For authors
Information for authors
The journal is in preparation and does not yet accept submissions. This page records the current status, the scope for authors, and the manuscript template that will be used.
Submission status
The journal does not currently accept submissions. A call for papers and submission route will be published before manuscripts are received.
| Item | Current status |
|---|---|
| Submissions | Not open |
| Call for papers | To be announced |
| Submission route | To be added |
| Author guidelines | In preparation |
| Manuscript format | LaTeX, two-column |
| Peer review model | To be announced |
This site does not provide a submission form, an email address for submissions, or a manuscript portal. Nothing on this page should be read as an invitation to submit.
Scope for authors
The journal publishes work on private law in the broad sense: its doctrine, its history, its comparison, and its theory.
Suitable subjects include the general part of private law and juristic acts, property and security, obligations and contract, tort, family and succession, and comparative private law. The journal also welcomes work on Roman law and the history of private law, private law theory, and the interaction of private law with technology, the economy, and social institutions.
The journal is international in outlook. Authors should write for readers outside their own jurisdiction and explain legal materials that may be unfamiliar. Comparative claims should be supported by engagement with the relevant systems rather than by assertion.
What makes a strong submission
- A clear question and a stated argument
- Close engagement with legal materials
- An explicit method and acknowledged limits
- Situating the argument in existing literature
- Accessibility to an international readership
- A contribution that matters beyond the immediate case
Languages
The journal publishes in English. The manuscript template supports Chinese manuscripts for drafting and review; the language of publication and any translation arrangements will be stated in the author guidelines.
Manuscript preparation
Manuscripts are prepared in LaTeX. The journal shares a two-column manuscript template with the other Acta journals. The template provides a full-width title block, an abstract and keywords panel, a two-column body, numbered sections, footnotes, a table example, and an author–year reference list.
The template is a formatting aid, not the journal’s author guidelines. It does not establish a submission route and does not settle questions of style that the guidelines will address.
Compilation
Compile with pdfLaTeX, running the file twice (or using latexmk) so that the
page total resolves. For manuscripts containing Chinese, compile with XeLaTeX; the
template loads ctex automatically under XeLaTeX.
Length and structure
Article length, abstract limits, and structural requirements will be published in the author guidelines. The template’s section headings are illustrative and may be adapted to the argument.
LaTeX template
A two-column template is available now for preparation and testing.
Download
The source file compiles to a journal-style PDF. The compiled preview is provided so that authors can see the intended layout before working with the source.
Download the compiled PDF preview →
What the template contains
- Full-width title, authors, and affiliations
- Abstract and keywords panel
- Two-column body with numbered sections
- Footnote and citation examples
- A column-width table example
- An author–year reference list
The template is illustrative. The journal’s final citation style and author guidelines will be published when available.
Peer review
The review process is in preparation. No review model or timeline is claimed at this stage.
The journal will publish its review model, the criteria used in editorial assessment, and the responsibilities of editors and reviewers before submissions open. It is committed to independent editorial judgment and to confidentiality in the review process.
Editorial decisions will be made by the journal’s editors. They will not be directed by the journal’s operator, and the separation between editorial and operational decisions will be stated in the journal’s editorial policy.
Review information to be added
Review model, reviewer guidance, and expected timelines will be published here.
Open access & APC
The journal will publish open access, online, with no article processing charge at present.
Published articles will be available online without a subscription. No APC is currently planned. Any change to the publication model or to charges will be published clearly on this site before it takes effect.
Licensing terms, copyright arrangements, and reuse permissions will be published with the first issue and in the author guidelines. No licence is claimed on this site before it is confirmed.
No charge at present
There is no submission fee and no article processing charge at present. This position will be kept under review and any change will be announced on this site.
Publication ethics
The journal’s ethics policy is in preparation. The commitments below describe the standards the journal will adopt.
Authorship and contribution
Authorship should reflect substantial contribution to the work. All authors should approve the submitted version and agree to its publication. Contributions that do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged.
Conflicts of interest
Authors will be asked to disclose financial and non-financial interests that could bear on the work. Editors and reviewers will be asked to declare conflicts and to withdraw where a conflict cannot be managed.
Research integrity
Submissions must be original, must not be under consideration elsewhere, and must properly attribute the work of others. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism are incompatible with publication in the journal.
Corrections and retractions
The journal will publish corrections where errors affect the scholarly record and will consider retraction where findings are unreliable or misconduct is established. Procedures will be published in the ethics policy.
Policy in preparation
The full publication ethics policy, including procedures for complaints and appeals, will be published before submissions open.
Calls for papers
No call for papers is currently listed. Calls will be published on this site and will state the question, the timeline, and the submission route.
The journal is not soliciting proposals by email at this stage. Any future call will be published here rather than circulated informally.
Contact
Contact details for the editorial office will be published when they are confirmed. The journal is operated by Standard Law and is editorially independent.
Contact information
Editorial contact details: to be announced.
This pre-launch website does not accept submissions or correspondence.