Instructions to Authors
Contributions
There is no absolute upper or lower word limit for submissions, but it is expected that the majority of accepted articles will be in the range of circa 4,000 to 10,000 words. Contributions should be accompanied by an abstract of c. 150-250 words, set out under the following headings: Legal context, fact, and analysis.
In respect of all types of contribution, the Editor and Commissioning Editor will be happy to discuss in advance the suitability of a proposed submission and authors may like to submit a synopsis.
Other Requirements
Contributions should conform to the guidelines as to style and layout set out below. Footnotes are encouraged in all articles except in Trends and Developments articles (see above), but should not be used for making subsidiary arguments, which should be handled in the main body of the article.
Submission
Contributions should be submitted as an email attachment, in MSWord, either directly to the Editor, John Goldsworth or to the Commissioning Editor.
Review of Contributions
All contributions will be reviewed by the Editors as to their suitability for inclusion in the journal. Contributors may be asked to revise their contributions before final acceptance and will have an opportunity to review proofs before publication. However, no major changes can be included at proof stage, and corrections must be limited to typographical errors only.
Copyright
Contributors will retain the copyright in their work. They will however be required to grant Oxford University Press an exclusive Licence to Publish the article in paper and electronic form, and to confirm that any necessary permissions have been obtained from the copyright owners of any third party material included in the article.
Free Copies and Online Access to the Contribution
All first named contributors of published articles will receive two free copies of the issue in which their article appears, following publication. All contributors will also have free online access to their article, to which links can be created from a firm or institutional website. If paper offprints are required, an order form with relevant prices will be supplied with the proofs.
Preparation of Typescripts
Style and spelling: Oxford English spelling should be used. Authors whose first language is not English are requested to have their typescripts checked carefully before submission. This will help expedite the review process and avoid confusion. Check the final copy of your paper carefully, as any spelling mistakes and errors may be translated into the typeset version.
General format: Prepare your typescript text using a word-processing package, ideally Microsoft Word (save in .doc or .rtf format). Please do not submit text as a PDF file. Typescripts should be double-spaced, including text, tables, legends and footnotes. Number each page. Type unjustified, hyphenating only compound words. Use the TAB key once for paragraph indents. Where possible use Times New Roman for the text font and Symbol for any Greek and special characters. Use the word processing formatting features to indicate Bold, Italic, Greek, Maths, Superscript and Subscript characters. Please avoid using underline: for cases use italic; for emphasis use bold. Clearly identify unusual symbols and Greek letters. Differentiate between the letter O and zero, and the letters I and l and the number 1.
Headings: The use of sub-headings at regular intervals through each article is encouraged, as it makes articles more easily readable. If you need to use more than one level of heading, please use a consistent hierarchy of headings to ensure that the relevant importance of each heading is clear, for example I. CAPITALS, then A. Bold, then (1) Italics.
Figures: Where articles are to be accompanied by illustrative material, the review process will not begin until all figures are received. Figures should be limited to the number necessary for clarity and must not duplicate data given in tables or in the text. They must be submitted in electronic format and in a separate file to that of the typescript. Figures should be no larger than 125 (height) x 180 (width) mm (5 x 7 inches) and should be prepared at publication quality resolution (a minimum of 300 dpi at final printing size).
Photographs: Photographs should be of sufficiently high quality with respect to detail, contrast and fineness of grain to withstand the inevitable loss of contrast and detail inherent in the printing process.
Line drawings: Please provide these as clear, sharp illustrations, suitable for reproduction as submitted. All labeling should be on the original.
Tables: Tables should be typed with double spacing, but minimising redundant space, and each should be placed on a separate page. Tables should be submitted, wherever possible, in a portrait, as opposed to landscape, layout. Each Table should be numbered in sequence using Arabic numerals. Tables should also have a title above and an explanatory footnote below.
Acknowledgements: All sources of funding and support, and substantive contributions of individuals, should be noted in the first footnote to the Article.
Reference Format
References should usually be given in footnotes unless agreed with the Editors and Publishers that the style of the proposed article is more similar to the news items in the Trends and Developments section. In this case the use of footnotes is discouraged. Footnotes should be identified in the text by Arabic numerals and numbered in the order cited. Complete information should be given for each reference cited.
Citation examples:
Books:
JH Baker, An Introduction to English Legal History (3rd edn, 1990) 419–421
Articles:
SC Manon, ‘Rights of water abstraction in the Common Law’ (1965) 83 LQR 47, 49–51
J Griffiths, ‘Copyright in English Literature: Denying the Public Domain’ [2000] EIPR 150, 151
Contributions to books:
A Ashworth, ‘Belief, Intent and Criminal Liability’ in J Eekelaar and J Bell (eds), Oxford Essays in Jurisprudence (3rd Series, 1987) 1, 6
Cases:
UK: Bowman v Fussy [1978] RPC 545, HL
ECJ: Case C–427/93 Bristol-Myers Squibb v Paranova [1996] ECR I-3457
EPO: T585/92 Unilever/Deodorant Detergent [1996] OJEPO 129
OHIM: R7/97-3 Orange Personal Communications Services/Orange [1998] ETMR 343
In general when citing other legal materials, authors should use the approved form that is standard in the jurisdiction in question; above all consistency within the article is paramount.
For further guidance on points of citation style, contributors should consult the Oxford Standard Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) which is online at: http://denning.law.ox.ac.uk/published/oscola.shtml
Copyright Information
When articles are provisionally accepted, the corresponding contributor will be asked to return a signed letter (including signatures of all co-contributors) stating that all contributors have seen and approved the article and that the work has not been, and will not be, published elsewhere. Articles will not be published until the Editorial Office has received this faxed letter.
It is a condition of publication in the journal that contributors grant an exclusive license to the publisher for both paper and electronic publication. This ensures that requests from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. In granting this exclusive license contributors may use the material reworked form in other publications provided that the journal is acknowledged as the original place of publication and Oxford University Press is notified in writing and in advance. A license form will be supplied to the contributing author after acceptance. No article will be published without receipt of a completed form by the publisher.
Permissions Information
If illustrations or figures are to be duplicated from previously published work, written permission must be obtained both from the publisher and the author, and a credit line giving the source added to the relevant Figure Legend. If text material (over 250 words) is to be reproduced from published sources, written permission is required from both publisher and author. For shorter quotations, it is usually sufficient to add a bibliographic credit. The letters containing the permission for the reproduction of either text or illustrations must accompany the typescript. If you have been unable to obtain permission, please indicate this.
Proofs
Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding contributor by email. Please ensure an e-mail address is included on the manuscript. These should be checked thoroughly for any possible layout or typographic errors. Significant alterations instigated at this stage by the contributor will be charged to the contributor.
It is the intention of the Editor to review, edit and publish your article as quickly possible. To achieve this it is important that all of your corrections are returned to the Production Editor in one all-inclusive email, fax or annotated PDF. Subsequent additional corrections will not be possible, so please ensure that your first communication is complete.