Submissions

Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines for Submission

The Cybersecurity Law and Policy Review welcomes original scholarly contributions from academics, legal professionals, policy practitioners, and interdisciplinary researchers. Please read the following guidelines carefully before preparing and submitting your manuscript.

1. Types of Submissions

●      Research Articles — Original empirical or theoretical studies (6,000–10,000 words, excluding references and abstract).

●      Review Articles — Comprehensive literature reviews or systematic analyses (5,000–8,000 words).

●      Policy Commentary — Short analytical commentary on emerging legal or regulatory developments (2,000–4,000 words).

●      Case Studies — In-depth examination of specific cyber incidents, legal cases, or regulatory responses (3,000–6,000 words).

●      Book Reviews — Critical reviews of recently published relevant books (800–1,500 words).

2. Manuscript Preparation

Formatting Requirements

●      File format: Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (PDF with source files)

●      Font: Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt

●      Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including references)

●      Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides

●      Page numbers: Bottom centre, starting from page 1

●      No author identification in the manuscript body (for blind review)

Structure

●      Title page (separate file): Article title, all authors' full names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID IDs, and corresponding author details

●      Abstract: 200–250 words summarising background, objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions

●      Keywords: 5–7 keywords relevant to the article's subject matter

●      Main body: Introduction, Literature Review/Background, Methodology (if applicable), Analysis/Findings, Discussion, Conclusion

●      Acknowledgements (optional): Funding sources, institutional support, or other contributions

●      Conflict of Interest Statement

●      References

3. Citation and Reference Style

CLPR follows the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) for legal citations, and the 7th edition APA style for non-legal references. Authors should use footnotes for legal citations. In-text citations (Author, Year) should be used for academic sources.

All references must be complete and accurately formatted. Incomplete or inconsistently formatted references will delay the review process.

4. Originality and Prior Publication

Manuscripts submitted to CLPR must be original and must not be under review at any other journal simultaneously. Previously published conference papers may be submitted only if they have been substantially revised and expanded. Authors must disclose any prior publication of a related version at the time of submission.

5. Authorship Criteria

All listed authors must satisfy the following criteria based on the ICMJE guidelines:

●      Substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data

●      Drafting or critically revising the work for important intellectual content

●      Final approval of the version submitted for publication

●      Accountability for all aspects of the work

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final submission. Changes to authorship after submission must be approved by all authors and the editorial team.

6. Submission Process

Manuscripts should be submitted via the CLPR online submission system or by email to the editorial office. The following files are required:

●      Main manuscript file (anonymous — no author names or affiliations)

●      Title page (separate file with full author details)

●      Abstract and keywords

●      Any figures, tables, or supplementary materials (clearly labelled)

Incomplete submissions will be returned to the author without review.

7. Review Timeline

●      Initial editorial screening: 5–7 business days

●      Peer review: 4–8 weeks (subject to reviewer availability)

●      Author revision period: 30 days for minor revisions; 45 days for major revisions

●      Final editorial decision: Within 2 weeks of revised manuscript receipt

●      Online-first publication: Within 4 weeks of acceptance

8. Language and Editing

Manuscripts must be written in clear, academic English. Authors for whom English is not a first language are strongly encouraged to have their manuscript proofread by a native English speaker or professional editing service prior to submission. CLPR does not provide language editing services; manuscripts with significant language issues will be returned without review.

9. Figures, Tables, and Supplementary Materials

●      All figures and tables must be numbered sequentially (Figure 1, Table 1, etc.) and cited in the text.

●      Captions should be self-explanatory and placed below figures and above tables.

●      Figures should be submitted in high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) TIFF or EPS format where applicable.

●      Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for any third-party copyrighted materials.

10. Copyright and Licensing

Upon acceptance, authors grant CLPR the right to publish and distribute the article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence. Authors retain full copyright. Authors are free to share, repost, and distribute their published work provided proper attribution to CLPR is given.