Editor's Note

Since 1976, International Security (IS) has helped define and lead the field of security studies. I am excited to begin work as executive editor of a publication that continues to have such a profound influence on both the academic and policy communities. For the past thirty-one years, Sean Lynn-Jones has played an integral role in shaping IS's legacy. On the occasion of Sean's retirement, we honor his contributions to the journal and his intellectual leadership in the field. As I begin my tenure at IS, I am humbled by my predecessor's achievements and am grateful for his mentorship.

The journal has long held an expansive definition of international security. As Steven Miller, IS's editor-in-chief, wrote on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of the journal, "Though force and conflict are clearly central concerns, IS has never been governed by a narrowly military or purely force-oriented sense of its ambit. Rather, its field of operation has always consisted of 'all of those factors' that bear on problems of international security, broadly construed." This conception is broad by design. It is intended to accommodate and promote a diverse, multidisciplinary approach to security studies and to welcome new perspectives as they emerge.

While International Security is a forum where readers can engage with traditional topics of war and peace, it is also a forum where contemporary challenges to global security are addressed. For example, security issues related to environmental and demographic change, emerging technologies, transnational networks, and political economy will continue to test existing theories and push the boundaries of the discipline. We rely on our global network of authors, reviewers, and readers to help Internationl Security identify and explore new frontiers of security studies scholarship.

Historically, an important characteristic of International Security's identity has been its accessibility to students of international relations, the general public, and the policy community. The ideas developed, the data collected, the history revealed, and the policy implications identified in the journal's pages deserve attention both within the academy and beyond. The desire to disseminate knowledge widely and to foster policy debate remains one of the journal's key objectives.

I am proud to join International Security and will work hard to maintain the journal's reputation for excellence, creativity, and impact. The primary source of success for IS has been—and will remain—the strength of its authors, reviewers, and readers. I look forward to working with my fellow editors and members of the broader IS community to advance the journal's important mission.