The journal submission process will vary from journal to journal. As such, every journal should have information about its submission processes posted on its website. These will typically describe:
Whether submissions are welcome on an ongoing basis or if they must be submitted by a specific deadline.
If the call for submissions must be on a specific topic, usually for inclusion in a special issue, or if any submissions that fall within the scope of the journal are welcome at this time.
The types of submissions accepted, ranging from articles to shorter works like book reviews.
How to submit a manuscript, whether it be through an online portal requiring an account or by email.
The formatting requirements for submissions, including word length and citation style required. Most Canadian law journals use the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, more commonly called the McGill Guide.
Sometimes, but not always, the submissions processes will include information on who can submit articles, which is important to gauge if the journal accepts student submissions.
After you find a journal that you are interested in, check its website to learn more about its submission process.
It is also typical for journal submission pages to state that only original work not under consideration elsewhere may be submitted. This is good practice as scholarly journals are run by volunteers, often as a form of academic service. Do not submit the same article to more than one journal at the same time.
Journal websites usually also list the members of the editorial board and describe the editorial review process. In general, scholarly articles undergo the most thorough editorial review, and may undergo external peer review, in contrast to other article types, such as book reviews, which have a less thorough review process.
This section of our Legal Publishing Guide has been adapted from Toronto Metropolitan University Library’s Law Student Publication Guide.