Submissions

Author Guidelines

1. Submission Requirements

The University of Bologna Law Review requests that authors comply with the following standards. The manuscript must: 

• be written in British English (American English may be considered in exceptional cases);
• be in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, RTF, or Open Document Text document file format (Other formats such as PDF are not accepted);
• be anonymised by removing from the document any identifying information;
• use third person to refer to work the authors have previously published. For example, write “X and Y (2015) have demonstrated” rather than “we/the authors have previously demonstrated / footnote: X & Y, 2015", figures and tables should not contain any reference to author affiliations;
• contain a title, a subtitle (optional), an abstract (max. 500 words), up to 5 keywords and up to 3 JEL Codes (optional);
• contain all the references in the footnotes (endnotes are not accepted). While The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.) is the preferred citation style, other internationally recognized citation systems are also acceptable;
• refer to one of the following Editorial Sections and have an adequate length excluding metadata and footnotes (the Journal may consider manuscripts exceeding the 20,000 word limit in exceptional cases of outstanding scholarly contribution) 
  • Articles (min. 8,000–max. 20,000 words)
  • Essays (min. 5,000–max. 12,000 words)
  • Notes (min. 3,000–max. 8,000 words)
  • Conference Papers (min. 4,000–max. 10,000 words).

The University of Bologna Law Review does not accept:

• previously published manuscripts (deposited preprints are not considered prior publications), manuscripts that have been published in another language, in a substantially different form, or as ISBN-assigned working papers may be submitted only with prior authorisation from the Editorial Office following a case-by-case evaluation for compliance with COPE and ICMJE guidelines;
• submissions from undergraduate students (students pursuing their first degree) as sole authors;
• simultaneous submissions along with other journals;
• complete PhD/post-graduate dissertations, such works must be adapted into self-contained articles before submission.

Authors should provide datasets with every empirical submission if not already included in the manuscript text. Authors must also provide proper attribution and copyright information for any tables, graphs, figures, or images included in their submission. Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for copyrighted materials and must provide documentation of such permissions when required.

2. How To Submit 

During a call for papers (see the Publication Frequency Policy), authors may submit their manuscripts exclusively through the UBLR website via the OJS platform. New users should register using the registration link, while existing users can submit directly through the login page. The Journal does not accept manuscripts submitted through alternative channels (e.g., email) or outside the designated call periods.

3. What To Expect Next

Within 48 hours of submission the corresponding author will receive either a confirmation of receipt or a desk rejection if the submitted manuscript does not comply with Author Guidelines. Submissions that receive a desk rejection may be amended only during the call for papers: it is not allowed to amend or resubmit manuscripts after the call for papers’ deadline.  

Within 3 weeks of the confirmation of receipt, the corresponding author will receive the outcome of the preliminary assessment and the manuscript will either proceed to peer review or be declined. Manuscripts deemed ineligible at this stage cannot be resubmitted in any version during the same call for papers.

The peer review process typically takes up to 8 weeks, depending on reviewers availability and manuscript complexity. Accepted manuscripts move to the production phase (copyediting, proofreading, and graphics) prior to publication. 

For further details, see the Editorial Process. For any inquiries, support, or information about the Author Guidelines, please contact the Editorial Office.