Instructions for Authors

1. Types of Papers and Length of Manuscript

1.1 Research Articles are original papers that demonstrate innovative conceptual, methodological, and/or empirical research with a focus on Southeast Europe. Articles should display relevance to political science, history, sociology, economics, cultural studies, gender studies, or anthropology.

Interdisciplinary approaches are highly welcomed. Articles should focus on contemporary developments, but CSE also accepts historical research if it aids the understanding of current affairs.

The manuscript, including footnotes (where used) and bibliography, must not exceed 9,000 words (tables and figures excluded).


1.2 Election Analyses are short original papers focusing on current elections in Southeast Europe with an analytical and explanatory claim. Maximum length: 5,000 words, including footnotes (where used) and bibliography.


1.3 Event Analyses are short original papers focusing on current events (e.g., protests, constitutional changes) with an analytical and explanatory claim. Maximum length: 5,000 words, including footnotes (where used) and bibliography.


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2. Editorial Procedures


All manuscripts undergo an initial internal revision by the editorial team. Following this, the manuscript is sent for double-blind peer review, with a standard turnaround time of 4–6 weeks. While the journal strives to ensure timely revisions, the final timeline depends on reviewer availability and responsiveness.

Authors are responsible for anonymising the manuscript and associated materials.

  • • Remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and other identifying details from the manuscript file and file metadata.
  • • Submit a separate Title Page containing: title, author name(s), affiliation(s), and corresponding-author email address. Funding and acknowledgements must appear on the title page only.
  • • Avoid self-citation that reveals identity (e.g., “in my previous work…”). Where self-citation is essential, phrase neutrally.

Each manuscript is assigned to an editorial board member. The editor appoints two external peer reviewers. Revised manuscripts require (i) a clean revised version without track-changes and (ii) a point-by-point response letter addressing all reviewer comments. In case of conflicting reviewer assessments, a third reviewer may be consulted. The Editor-in-Chief makes the final publication decision.


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3. Submission Requirements and Manuscript Preparation


3.1 Originality

Submitted manuscripts must not have been published elsewhere. All co-authors must approve the submission. The publisher assumes no legal responsibility for claims for compensation.


3.2 Permissions

Authors must obtain permission from copyright holders for figures, tables, or reproduced text passages published elsewhere. Proof of permission must be submitted with the manuscript. Authors must sign the “Declaration of originality” form and confirm the proof of permission before publication.


3.3 Source File

All manuscripts must be submitted in editable format.


  • • Manuscripts: .docx
  • • Tables, figures, maps, images: must be incorporated in the MS Word document (large figures may be submitted separately only if file size prevents upload).
  • • Tables must be editable.
  • • Figures must be high resolution (minimum 300 dpi).

    • 3.4 Author Bio

    (i) Include in your submission email a short biography, current affiliation, and a portrait photo for which they hold copyright for publication on the journal website. (ii) Add a short bio at the end of the manuscript under “Note on author”.


    3.5 Declaration of AI Use

    Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (e.g. for drafting, editing, translation, analysis, or image generation) in the preparation of the manuscript. This disclosure must specify which tool(s) were used, for what purpose, and at what stage of the manuscript’s preparation. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the submitted work, including any content informed by AI tools. A complete AI Use Declaration form must be submitted alongside the Declaration of Originality. Routine use of spelling/grammar-check or reference management software does not require disclosure.


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    4. First Page


    4.1 Title

    The title must be concise and informative.


    4.2 Author Information

    • • Name(s) of the author(s)
    • • Active email address of the corresponding author

    4.3 Abstract

    150–200 words outlining objective, methods, and results.


    4.4 Keywords

    Three to five keywords.


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    5. Text


    5.1 Formatting

    Use Century Schoolbook, size 10; 1.15-spaced, block setting. Hyphenation for body text and bibliography must be disabled. Separate paragraphs with 6 pt spacing.


    Use no space between the Header and the Paragraph.


    Quotations exceeding three lines should be formatted as block quotations: Century Schoolbook, size 10, single-spaced, indented 1 cm left and right, 6pt space before and after, no quotation marks, followed by a footnote.


    For Footnotes use Century Schoolbook, size 8; single-spaced, block setting, Hyphenation disabled.


    Acknowledgements and Notes on Author are placed after the conclusion, before the list of references, in Century Schoolbook, size 9; 1.15-spaced, block setting, Hyphenation disabled.


    5.2 Headings

    Use 6 pt. spacing before heading and no space after heading. Headings are marked in bold and remain unnumbered.

    • • Use Century Schoolbook, size 10, bold for first-level headings.
    • • Use Century Schoolbook, size 10, bold, italics for second-level headings.
    • • Use Century Schoolbook, size 10, italics for third-level headings.

    Please do not go beyond third-level headings.


    5.3 Italics and Quotation Marks

    Use italics for emphasis (e.g., key terms, definitions). Use “double quotation marks” for direct quotations. Use ‘single quotation marks’ only for quotes within quotes or marked usage.


    Important: Do not place quotation marks around titles in the reference list (see References).

    5.4 Transliterations

    Names originally in non-Latin alphabets must be transliterated.


    5.5 Translations of Names / Use of Original Titles

    For sources in languages other than English, use the original title. Original names (party names, organisations, toponyms) may be provided in brackets and italicised at first mention. Example: Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, HDZ).


    5.6 Numbers

    Spell out numbers from one to nine; use numerals for 10 and above.


    Always use numerals for:


    • • Dates (e.g. 12 June 1993)
    • • Percentages
    • • Statistical values
    • • Page numbers
    • • Measurements
    • • Ages
    • • Monetary amounts
    • • Table and figure numbers (Table 1; Figure 2)

    Percentages


    Use numerals with a space before the percentage sign:

    0.6 %; 10.5 %; 124.7 %; 5 %; 37 % (Do not spell out “per cent”.)


    Monetary amounts


    Use numerals with thousand separators and a point for decimals:

    3,995; 5,777.4; 64,677; 654,555; 2,766,544


    Currencies should be indicated using either the currency symbol (€, $, £) or the ISO code (EUR, USD), consistently within the manuscript:

    EUR 3,995; € 3,995; USD 5,777.4


    Large rounded numbers


    Use numerals for large rounded numbers:

    15 million; 2.5 billion


    Ranges


    Use an en dash without spaces for numerical ranges:

    1991–1995; 15–27; 3.5–4.2 %


    Beginning of a sentence


    Avoid starting a sentence with a numeral. Rephrase where possible. If unavoidable, spell out the number.


    5.7 Dates

    Use: dates as 12 June 1993 consistently throughout text, footnotes, and bibliography.


    5.8 Abbreviations

    Spell out at first mention: International Monetary Fund (IMF).


    5.9 Hyphens and en dashes

    Use short hyphens for compound words (e.g., de-colonialisation). Do not use hyphenation across line breaks. For parenthetical or contrastive elements within sentences, use an en dash (–) with one space before and after the dash. Excessive use of en dashes should be avoided.


    5.10 Acknowledgements

    Acknowledgements may be included only in the final accepted version, after peer review, as a separate section following the conclusion.


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    6. Tables and Figures


    6.1 Tables and Diagrams


    • • All tables and diagrams must be formatted according to the templates provided below. Leave 6 pt space between tables/figures and the body text.
    • • All tables and figures must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.
    • • Each table and figure must include a concise caption accurately describing its content. Captions must be included in the manuscript file.
    • • Each table and figure must include a source line beneath the caption. References must be formatted according to the journal’s reference guidelines (see below). If the content originates from the author, indicate this as: Source: Own illustration or Source: Author’s personal archive.
    • • Tables and figures must be cited in the text in consecutive numerical order.
    • • Tables and figures should be inserted within the body of the manuscript. Large figures may be submitted separately only if file size prevents upload.
    • • Tables and figures must be sized to fit the journal’s column width.
    • • Authors must obtain permission for tables and figures previously published elsewhere and must indicate the source in the subheading.

    6.2 Table template


    Table 1: Caption (Century School Book, font size 8, left-aligned)


    heading, font size 8, centred setting heading, font size 8, centred setting heading, font size 8, centred setting
    text, font size 8, left-aligned text, font size 8, centred setting text, font size 8, centred setting text, font size 8, centred setting

    Source: Full reference (font size 8, left-aligned)


    6.3 Figure template


    Figure 1: Caption (font size 8, left-aligned)

    Source: Full Reference (font size 8, left-aligned)


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    7. References


    CSE uses a hybrid Chicago Author-Date system, differentiating between two categories of sources to which different citation guidelines apply:


    1. Published / publicly accessible sources
    → In-text citations + Reference list.

    2. Unpublished materials (not publicly accessible)
    → Footnotes only, and not included in the reference list.


    Unpublished materials include, among others:


    • • author interviews (unless publicly archived and citable as a public source)
    • • archival materials
    • • personal communications (emails)
    • • confidential documents
    • • field notes
    • • unpublished conference papers
    • • unpublished MA thesis
    • • private audio recordings
    • • not publicly accessible databases

    For citation of unpublished sources, see 7.4. Where unpublished sources do not correspond to examples under 7.4, citations should include sufficient information to allow identification and, where possible, retrieval of the source. As a general rule, provide:


    • • Source type (e.g. interview, archival document, internal report)
    • • Author / creator / issuing body (if available)
    • • Title or description of the document
    • • Date of origin (or closest approximation)
    • • Location or repository (archive, institution, or context of collection)
    • • Additional identifying details (e.g. file number, collection name)

    The level of detail should reflect the degree to which the source can be verified or retrieved.

    Submissions should conform to these guidelines. Manuscripts that deviate substantially may be returned to authors for technical revision prior to review.



    7.1 In-text citations (Author–Date)


    Format: (Author Year, page)

    • • One author: (Gerschewski 2013, 21)
    • • Two authors: (Levitsky and Way 2010, 57)
    • • Three authors: (Marović, Prelec, and Kmezić 2019, 4)
    • • Four + authors: (Smith et al. 2021, 112)
    • • Institutional author: (European Commission 2023, 15)
    • • Multiple works: (Gerschewski 2013; Levitsky and Way 2010)
    • • Same author, same year: (Wunsch 2022a; Wunsch 2022b)

    Page numbers are required for direct quotations.



    7.2 Reference list (Published sources)


    • • Alphabetical; not numbered; no separation by type.
    • • Second and subsequent lines indented 1 cm.
    • • Use single spacing.
    • • Use sentence case for titles.
    • • Italicise books, journal names, newspaper names, report titles, thesis titles, and titles of legal texts/government documents.
    • • For repeated authors: list most recent publication first; replace the author’s name in subsequent consecutive entries with seven blank spaces: .
    • • No quotation marks in reference-list titles.
    • • Publication and access dates in references use: 14 March 2025.
    • • Access dates only for undated or mutable online sources.
      Online sources with a clear publication date (including online newspapers) do not require access dates.


    7.3 Reference Types (published materials)


    Books


    Single-author book

    Bieber, Florian. 2020. The rise of authoritarianism in the Western Balkans. London: Plagrave Macmillan.


    Two authors

    Levitsky, Steven, and Lucan A. Way. 2010.Competitive authoritarianism: Hybrid regimes after the Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


    Three or more authors

    Surname, Name / Surname, Name, and Name Surname. YEAR:Book title. Place of Publication: Publisher.


    Edited volumes


    One editor

    Raudvere, Catharina (ed.). 2018. Nostalgia, loss and creativity in South-East Europe: Political and cultural representations of the past. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.


    Two editors

    Bieber, Florian, and Nikolaos Tzifakēs (eds.). 2020. The Western Balkans in the world: Linkages and relations with non-Western countries. New York & London: Routledge.


    Three or more editors

    Bieber, Florian / Galijaš, Armina, and Rory Archer (eds.). Debating the end of Yugoslavia. Farnham, Surrey: Taylor & Francis.


    Chapter in an edited volume

    Vachudova, Milada Anna. 2018. EU enlargement and state capture in the Western Balkans, in The Europeanisation of the Western Balkans: A failure of EU conditionality?, edited by Džankić, Jelena / Keil, Sœren, and Marko Kmezić. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 63-85.


    Journal articles


    Single-author article

    Gerschewski, Johannes. 2013. The three pillars of stability: Legitimation, repression, and co-optation in autocratic regimes. Democratization 20(1), 13–38.


    Two authors

    Staletović, Branimir, and Lura Pollozhani. 2023. To resist or not to resist: “Skopije 2024” and the politics of contention in North Macedonia. East European Politics 39(4), 666–686.


    Three or more authors

    Laštro, Claudia / Bieber, Florian, and Jovana Marović. 2023. Mechanisms of dominance: Understanding 30 years in power of Montenegro’s democratic party of socialists. Comparative Southeast European Studies 71(2), 210–236.


    Article first published online ahead of print:

    Wunsch, Natasha. 2018. Transnational Learning and Civil Society Empowerment in the EU Enlargement Process. Journal of Common Market Studies. Online first: 31 October 2018.


    Entire Special Issue

    Ahram, Ariel I. and J. Paul Goode (eds.). 2016. Researching authoritarianism in the discipline of democracy. Social Science Quarterly 97.


    Working paper / Policy brief

    European Court of Auditors. 2022. EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans. Special report. Retrieved from: https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/eu-support-to-the-rule-of-law-in-Western-Balkans-01-2022/en/.


    Marović, Jovana / Prelec, Tena, and Kmezić, Marko. 2019. Strengthening the rule of law in the Western Balkans: Call for a revolution against particularism. Policy Study. Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.biepag.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Strengthening-the-Rule-of-Law.pdf.


    Conference paper (publicly available PDF)

    Geddes, Barbara. 2005. Why parties and elections in authoritarian regimes?Conference Paper prepared for the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA). September 2005, Washington DC.


    MA/PhD thesis (with repository PDF if available)

    Thiemann, Andreas. 2016. State relations: Local state relations in central Serbia. PhD Thesis. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Retrieved from: https://www.opendata.uni-halle.de/bitstream/1981185920/8579/1/Thiemann%20-%202016%20-%20State%20Relations_thesis%20epub-1.pdf.


    Government / institutional report

    European Commission. 2023. Serbia 20 report. MSWD(2023) 695 final, 8 November 2023. Retrieved from: https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-11/SWD_2023_695_Serbia.pdf.


    NGO report

    Freedom House. 2025. Serbia: Freedom in the world 2025 country report. Retrieved from: https://freedomhouse.org/country/serbia/freedom-world/2025 (accessed: 2 March 2026).


    Dataset / database

    World Bank. World Development Indicators. Retrieved from: https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators (accessed: 17 February 2026).


    Newspapers


    With author

    Ćosisć, Braco. 2000. Ma, koji Imotski loby: Šaka rogova u vreći. Slobodna Dalmacija, 12 January 2000, 18.

    Without author

    Slobodna Dalmacija. 1979. Jesu li investicije u Imotskom zaista promašene. Slobodna Dalmacija, 10 October 1979.

    Online newspapers


    With author

    Gec, Jovana. 2023. Serbian police detain at least 38 people as opposition holds more protests against election results. AP News, 25 December 2023. Retrieved from: https://apnews.com/article/7ff1b74a0fa002eb442cf8e85e499c51.


    Without author

    Radio Free Europe. 2023. Serbian opposition protests Belgrade election, claims fraud. RFE/RL, 18 December 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-election-coalition-rejects-results-belgrade-vucic/32735134.html.


    Website / online material

    World Bank. DataBank. Retrieved from: https://databank.worldbank.org/(accessed: 17 February 2026).


    YouTube

    NATO Defense College Foundation. Western Balkans at a geopolitical crossroads: EU integration and security. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BozuCxqG4lM(accessed: 17 February 2026).


    Podcast episode

    McMahon, Robert, and Carla Anne Robbins. 2024. Biden addresses SOTU, Iran holds elections, Bosnia’s pipeline feud, and more. The World Next Week (Council on Foreign Relations podcast), 29 February 2024. Retrieved from: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/biden-addresses-sotu-iran-holds-elections-bosnias-pipeline-feud-and-more.


    Social media posts

    Social media posts are treated as published/publicly accessible sources where retrievable via a standing URL, and cited as follows:
    Dizdarević, Azra. 2026. Election results confirm what the polls already suggested. X,6 October 2026. Retrieved from: https://x.com/azradizdarevic/status/1234567890 (accessed: 7 October 2026).


    Notes:

    • • Unlike other online sources, social media posts always require an access date, regardless of how precisely the post is dated, since platform content can be edited, deleted, or restricted after publication at any time.
    • • Where the account is institutional or pseudonymous and no real name is available, use the handle/username as the author (e.g., @handle).
    • • Paraphrase the text or use first phrase in place of the title. If quoting the post's actual text rather than paraphrasing it, place the quoted text in double quotation marks.

    Film

    Grlić, Rajko (dir.). 2016. The constitution.


    Legal sources

    European Court of Human Rights. 2014. Ustav Republika Srbije. Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, br. 98/2006 i 115/2021, 8 November 2006. Retrieved from: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-147284.


    Republika Srbije. 2006. Murat Vural v. Turkey. App. no. 9540/07, Judgment, 21 October 2014. Retrieved from: https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/ustav_republike_srbije.html.


    Parliamentary transcript Narodna skupština Republike Srbije. 2017. Stenografske beleške: Deveta posebna sednica, 20 June 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.parlament.gov.rs/upload/archive/files/lat/doc/stenografske_beleske/29.%20jun%202017.%20LAT.pdf.



    7.4 Unpublished materials (Footnotes only)


    Use footnotes only for these categories and do not include them in the list of references:

    Interview

    Interview with [name if not anonymised], [role/title], conducted by the author, [city/online], 14 May 2024.


    Archival document

    Arhiv Jugoslavije, Fond 507, [collection name], Box 34, File 7, 12 March 1972. (unless organised otherwise)


    Personal communication

    Email correspondence with [name/position], 18 April 2023.


    Field notes

    Field notes, Podgorica, 22 October 2025.


    Confidential/unpublished document

    Internal memo, [institution], [reference code if applicable], 7 July 2021.


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    8. Language and Proofreading

    Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscript is written in clear and correct English and has been thoroughly proofread prior to submission. The journal does not provide language editing or proofreading services.


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    9. Libel and Freedom of Expression

    Freedom of expression is critical to academic publishing. However, CSE does not support publishing false statements that harm the reputation of individuals, groups, or organisations. CSE is fully committed to freedom of speech and expression and will not be complicit in censorship.


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    10. Copyright

    CSE is fully open access. Non-commercial use and distribution are allowed free of charge, provided the author and the journal are properly and fully credited. CSE does not charge fees for submission and processing.


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    11. Publication Frequency

    CSE is bi-annual (one summer and one winter issue). Articles will be published online on a rolling basis.


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    12. Archiving

    All published articles are available on the journal’s website in electronic form.


    Download:

    Instructions for Authors
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