Writer's Guide for Article Submissions
Cpl. Jason Yadao, a squad member representing U.S. Army South's best squad competition
team, draws a sector sketch during the Army Futures Command 2022 Best Squad Competition on June 8, 2022
at Camp Bullis, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Brutus)
The Mission
The U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence publishes the Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin (MIPB) and the Military Intelligence (MI) Digest to keep intelligence professionals informed of current and emerging developments within the field of military intelligence and to provide an open forum in which ideas, concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures, problems and solutions, and other relevant information, can be exchanged and discussed for professional development.
The Policy
- All submitted articles are first considered for publication in MIPB; however, we cannot guarantee publication in MIPB.
- Most articles are published in the MI Digest, where the time from submission to publication is quicker. Articles in MI Digest receive less editing and, more importantly, can contain information up to the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) level.
- Our staff will edit articles and put them in a style and format appropriate for MIPB or MI Digest. We may contact authors during the editing process to ensure a quality product. Please inform us of any changes to contact information.
- All submissions become the property of MIPB or MI Digest and may be released to other government agencies or nonprofit organizations for reprint upon request.
- MIPB and MI Digest reserve the right to publish a disclaimer, editor's note, and/or sidebar with articles.
Topic Selection
- Our goals are to spark discussion and add to the professional knowledge of the MI Corps and the intelligence community.
- Articles about current operations, TTPs, or equipment and training are always welcome, as are lessons learned, problems and solutions, and short “quick tips” on better employment of equipment and personnel.
- Explain how your unit has broken new ground, give helpful advice on a specific topic, or discuss how innovative technology will change the way we operate.
Basic Guidelines
- Articles should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words, double-spaced with normal margins, and without embedded graphics. However, this is not a strict rule. The MIPB staff is willing to discuss exceptions.
- Please do not submit an article to MIPB while it is under consideration for publication elsewhere; nor should articles be submitted to MIPB that have been previously published by another publication or that are already available on the internet.
- Please do not include any personally identifiable information in your article or biography.
Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Writing
The MIPB staff recognizes that AI-assisted writing tools have become a common part of many authors' workflows, and we do not prohibit their use. However, authors must understand that the use of such tools does not diminish their responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of any submitted work:
- Review all AI-generated text carefully and revise it to reflect your own voice, expertise, and intent. Submitted work should represent the author's analysis, not an unedited transcript of a tool's output.
- Verify every citation independently. Each reference must be confirmed to exist, to say what the author claims it says, and to be genuinely relevant to the point it is cited to support.
- Take full ownership of all factual claims. AI tools can generate plausible-sounding assertions that are simply false. Authors are responsible for confirming the accuracy of any claim in their submission, regardless of its source.
Submissions that do not meet these standards or appear to heavily rely on AI-generated content may be returned without review.
While the use of AI assistance is not discouraged, authors should ensure it is properly utilized as a means of supporting—not replacing—the disciplined effort that quality writing demands.
What We Need from You
- A cover letter or email with your work or home email, telephone number, and a comment stating your desire to have your article published.
- (MIPB specific) A release signed by your unit's information security officer stating that your article and any accompanying graphics and photos are unclassified, not sensitive, and releasable in the public domain. See the document “Security Review of Article Submissions" for more information.
- (MI Digest specific) Articles containing CUI must be appropriately marked and include a CUI designation indicator block. See the document "Security Review of Article Submissions" for more information.
- Compliance with your unit/organization/agency and/or installation requirements on the pre-publication release of articles for professional journals. For example, many units/agencies require a pre-publication release from the Public Affairs Office.
- Article in Microsoft Word format; do not use special document templates.
- Pictures, graphics, crests, or logos relevant to your topic. Include complete captions (the 5 Ws) and photographer credits. Please do not send copyrighted images. Do not embed graphics or photos within the article. Send them as separate files, such as .tif or .jpg. Photos must be at least 300 dpi. If relevant, note where graphics and photos should appear in the article. Graphs and figures created in PowerPoint are acceptable. Please submit them as their original files rather than as images.
- The full name of each author in the byline and a short biography for each. Biographies should include the author's current duty assignment, related assignments, relevant civilian education and degrees, and any other special qualifications.