Call for Proposals

The Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research (CSJ) is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal published by the CyberWatch Center Digital Press. The goal of CSJ is to stimulate professional discussion and advance the interdisciplinary field of cybersecurity through the publication of scholarly works of value and interest to the profession. CSJ seeks to integrate and expand the methods, processes, and evidence of effective practices which underlie skilled performance. CSJ focuses on valued, measured results; considers the larger system context of people’s performance; and provides valid and reliable measures of effectiveness.

CSJ​ uses a two-step submission process to encourage submissions aligned with our mission. Prospective authors are highly encouraged to review the Overview Presentation and attend a Proposal Development Workshop to understand the different paper types and submission requirements. Our Manuscript Content Guidelines provide specifications for practice, instructional design, or research section manuscripts, and the Author Guidelines details the structured abstract format used by CSJ and the processes for developing accepted manuscripts. Abstracts on technical solutions that lack a substantive contribution for improving or teaching skillful performance of cybersecurity job functions and roles do not align with our mission and will not be considered.

Submissions are accepted for any open Call for Proposals on a rolling basis. Please submit your ideas for Proposals at (link coming soon). 

Cybersecurity Conference and Colloquium Sessions (3CS),
VOL 2.

The recent pandemic initially curtailed the sharing of new information and ideas that typically happened at conferences and colloquium sessions. As the community adapted by conducting virtual events, many participated in these events to a greater extent or even for the first time. The second volume in the 3CS Special Issue series of CSJ seeks to expand the dissemination of ideas, insights and practices on topics related to cybersecurity education, research, and workforce development initially presented at recent conferences, colloquium and other events. CSJ invites practitioners, scholars, and educators to propose their presentation content for further development into a paper for publication that will contribute to advancing the state of cybersecurity capability maturity.

Special Issue: NICE Framework, VOL. 2

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework (NICE Framework) was originally published as NIST Special Publication 800-181 in 2017. NICE has issued several updates regarding the Framework, including draft Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements, Ability Statements, and Competency Areas, and a report to Congress, “Measuring Cybersecurity Workforce Capabilities: Defining a Proficiency Scale for the NICE Framework.” The Cybersecurity Skills Journal is seeking manuscript proposals that examine the usefulness, benefits, and challenges associated with the adoption, adaptation, or extension of the current NICE Framework, including the draft Competencies and report on measuring capabilities, to improve learning and advance the state of cybersecurity capability maturity.

Facilitated Virtual Focus Group, VOL. 2

The goal of the Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research (CSJ) is to stimulate professional discussion and advance the interdisciplinary field of cybersecurity through the publication of scholarly works of value and interest to the profession. To encourage the community to engage in critical discussions surrounding the broader cybersecurity workforce, CSJ invites practitioners, scholars, and educators to propose and lead live virtual Focus Groups that will explore specific challenges and persistent problems related to raising the capabilities of the cybersecurity workforce. Proposals may address any aspect of research into cybersecurity but must align with the Journal’s mission: emphasis should be placed on enhancing the capabilities of the cybersecurity practitioner, educator, or researcher.

Join CSJ on May 25, 2023 for a webinar, “Developing Dialogues on the Adoption, Adaptation, or Extension of the NICE Framework” to learn how to design and submit your Focus Group session idea. The webinar will cover topics like identifying investigative questions, creating a successful Focus Group inquiry, and preparing a publishable transcript that can inform the nation and broaden the impact of the NICE Framework.