Submissions

Author Guidelines

Manuscripts should be submitted through the Polyspective IJLD Online Journal System click here . New authors must register as users before submitting a manuscript. Please follow the instructions provided on the submissions page to complete the process. If you are willing to serve as a reviewer based on your expertise, kindly tick “willing to review” during registration and provide your areas of specialization to enable appropriate assignment.

GENERAL GUIDELINES
The International Journal of Law and Development (IJLD) is a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly (in March, June, September, and December) by the institutions that co-own the Polyspective platform.

IJLD welcomes original academic contributions that explore the intersections of law, society, governance, development, institutional reform, human rights, sustainability, global policy, international issues, and interdisciplinary fields connected to legal and developmental challenges. Manuscripts should generally fall between eight thousand (8000) and twelve thousand (12000) words including footnotes and bibliography. Submissions should be saved in Microsoft Word format and typed in twelve-point Calisto MT font. Manuscripts shorter or longer than the suggested word count may still be considered if they meet the academic standards of the Journal.

IJLD also accepts book reviews not shorter than three thousand words and scholarly commentaries between two thousand and four thousand words that offer insightful perspectives on issues relating to law and development. Short review notes under three thousand words will not be considered.

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal must not have been previously published in English in books, book chapters, journals or any other academic medium. However, a submission may be accepted under the following conditions. First, less than fifty percent of the work may have been presented previously at a conference, workshop or seminar, provided that the author clearly states this within the manuscript. Second, the manuscript may have been published in languages other than English. Third, it may have appeared on an institutional website such as a university or organisational repository. Authors must disclose all such circumstances during submission.
To preserve the Journal’s double blind review process, authors must remove their names and any identifying information from the manuscript. The editor will assign two anonymous reviewers to avoid conflict of interest and to maintain academic integrity. Authors typically receive reviewer feedback within three months. If no communication is received after this period, a polite reminder may be sent to the editorial office.

Manuscripts should be written in English (U.K. or U.S. style, consistently applied) and must adhere strictly to OSCOLA, the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. Authors should format their references using the OSCOLA system once their manuscript is accepted for publication. A brief OSCOLA guide is available at (insert OSCOLA link).

Authors are strongly encouraged to use Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote to support proper citation formatting. These tools help authors manage references and respond efficiently to reviewer comments. Where an author is not familiar with citation software, the Journal may provide limited copy-editing support for exceptional manuscripts that demonstrate high academic quality and methodological rigor.

Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring that submissions are original and free of plagiarism. All manuscripts will undergo plagiarism screening. If a manuscript fails the plagiarism check, it will be declined but the author may resubmit after major revision.

NOTE:
IJLD is currently available in an online version only, and authors will be notified of acceptance for publication and provided with a link through which they can view and download their article. Authors are free to print their published article as they deem fit.

REVIEW PROCESS
All manuscripts undergo a blind or double-blind peer review. After receiving reviewer comments and editorial assessments, IJLD retains full discretion to accept or reject manuscripts. Accepted manuscripts will be professionally proofread and copyedited. Due to high submission volume, final publication decisions are typically communicated within a minimum of three months after the submission date.

OPEN ACCESS
IJLD applies an open access policy that allows others to use, reuse and share published works freely, provided the authorship and original publication in the Journal are acknowledged.
Authors are encouraged to distribute their published works through institutional repositories, personal websites, blogs and social media platforms to promote free knowledge sharing.

REVISIONAL GUIDELINES
Once an article has been reviewed and accepted pending revision, authors are expected to complete their revisions within two to four weeks. Revised sections should be highlighted in yellow.

INQUIRIES
All inquiries regarding submissions, journal policy or general matters in relation to IJLD should be sent to   ijld@polyspective.com

Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.

Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study's country.

An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you're satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.