Welcome to Rules of Engagement
Why “Rules of Engagement”?
In international security, the term “rules of engagement” describes the circumstances, analysis, standards, and procedures that inform or constrain states’ use of force. Traditionally, this phrase is used in the context of military operations against adversaries, but “use of force” is often extended to include economic sanctions, cyber operations, and other tools that states use to secure their vital interests.
Our Focus
We publish work related to the broad spectrum of international security, including but not limited to:
Geopolitical Strategy & Economic Statecraft
Armed Conflict & Intelligence
International Law & Human rights
Technology, AI, & International Affairs
Biological and Chemical Risks
What we do not publish: We do not accept pieces focused purely on history, culture, or domestic issues that lack a clear connection to international security. All pieces reflect the solely the personal views of the author, and as a non-partisan publication, Rules of Engagement does not endorse any person or piece of legislation.
Write for Rules of Engagement
Rules of Engagement (RoE) is a platform for rigorous research and commentary on the forces shaping international security. We seek to bridge the gap between academic theory and policy practice, offering a space for diverse voices to tackle the world’s most pressing geopolitical challenges. The mission of Rule of Engagement is to provide a publication platform for interesting ideas, regardless of where they come from. The best ideas could come from a four-star general with fifty years of service, or it could come from a college freshman.
Publication Formats
Articles: Traditional explainers or opinion pieces. These provide deep-dive analysis or distinct arguments on a specific security issue.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): A weekly publication and podcast designed to distill a complex, current event (ideally from the last two weeks) into a digestible, high-impact format.
How to Submit
Please email all submissions to
submissions@roemedia.org with the subject line:
LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_ROESUBMISSIONIn your email, please include the following:
Submission Type: Indicate if this is an Article or a BLUF, and whether it is a pitch or a full draft.
Short Bio: A brief summary of your expertise, affiliation, or connection to the topic. We accept submissions from a wide range of authors, including researchers, policy practitioners, industry professionals, and students.
Disclosures: Note if the submission is time-sensitive and disclose any assistance received from contributors, advisors, or artificial intelligence.
Style Guide
Format: Submissions must be a Word document named
LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_BLUF/ARTICLEStyle: Use hyperlinks instead of footnotes or bibliographies. AP Style is recommended.
Tone: Aim for clarity. Avoid jargon, the overuse of passive voice, and first/second-person perspectives where possible.
Organization: It is often helpful for writers to think about this general framing.
Lede: Your hook—a story, a new bill, an event, or something that gets your reader wanting to keep reading.
Nut Graf: This is the “bottom line up front” paragraph. Don’t keep the readers guessing. Give them the most important arguments in this section. Your reader should be able to get the point of your article just by reading these 1-2 paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs: Start with a topic sentence for each paragraph. Just like the nut graf, your reader should be able to read the first sentence of each paragraph and get the jist of your arguments.
Conclusions and Policy Relevance: So what? Why should the reader care? What are the outstanding questions or unresolved tensions? Readers should be able to get the main conclusion by reading this section, or they should be able to take away some questions that they could hypothetically read a follow-up article about.
Submission Guidelines
Rules of Engagement welcomes submissions as draft articles or pitches. Before submitting, please confirm that you are writing in your personal capacity (or have the authority to submit) and that no other entity maintains exclusive rights to the submission or the underlying research.
Articles
Drafts: Generally between 1,200 and 3,000 words.
Pitches: Maximum 200 words. Include your lede, main argument, supporting methodology, policy relevance, and proposed length.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The BLUF: Your submission must begin with a “Bottom Line Up Front” summary of your main point in five sentences or less.
Drafts: Maximum 1,800 words. Content should relate to an event from the past month (past two weeks preferred).
Pitches: Maximum 100 words. Include the recent event/lede, a summary, and your main point.
Podcasts: High-quality .mp3 recordings are welcome (but not required) and must be accompanied by the full article text.
Response Time: We value every submission. If you have not heard back within three days, please feel free to send a follow-up email.
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