Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 3, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 5

Global Security and Intelligence Studies
long-term U.S. involvement in Iraq. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in
Northern Iraq, she applies a conflict resolution perspective to develop policy-based
recommendations. An extensive analysis lays the basis for the argument that multitrack
diplomacy would open up strategies to engage at the sub-state level.
This issue’s Voices from the Field features an interview with Dr. Katherine
Brannum, Professor and Program Director of International Relations and Middle
Eastern Studies for the School of Security and Global Studies at American Public
University System. She offers insights on anticipating and navigating some of the
obstacles involved in conducting research in challenging field settings. In addition,
she offers perspectives from her own research experiences and provides helpful
advice for emerging scholars. As the study of many current and emerging global
security problems necessitates data collection in conflict, post-conflict, authoritarian,
and other difficult environments, this section will be of interest to scholars
and practitioners who are likely to confront particularly difficult issues in the field.
Two inaugural analytical commentaries are featured in the Policy Relevant
Essays section. In U.S. Nuclear Policy Upgraded, Dmitry Stefanovich analyzes the
2018 Nuclear Posture Review in light of specific factors related to Russia. He points
out that the doctrine can serve as a catalyst for further discussion and (re)consideration
of how policymakers view the role of nuclear weapons in contemporary
international affairs, and may encourage new approaches to building stability in a
turbulent, multipolar world. In How Security Decisions Go Wrong, Sajad Abedi explores
the role and use of quantitative metrics in making security-related decisions
at the individual level. He examines potential threats and shortcomings of such
information for security decisions in environments characterized by uncertainty.
In their focus on contemporary, real-world issues, these two essays hold relevance
for both academics and practitioners alike.
Finally, two book reviews are presented. Julian Westerhout provides a review
of Anne-Marie Slaughter’s policy-relevant book, The Chessboard and the
Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World; and Elise Carlson-Rainer reviews
Nationalism: Theories and Cases, by Erika Harris, which translates complex
information into a foundation for the study of nationalism.
In closing, I would like to remind authors that although GSIS accepts submissions
year-round, the deadline to submit to the Fall/Winter issue is August 1,
2018. Publishing an academic journal is a collaborative process. I would like to
extend a sincere thanks to the authors, to our peer reviewers for their feedback
and commitment, and to the members of the editorial board for their support and
input.
On behalf of the editorial team,
Dr. Melissa Schnyder
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