SST does not charge fees to either reader or author.

Small States & Territories (SST) is a scholarly, open-access journal dedicated exclusively to the study of the nature and workings of small sovereign states (however defined) and non-sovereign territories, including the comparison between the two. With a world system with only a few 'large states', and over a hundred subnational jurisdictions spread over all continents and oceans – from Abkhazia to Zanzibar, and from Åland to Wallis and Futuna – there is no shortage of subject matter for the journal.

The ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) for SST is: 2616-8006.

SST encourages a truly pluri-disciplinary approach to the study of small jurisdictions. Nevertheless, we also recognise the added relevance of specific disciplinary foci in the social sciences. Amongst these: geography, political science, economics, education, governance, international relations, public administration, international law and development studies.

All manuscripts that pass screening are then rigorously peer-reviewed, typically by at least two reviewers, operating in ‘double blind’ mode. Additional reviewers may be called upon if the results of the reviewing process are inconclusive.

All manuscripts that are received are first screened by the Executive Editor to confirm their suitability and ‘goodness of fit’ with SST’s mandate and formatting criteria. The results of this review are communicated rapidly – within a few days – to the manuscript authors.

SST has its institutional home at the Islands & Small States Institute (ISSI) of the University of Malta, in Malta (itself a small state). ISSI has been operating for 30+ years and is the only university unit in the world to offer a PhD programme (by research) in islands and small state studies.

SST is endorsed by the Network of Universities of Small Countries and Territories (NUSCT), following its inaugural meeting in Andorra on March 2, 2018.

SST is committed to the principles of open access (OA) publishing, as outlined in the IFLA Statement on Open Access to Scholarly Literature and Research Documentation (2003). Open Access benefits researchers and learners by equalizing access to research information and facilitating scholarly communication.

Material published in SST is freely assigned a unique digital identifier and included in the Open Access Repository (OAR) of the University of Malta Library.

Like other Diamond Open Access journals, Small States & Territories is an academic-led and academic-owned publishing initiative. From its origins in 2018, Small States & Territories journal charges no fees to either reader or author. It proudly joins the community of Diamond Open Access journals, and is likewise committed to free knowledge availability and transfer. It supports the development of non-commercial or community-driven forms of open-access publishing. Small States & Territories supports the Action Plan for Diamond Open Access (2022), intended to further develop and expand a sustainable, community-driven Diamond OA scholarly communication ecosystem.

Small States & Territories is also a libre journal. This means that its content is not just free to read, but the work is openly licensed (through the use of a Creative Commons license), so that barriers to re-use are removed, while respecting the customary rights of authors. Thus, text that appears in SST can be freely copied in any medium or format, as long as it is not changed and properly cited, with a suitable attribution to its author and SST.

Endorsements

I look forward to getting an article ready for the new journal! – Marc Lanteigne, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.

I am very glad to hear of the plans for a Small States & Territories journal – Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, Head of Research, The Åland Islands Peace Institute.

A dedicated journal at the global level for small island states and territories is long overdue – Vijay Naidu, Director of Development Studies, University of the South Pacific.

I very much welcome this journal; its focus is desperately needed – DeLisle Worrell, Governor, Central Bank of Barbados.

Congratulations on this excellent initiative. I’d be pleased to support in the future in any way I can – Gail Hurley, Policy Specialist, United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

This journal is an interesting initiative which I support – Markku Suksi, Åbo Akademi, Åbo/Turku, Finland.

I will certainly keep the new journal in mind – Anthony van Fossen, Griffith University, Australia.

Please count me in: The focus of this new journal is great – Alain-G. Gagnon, Université de Québec à Montréal, Canada.

Congratulations! I think this is a great initiative and would be more than happy to be involved – Patsy Lewis, University of the West Indies.

Firstly, congratulations on this initiative. I think it will do well and strike a chord with researchers in this field … I am of course happy to help and advise in any way I can – Chris Cooper, Oxford Brookes University, U.K.

I look forward to read the new journal – Beinta í Jákupsstovu, Faroe Islands.

This is very exciting news. I wish you the best of luck in launching the new journal. Different branches of small state studies will definitely benefit from having such a new specialized outlet – Külli Sarapuu, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia.

Congratulations on your efforts to develop a journal dedicated to small states – Sonia D. Gatchair, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

Let me first congratulate you on this very welcome initiative … I am very much looking forward to an online journal which will be dedicated to this specific research issue – Wilfried Marxer, Liechtenstein.

Congratulations! It just made my day to hear the news. A serious, long over-due step in the right direction. And thanks for bringing me in. In fact, please keep me in mind if/when you need help. I’d be happy to get involved – Matthias MAASS, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Thanks for reaching out - sounds like an exciting project. I would certainly be interested in participating – Didacus Jules, Director General, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Thanks for informing me of this interesting initiative. It will be a pleasure to somehow participate in it – Francesco Palermo, Director, Institute for Studies on Federalism & Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism in Bolzano/Bozen Regionalism, Bolzano/Bozen.

Excellent initiative – Rolph Payet, United Nations Executive Secretary for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions / Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Seychelles.

Congrats on the planned scholarly open-access peer-reviewed electronic journal dedicated to small states and territories.  I am sure it will rebound to the benefit of these countries – Denny Lewis-Bynoe, Adviser and Head of Climate Finance and Small States, Economic Policy Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, London, UK.