options, and recommend specific actions. Policy papers can be short- or long-term in scope but should offer a reflective and guided approach on how defence and security systems can be strengthened or reformed.  

• Abstracts are required for policy papers (250 words max). 

• Authors should provide a brief biography to accompany their work. 

• Authors are encouraged to use headings and subheadings to organize their ideas and guide readership. 

• Policy papers may be peer reviewed. 

• Endnotes must be used for all references.  

• Policy papers should be appropriately cited in Chicago (author-date) for references. For referencing style, please consult: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/chicagostyle/.  

• Word count is exclusive of references. 

 

Voices of the CDA (2,500-5,000 words) 

“Voices of the CDA” articles are special submissions and highlight the perspectives of defence association members, Canadian Armed Forces veterans, and other standalone contributions to defence and security discourse. “Voices of the CDA” articles can include pieces intended for a military audience, policy or briefing notes that have been reformatted, or other hybrid formats related to Canadian defence that do not neatly fit within the CDAI’s other publication categories. 

• Abstracts are encouraged for “Voices of the CDA” contributions (250 words max). 

• Authors should provide a brief biography to accompany their work. 

• Authors are encouraged to use headings and subheadings to organize their ideas and guide readership. 

• Endnotes must be used for all references.  

• “Voices of the CDA” papers should be appropriately cited in Chicago (author-date) for references. For referencing style, please consult: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/chicagostyle/.  

• Word count is exclusive of references. 

 

ON TRACK (6,000-8,000 words) 

ON TRACK is the CDA Institute’s peer-reviewed scholarly journal, publishing a minimum of one special edition volume per year on topics related to Canadian national defence. A call for papers is released every spring.  

Each journal volume is prepared either directly by the CDA Institute or as part of a collaboration with a guest editor(s). Guest editors author the Executive Summary and Introduction, maintain content quality and consistency, and recruit contributors, while the CDA Institute oversees peer review and overall project completion. 

• Authors are required to submit an abstract (250 words max) prior to submitting their article to ON TRACK.  

• Authors should provide a brief biography to accompany their work. 

• Authors are encouraged to use headings and subheadings to organize their ideas and guide readership. 

• Articles submitted to ON TRACK will be double peer-reviewed. 

• Endnotes must be used for all references.  

• Papers should be appropriately cited in Chicago (author-date) for references. For referencing style, please consult this link: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/chicagostyle/.  
• Word count is exclusive of references. 

 

How to submit: 

To submit your work/abstract, or discuss a proposal, please contact our team at submissions@cdainstitute.ca. For submissions to the Climate Security Program, please contact pauline@cdainstitute.ca.  

Please ensure that you include a succinct personal bio that demonstrates that you are qualified to write authoritatively on the subject matter you propose to explore. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Should I reach out prior to writing? 

We strongly encourage you to contact the editor to discuss your topic before you begin writing.  

What happens after I submit my draft? 

Our editor will first review your submission and may determine that it is not suitable for publication at this stage. If the article proceeds, it may either receive an initial round of feedback for revision or move directly into peer review (or double peer review, in some cases). You may be asked to make further revisions based on reviewer feedback, after which our editorial team will make a final publication decision. 

Can I submit an article that has been published elsewhere?  

No, we only accept exclusive submissions and do not republish work that has appeared elsewhere. 

Do you accept historical pieces? 

No, we do not accept historical publications. Please only submit pieces with current, forward-looking analysis. 

What is the CDA Institute’s policy on AI use? 

AI may be used as a support tool for editing or structuring, but not as a primary author. Submissions that rely on AI-generated content will not be accepted. 

How long does the publication process take? 

We strive for as quick a turnaround as possible. Timely submissions, such as op-eds tied to current events, may be prioritized. Longer papers, however, can take several weeks from submission to publication to allow for peer review, editing, and graphic design or formatting.