About the Journal

Journal Description

The Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) began publishing in 2016 as the flagship publication of the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance (CSKA), a Canada based consortium of public, private and academic interests which aims to advance the knowledge, social science and evidence base in support of multi-sector approaches to building stronger and healthier individuals, families and communities in Canada and beyond. In its first five years, The Journal has grown in its scope and influence, and now features a multi-partner oversight model that draws guidance from the global scholarship community in combination with public and private sector leaders and influencers.

The Journal of CSWB is a peer-reviewed and open access publication that is positioned to be the authoritative global resource for high-impact research that, uniquely, spans all human service and criminal justice sectors, with an emphasis on their intersections and collaborations. The Journal showcases the latest research, whether originating from within Canada or from around the world, that is relevant to Canadian and international communities and professionals. The Journal aims to attract a broad audience of multi-sector policymakers, practitioners and researchers worldwide. In 2018, the Journal became an official peer-reviewed publication of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA).

The Journal publishes original works that may include Original Research (both Quantitative and Qualitative Studies), Social Innovation Narratives, Policy and Systemic Change Propositions, Random Control Trials and other Experimentation, Program and Horizontal Evaluations, Review Articles, Practice Guidelines, thought-provoking Editorials, Commentaries, and periodically includes lighter features as Food for Afterthought.

Our Vision: Improved social equity and well-being outcomes for individuals, families and communities, everywhere.

Our Mission: To advance knowledge, evidence and dialogue to support the considered adoption of public policy, the sustainability of related practices, and the best principles of multi-sector collaboration, at the intersections among health, education, human services and criminal justice systems. Our core principles are reflected in the four primary Editorial Sections that further underpin this mission: Trust, Strengths, Services and Justice.

Aims and Scope

Currently, the Journal aims to solicit and publish original works that may include:

  • Original Research Reports (both Long and Short papers);
  • Social Innovation Narratives (Policy and Systemic Change Propositions, Program and Horizontal Evaluations);
  • Review Articles;
  • Records of Proceedings;
  • Practice Guidelines;
  • Thought-provoking Editorials and Commentaries;
  • Food for Afterthought (opinion pieces); and
  • Letters to the Editor.

Authors are encouraged to submit papers that address and inform any or all of the following cross cutting themes:

CSWB Enabling Themes:

  • Community-engaged solutions
  • Collaboration and innovation
  • Evidence-based policy and practice (QN/QL)
  • Analytics, data-driven and technology-enabled solutions
  • Measurement and Evaluation (QN/QL)

 CSWB Challenging Themes:

  • Poverty and marginalization factors
  • Gender inequity
  • Inequitable access to services and supports
  • Addiction and harms from substance use
  • Mental health issues and stigmas
  • Victimization and trauma
  • Criminality and violence
  • Health and well-being of first responders and service providers

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts are initially reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, and if appropriate, will be assigned to a Contributing Editor. If the paper is judged to be suitable for possible publication, it will be sent to two or more external reviewers using our database of experts. All articles undergo this process with the following exceptions, which do not undergo our standard review process:

  • Letters to the Editor, Commentaries and Editorials are based on the decision of the Editor-in-Chief, who may ask experts on the merit of their contents.
  • Food for After Thought - based on the decision of the Editorial Team.
  • Social Innovation Narrative - require one or more reviewers. 
  • Record of Proceedings – based on the decision of the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Special Articles – depending on the format and content, special articles may be solely based on the decision of the Editor-in-Chief or undergo our standard review process.

Authors are permitted to submit the names and e-mail addresses of up to three individuals, who could, in their opinion, expertly review their manuscripts. The Editors, however, reserve the right to choose all reviewers.

The Journal of CSWB employs a single-blind review process.  The identities of the reviewers are kept confidential, but the identity of the author(s) is made known to the reviewers. The manuscript under review is not revealed to anyone other than the reviewers and editorial staff. Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality about the manuscripts they review. Authors should expect to receive an initial decision on their manuscript within 2–8 weeks of submission. If revision of the manuscript is required, the authors must submit within three weeks of the request.

Publication Frequency

The Journal of CSWB is published four times per year (March, June, September, and December) plus periodic supplements. Editorial contents are planned approximately 6 months in advance of each issue.

Open Access Policy

All articles published in The Journal of CSWB are open access and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Articles are freely available and permanently accessible immediately upon publication, without subscription or registration barriers. We believe this ensures the widest possible dissemination of our published research and promotes future innovation in the field. The benefits of open access include:

  • Articles are viewed more often than articles that are only available to subscribers, and are cited more often
  • Faster impact and greater engagement
  • New ideas can be dispersed more rapidly and widely, which in turn triggers new research studies
  • Publishing with an open access journal is a requirement or a preferred method of publication amongst funding agencies

Copyright of any article published in The Journal of CSWB is retained by the author(s). Authors grant The Journal a License to Publish their article upon acceptance. Articles published in The Journal are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. This license allows others to download original works and share them with others as long as they credit the author and the publication, but users cannot change them in any way or use the materials commercially.

For commercial re-use, whereby the use is for the commercial gain of the user and/or their employing institution, please contact SG Publishing Inc. (sales@sgpublishing.ca) for permission, who reserves the right to levy an appropriate fee.

Archiving

The Journal of CSWB utilizes the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) to digitally preserve its contents. The LOCKSS program offers decentralized and distributed preservation, seamless perpetual access, and preservation of the authentic original version of the content. The PKP PN ensures that contents of the Journal of CSWB can be preserved for long-term access.

Indexing

The Journal of CSWB is indexed/covered by the following services:

  • DOAJ
  • Google Scholar
  • Crossref – all articles are assigned a DOI (digital object identifiers), which enhances article discoverability and makes our content easier to cite, link and access
  • EBSCO Discovery Service
  • EBSCOhost
    • Academic Search Ultimate