Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, drones have revolutionized the fields of security and defense. The integration of advanced technology with versatile unmanned platforms has ushered in a new era in surveillance, reconnaissance, operations, and logistics. Autonomous drones are at the forefront of this transformation, offering enhanced surveillance and protection capabilities. Mirroring advancements seen in the commercial industry, drones equipped with modern technologies, including advanced hardware and upgraded software, are poised to significantly impact the defense sector.
This collection aims to bring together pioneering research and practical insights to highlight the latest advancements, applications, and future prospects of drone technology in the field of security and defense. By fostering innovation and collaboration among academics, researchers, and industry professionals in the field of security and defense, our goal is to shape a balanced perspective on the role of drones in modern strategies. Authors are invited to submit high-quality, original research articles and review papers that have not been previously published or submitted elsewhere. It is imperative that submitted research demonstrates clear benefits to public safety and health while addressing potential risks of harm.
Submissions should be prepared according to the journal’s guidelines on “Research with a Military Purpose or Application” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/drones/instructions#ethics).
Submission Note:
Authors submitting papers related to military purposes or applications need to determine if their research involves dual-use items. (There is a European regulation that lists all dual-use items that you can refer to.) If so, any potential dual-use research of concern (DURC) should be explained in the cover letter upon submission. MDPI adheres to the practical framework outlined in Guidance for Editors: Research, Audit, and Service Evaluations introduced by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Research that may pose a significant threat to public health or national security must be explicitly indicated in the manuscript. For these manuscripts to be considered for peer review, the benefits to the public or public health must outweigh the risks. It is crucial for authors to evaluate and anticipate potential risks of both direct and indirect harm associated with their research and address these identified risks throughout the research process and beyond, implementing measures to mitigate them.
Following the Guidelines for researchers on dual-use and misuse of research, some possible measures to mitigate the risks include:
1. Designating certain research results as confidential to prevent unintended use.
2. Designating an independent ethics adviser or ethics board associated with the research project (separate from the institutional research committee).
3. Adapting the research design, for example, by using dummy data.
4. Publishing only a portion of research results to limit potential misuse.
If there is a significant risk of misuse, authors have an obligation to report it to the relevant ethics committee within their institution.
The following ethical principles provide authors with guidance on navigating the ethical aspects of their research:
1. Principle of Damage Control: This principle emphasizes the importance of assessing and mitigating the potential negative consequences of research. Authors should estimate how their findings could be misused or cause harm, considering stakeholders such as funders, partners, and end-users.
2. Principle of Fairness: Authors must prevent their research from perpetuating biases, discrimination, stigmatization, or physical harm to any individuals and/or populations.
3. Authors are responsible for carefully handling research data, especially sensitive information relevant to military applications. Authors should establish clear strategies for data security and access control before starting their research.
Before submitting a military-related manuscript, authors should include the following statement in the manuscript's back matter:
Current research is limited to the [please insert a specific academic field, e.g., XXX], which is beneficial [share benefits and/or primary use] and does not pose a threat to public health or national security. Authors acknowledge the dual-use potential of the research involving xxx and confirm that all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent potential misuse. As an ethical responsibility, authors strictly adhere to relevant national and international laws about DURC. Authors advocate for responsible deployment, ethical considerations, regulatory compliance, and transparent reporting to mitigate misuse risks and foster beneficial outcomes.
If the paper is accepted for publication, authors must obtain dual-use approval from their institutional review board or funding agency. If such a document is unavailable, authors can refer to the above statement signed and/or stamped by the relevant institution or organization.
In cases where concerns are raised regarding potential risks associated with submitted manuscripts, the editorial office may take proactive measures to address these concerns. This may include seeking expert advice and/or requesting additional information from the authors. MDPI reserves the right to reject any submission that does not meet these requirements.
Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera
Prof. Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
Prof. Dr. Abdessattar Abdelkefi
Prof. Dr. Xiwang Dong
Prof. Dr. Petros S. Bithas
Prof. Dr. Oleg Yakimenko
Prof. Dr. Andrey V. Savkin
Dr. Eben N. Broadbent
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript.
The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs).
Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's
English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
