Author Guidelines

Articles, Analysis Pieces, Case/Legislation Comments and Conference Reports should be written using our Article template. Book Reviews should be written using our Book Review template.

SCRIPTed is pleased to accept submissions exclusively via our dedicated online submission portal operated by Edinburgh Diamond (hereinafter: ‘SCRIPTed submission portal’). For the detailed submission process, please see below.

Manuscripts must be in Microsoft Word format using the template files above. A submission will only be considered where the author warrants that their manuscript has not already been published or offered for publication elsewhere in whole, in part, or in substance. We will not accept submissions under consideration at other journals.

Note that SCRIPTed does not charge authors any fees to submit, process, or publish a manuscript.

Articles should not normally exceed 10,000 words (including footnotes). Analysis Pieces should normally not exceed 4,000 words.

Case/Legislation Comments and Conference Reports should not normally exceed 3,000 words. Book Reviews should not normally exceed 2,000 words.

Any submission which exceeds the identified word counts may be accepted upon special consideration of the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor.

Authors are invited to make submissions in any language, though consideration of them is subject to the ability of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Assistant Editors to locate an appropriate peer-reviewer in the subject language. Where English is used, please comply with British English (see Spelling below). If submissions are made in a language other than English, the Title and Abstract (not exceeding 250 words) must also be submitted in English. Authors may provide an English translation of their submission, in which case both versions will be published (if they wish). Attempts to accommodate all internationally recognised character sets will be made where feasible.

1 Submission Preparation Checklist

All submissions must meet the following requirements.

• The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
• The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
• Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
• The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
• The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the present Author Guidelines and the Format and Style Guidelines.

2 Submitting a Manuscript

SCRIPTed utilizes the SCRIPTed submission portal for all manuscript submissions, peer review, and communication. This ensures a streamlined, secure, and transparent process, visualised through the flowchart found here. A further guide detailly visualising the submission process step by step can be accessed here.

2.1 Prior to Submission

Logging into an Account: New users need to first register for an account on the SCRIPTed submission portal. Users who already have an account can simply log in.

Preparing the File(s) for Submission: Authors need to prepare their manuscript according to our formatting guidelines (see below) and save them in Microsoft Word format.  Authors also need to have any supplementary files (e.g., abstract, figures) ready.

2.2 The Submission Process (5 Steps):

Once logged into SCRIPTed submission portal, Authors need to access the "Submissions" page, typically within the "My Queue" tab, and click on the "New Submission" option on the top right corner of the page.

Authors will then be guided through a five-step submission wizard:

Step 1: Details

Provide essential metadata about the submission, including the title, abstract, and keywords. Ensure all required fields (marked with an asterisk or similar) are completed accurately.

Step 2: Upload Files

Upload the manuscript and any supplementary files (e.g., figures, data sets, conflict of interest statements, or other files helpful for editors). Authors must upload at least one main article text file.

Step 3: Contributors

Add details for all contributors to the submission. Ensure email addresses are correct, as contributors will receive confirmation and editorial decisions. Authors can add multiple contributors and specify the primary contact.

Step 4: For the Editors

This section allows Authors to provide any additional comments or information that Authors think our Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and Assistant Editors should know when managing the submission.

Step 5: Review

Carefully review all the information which has been entered and the files that have been uploaded. This is the Authors’ opportunity to check for accuracy before finalizing the submission. By clicking 'Submit', Authors also confirm their understanding and agreement to SCRIPTed's Copyright & Licensing Policy and Publication Ethics. The system will highlight any missing required information. Once satisfied, click "Submit."

Upon successful submission, Authors will receive an email confirmation. Authors can track the status of the submission at any time by logging into their account.

Submission Guidelines > Artist Guidelines

SCRIPTed covers a broad range of topics relating to law and technologies. SCRIPTed is pleased to consider cover art submissions made as a high-resolution (minimum 1200×800 pixels) JPG image uploaded on SCRIPTed submission portal. Images should be accompanied by the Artist’s Name and the Title of the Work. The image may also be accompanied by an Abstract of up to 150 words which will be published in the journal.

All cover art submissions are considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor to determine suitability. Where appropriate, the Editor-in-Chief will present the Work to the Managing Editor and Assistant Editors for confirmation of acceptance. The Editor-in-Chief will confirm acceptance with the Artist.

Submission Guidelines > Book Reviewer Guidelines

Book reviews should follow our in-house  Book Review template.

Deadline: We expect reviews at the latest three months after the book has been shipped.

Word limit: Book reviews ​should be between 1000 and 2000 words.

Footnotes: The maximum number of references (if any) should be five. References should follow the SCRIPTed format for other manuscript types.