Case Study: Client Olena

And it wasn't about a lack of competence, but about a combination of factors:

• Scope of the assignment: 10 full-length articles,
• various professional publications in Category "B,"
• Tight deadlines for accreditation and reports.

On top of that, there were three other painful issues:

• the risk that the specialty may not match code 256 (not all journals in Category “B” that formally list code 256 actually accept materials on national security—you may be rejected on the basis of your specialty);
• Publications have very different requirements regarding structure, bibliography, and formatting;
• the need to coordinate 10 teams of authors and communicate with 10 different editorial offices.

In fact, Olena needed more than just a “collection of articles,” and a managed publication process for the entire team.

We established the parameters right away:

• The actual time required for the project is 6–7 months of active work;
• Some of the magazines are monthly, and some are quarterly;
• The formal process for a client takes 8–12 months before accreditation.

So the strategy was as follows:

1. Turn the “10 Articles” into a system rather than a haphazard list of tasks.

2. Develop a unified thematic module addressing Ukraine’s current national security challenges:

• information and hybrid security,
• strategic communications,
• cybersecurity and digital threats,
• legal security mechanisms,
• security policy under martial law,
• the international security dimension,
• institutional mechanisms for countering threats.

3. For each topic, select a specific Category “B” journal listed in the 256th edition where the topic is actually relevant—not just formally permitted.

4. Develop a 6–7-month timeline, in which:

• Some articles are published in monthly journals (a faster publication cycle),
• others—quarterly (longer cycle, but stable journals),
• And all of this fits within the 8–12-month timeframe required for accreditation.

We took full responsibility for the entire process—from topic selection to publication.

1. Topics and author teams:

• identified 10 topics within a single broad category—Ukraine's national security;
• agreed on the topics with the teams of authors (Olena coordinated on behalf of the department);
• We planned it so that each article would have up to three co-authors from the department, and at the same time, the department as a whole would meet its publication needs;
• For each article, the authors filled out an article questionnaire—specifically, one that included a list of previous publications relevant to the topic that should be cited to strengthen their own academic profile.

2. Working with Texts:

• developing topics and defining the issues for each article;
• structuring the material in accordance with the requirements of professional publications;
• methodological rationale for the research;
• updating the regulatory and scientific framework (taking into account the current context of Ukraine's national security);
• Citing sources in accordance with the editorial standards of the selected journals.

In other words, we've gone from an idea to a finished manuscript that can be submitted to a specific publisher.

3. Logs, Submission, and Communication:

• conducted an individual selection of 10 different Category "B" journals in specialty 256;
• prepared sets of documents for each submission (article, metadata, supporting files);
• organized the submission of materials to editorial offices;
• We maintained communication with the editorial offices so as not to overwhelm the client with a flood of emails.

4. Edits and Issue Dates:

• promptly made revisions based on the reviewers' comments;
• finalized the materials after they were accepted;
• monitored the release of issues and their publication, taking into account the publication schedules of monthly and quarterly magazines.

The entire process took approximately 6–7 months—well within the timeframe required for the client to obtain accreditation (8–12 months).

• All 10 articles were successfully published in 10 different Category B academic journals in the field of National Security (Specialty 256).
• Each article has up to three co-authors from the department, which allowed the entire team to meet the publication requirements.
• The topics of the articles do not overlap but cover key areas of contemporary security studies.
• Some of the articles were published in monthly journals (rapid turnaround), while others appeared in quarterly journals (scheduled publication, reputable journals).
• The client stayed within the 8–12-month timeframe required for accreditation and reporting, without having to scramble at the last minute.

• close a package consisting of several articles in Category "B" publications;
• in a specific major (256 or another);
• If you need to meet realistic deadlines for accreditation, certification, or competitive exams, submit a request for a free consultation.

Based on that, we'll take a look at your deadlines, team, and field of study, and give you an honest assessment of how much work can realistically be accomplished and in what timeframe.