The Australian Naval Institute

This Occasional Paper series embodies ANI’s commitment to engaging in public discussion and, where possible, the development of public policy. This series was created in response to a need to provide a vehicle to gain an audience for research and writing that relates to specialist naval, maritime and related topics that are not addressed in standard scholarly publications.

Three broad categories of work are ‘published’ in the Series – Position Papers, Working Papers and Occasional Papers – each reflecting the length and purpose of the manuscript rather than its academic discipline.

Position Papers are 2,000-4000 words in length and seek to shape debate, direct discussion or outline a position on some aspect of policy. The emphasis is on highly topical work embodying the opinion and judgements of the contributor on matters of contemporary concern.

Working Papers are 3,000- 5,000 words and are intended to be ‘work-in-progress’. Papers in this category are offered for comment from other scholars working in the area. These papers are ‘first drafts’ of more substantial pieces of writing and present interim conclusions.

Occasional Papers typically exceed 5,000 words and constitute completed work. Papers in this category include high quality descriptive and analytical work that might be too specialised or too topical for a scholarly journal. There is no upper word limit for papers in this category.

These papers are available in identical HTML and print-ready PDF formats and include an author note, illustrative material and references for further ready. The series is promoted through the ANI’s website, social media presence and events. 

Submission Guidelines

Researchers interested in having their work appear in the series are encouraged to contact the ANI through admin@navalinstitute.com.au in the first instance. Prospective contributors need to decide whether their submissions are to be assessed as Position, Working or Occasional Papers. Guidelines regarding style and format are available on request.