Rules for reviewing materials submitted for publication
The Journal of Legal Studies and Research is permanently open for the publication of articles, studies, reviews, commentaries, and debates from all disciplines of legal science as well as jurisprudence, focusing on subjects that aim to inform jurists, promptly and accurately, about current issues in legal sciences.
The editorial committee reserves the right to reject materials lacking scientific value and may request authors to revise their texts in order to meet the professional standards specific to the journal.
Materials submitted to the editorial office for publication cannot be offered to other publications until a negative response has been received from the Journal of Legal Studies and Research or after 5 months from the date the material was registered with the editorial office without receiving a rejection notice.
The editorial office of the Journal of Legal Studies and Research publishes articles that meet the standards of scientific publications: they have not been previously published in other journals or books, are original, contain accurate data, cite all sources and referenced ideas, etc.
The responsibility for the originality and statements made in the article rests entirely with the author. In cases of plagiarism, legal and ethical responsibility lies solely with the author who committed the plagiarism.
Authors are kindly requested to send materials intended for publication in electronic format, as *.doc files, to the email address: redactie@rscj.ro. Materials may also be sent by post or delivered in person to the editorial office on paper, accompanied by an electronic version (a *.doc file on CD). In both cases, the electronic and printed texts must be identical. Manuscripts and CDs submitted to the editorial office will not be returned to the authors.
Authors are requested to include with the submitted material a separate page (Author Sheet) containing: name, surname, academic title, position, profession, institutional affiliation, and contact details – email address and phone number.
Peer Review Regulations
Regulation for the Review of Materials Submitted for Publication
of the Journal of Legal Studies and Research
Chapter 1. General Rules
Article 1.
The Regulation for the Review of Materials Submitted for Publication in the Journal of Legal Studies and Research, hereinafter referred to as the "Review Regulation", sets forth the procedure for the analysis and peer review of materials submitted by authors interested in publication in the Journal of Legal Studies and Research, hereinafter referred to as “SCJ” or “the Journal”.
Chapter 2. General Conditions and Registration of Materials
Article 2.
Materials submitted for publication must comply with the Journal’s Publication Principles, as stated in its pages and on the Journal’s website.
Article 3.
If the material does not comply with the Publication Principles, the author will be given the opportunity to revise it, with the identified deficiencies being indicated.
Article 4.
Materials shall be submitted exclusively in electronic format to:
Journal’s e-mail address: redactie@rscj.ro
Chapter 3. Review Procedure
Article 5.
Within a maximum of 15 days from receipt of the material:
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The Editor-in-Chief of the Journal approves the material;
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The Editor-in-Chief classifies the material under one of the Journal’s sections or within the theme of one of the Journal’s current-year issues and proposes its submission for analysis to the responsible section editor or the Editor-in-Chief;
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The Editor-in-Chief approves the publication, with any necessary comments or additions, and/or rejects the article for publication in the Journal.
Article 6.
(1) Under Article 5, the following are verified:
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Whether the material fits within one of the Journal’s sections or current-year themes;
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Whether the author’s identification data are provided;
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Whether the material (commentary, note, study, etc.) follows the structure specific to a scholarly article, according to the Journal’s publication principles — including citation rules, bibliography, and use of abbreviations;
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Whether the material is written in Romanian or an internationally circulated language;
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Whether the material has no more than three authors;
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Whether the material is free from any flaw preventing publication under the Journal’s principles.
(2) The person conducting the verification may make any additional comments deemed appropriate.
Article 7.
(1) If the material submitted for publication does not meet the conditions in Article 6, the identified deficiencies will be communicated to the author at the indicated e-mail address, with a request to remedy them within 15 days.
(2) If deficiencies are not corrected within the set term, continuation of the review procedure or rejection of the material for publication will be decided. Rejection may also occur when the identified flaws are substantial, such as systematic failure to follow citation rules.
(3) Continuation of the review procedure is possible only if the flaw is not substantial and can be corrected later.
(4) If rejection is decided, the author will be notified by the Editorial Office within five working days of the decision.
Article 8.
If the material meets the conditions in Article 6 or deficiencies have been remedied under Article 7, continuation of the review process shall be proposed and decided by the Editor-in-Chief.
Article 9.
(1) The review process involves a double-blind evaluation, meaning that the author’s identity is hidden from the reviewers, and the author does not know the reviewers’ identities.
(2) Manuscripts are reviewed by two independent experts in the relevant field (from institutions other than the author’s).
(3) Reviewers perform a scientific evaluation and make recommendations to the editors, considering the originality and significance of the work, its contribution to legal science, and the quality of writing, including the objectivity of reasoning and coherence of argumentation.
(4) A text lacking originality must be flagged by the reviewers, indicating references to works that have already addressed the same topic and reached the same conclusions by the same means.
(5) Reviewers should also highlight weak reasoning, missing references, or unfounded conclusions, providing specific feedback.
(6) Manuscripts will not be rejected solely because reviewers disagree with the author’s conclusions, provided all other criteria are met.
(7) Reviewers must emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript.
(8) In addition to the above, reviewers may make any comments they deem appropriate regarding the material.
(9) Designated reviewers must complete their evaluation within 15 days from receiving the material.
(10) The editor considers the manuscript and reviewers’ comments before making a final decision — acceptance, acceptance with revision, or rejection.
Article 10.
(1) If reviewers make observations and continuation of the review process is decided, these will be communicated to the author, who must comply within 15 days.
(2) If the author complies, acceptance of the revised material, resumption of analysis, or continuation of the review process may be decided.
(3) If the author fails to comply, rejection or continuation of the review process will be decided.
(4) The Editor-in-Chief may also decide to reject a material if substantial flaws exist, such as violations of copyright rules.
(5) The decision to accept or reject a material shall be communicated to the author within 15 days.
Article 11.
The Journal’s management retains the discretionary right to make decisions regarding published materials; however, it will deviate from the conclusions of the review process only exceptionally and solely to ensure the Journal’s objectives are achieved.
Article 12.
Throughout the review process, the author’s name and identifying data shall not be disclosed to those involved in the process (except the Journal’s management), and the reviewers’ names and identifying data shall not be disclosed to the authors.
All rights are reserved by the Publishing House of the Romanian Academy.
Authors submitting materials to the editorial office implicitly declare their agreement with publication under these conditions.
