Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The SCF SSLJ only accepts submissions from current and recent students, as well as early-career professionals; submissions from established academics, senior professionals, and PhD candidates are not eligible for consideration.
  • 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).
  • All submissions must include a title page, full manuscript, and blinded manuscript for peer review.
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word format based on the journal template.
  • All references are rechecked. All citations comply with APA Style Guide
  • URLs (web links) for references have been provided and checked for accuracy.
  • The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • Failure to comply with formatting, citation, or submission requirements may result in rejection prior to review.

Author Guidelines

Guide for SCF SSLJ Submissions

Journal Scope

The SCF Space Law Journal publishes peer-reviewed research articles, commentary and analysis of aspects of international, regional and national space law and policy written by students and post-graduate researchers.

The Journal welcomes manuscripts from current and recent space law students, with a particular emphasis on contributions from space law and policy students, as well as early-career professionals. 

Submissions from PhD candidates, established experts, and senior professionals are not eligible for consideration, even as co-authors, as the Journal is dedicated to supporting current and recent students and early-career professionals.

The Journal normally publishes two issues per year, with occasional additional issues.

The Journal covers the public, private, regulatory, environmental, commercial, and other relevant aspects of space law and policy. The SCF Journal publishes well-researched articles that examine and clarify key regulatory issues, including but not limited to:

  • Advancing the rule of law in space governance
  • Insight into emerging national space law, policy, and regulation
  • Comparative research into national space law and policy
  • Protection of the Earth and outer space environments from space activities
  • Legal and regulatory protection of dark and quiet skies
  • Space sustainability issues
  • Satellite radio frequency spectrum management and allocation
  • Interpreting legal definitions in space law
  • Regulatory aspects of Space Traffic Management (STM) 
  • Legal aspects of Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
  • Regulation of automated collision avoidance strategies
  • Law and policy developments relating to space activities
  • International law and the militarisation of space
  • Regulation of space cybersecurity and new technologies
  • Regulation of space-based AI and automated decision making
  • Other insights into space law and policy

Submission of Manuscripts

Academic Manuscripts should be between 2500 and 8000 words in length, excluding footnotes and reference list.

Articles submitted for the ‘Special Articles’ section should be between 1500 and 2500 words. Book reviews and other media essays should be 1000 to 2000 words.

Strict maximums:

  • Academic Papers - max 8000 words
  • Special Articles - max 2500 words
  • Book Reviews - max 2000 words

Manuscripts must be prepared using the official Journal template and must adhere to all formatting requirements, including those relating to figures, tables, captions, references, and font styles. Submissions that do not comply with the template will not be considered for review.

Authors must submit the following documents:

  1. Title Page, including the manuscript title, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details.
  2. Full Manuscript, prepared in accordance with the official Journal template and all associated formatting requirements.
  3. Blinded Manuscript, identical to the full manuscript but with all information that could identify the author(s) removed, including names, affiliations, acknowledgements, and self-identifying references, to facilitate anonymous peer review.
  4. The Author can submit other necessary materials, such as figures, tables, and databases.

Submissions that do not include all required documents or that fail to comply with the Journal's formatting requirements will be rejected prior to review.

All manuscripts must be original and not under consideration with another publication or in another form, such as a chapter of a book. 

Authors of submitted papers are obligated not to submit their paper for publication elsewhere until an editorial decision is rendered on their submission. Furthermore, authors of accepted papers are prohibited from publishing the paper in other publications that appear before the paper is published in the SCF Journal.

Academic Integrity

Students submitting manuscripts must adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. Authors must read and adhere to the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023 edition) in its entirety throughout the process.

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in writing 

The SCF SSLJ recognises that generative AI and AI-assisted technologies may assist authors in aspects of manuscript preparation, including improving grammar, spelling, and readability. However, such tools must not replace the author's own critical thinking, analysis, and scholarly judgment. Authors are fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and provenance of all submitted content. Any use of AI tools in the preparation of a manuscript must be disclosed in a separate AI Declaration submitted with the manuscript, including the name of the tool and the nature of its use. Basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks do not require this disclosure. Failure to disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies may result in rejection of the manuscript or withdrawal of a published article.

Style Guidelines for Submissions

Language 

US English/UK English (one used consistently throughout the entire manuscript)

Structure 

Manuscripts should be clearly and logically structured, using numbered sections (e.g., 1, 2, 3) and subsections (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3) to guide the reader through the argument and highlight the main points. Authors must use the official Journal template provided.

All manuscripts should adhere to an academic writing style and be written in the third person. 

Authors should avoid the use of first-person pronouns (e.g., “I” and “we”) and instead employ objective, formal language throughout the manuscript.

Formatting and Manuscript Structure

Word format (according to the provided template)

Title

  • Typeface: Times New Roman
  • Size: 22 points
  • Style: ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
  • Alignment: Centered

Author Name(s)

  • Format: Full name(s) (no initials only)
  • Typeface: Times New Roman
  • Size: 11 points
  • Alignment: Centered immediately below the title

Abstract

  • Maximum length: 300 words
  • Typeface: Times New Roman
  • Size: 11 points
  • Alignment: Justified 

Place the abstract on the first page, immediately after the author name(s). 

Follow any additional instructions in the template regarding keywords or classification codes.

Main text

  • Typeface: Times New Roman
  • Size: 11 points
  • Line spacing: Single
  • Margins, headers, and footers: Do not alter - use exactly as shown in the template.

Section Headings

  • Level 1 (Sections): Times New Roman, 11 pt (bold if indicated), alignment: left-aligned, single-spaced.
  • Level 2 (Subsections): Times New Roman, 11 pt, italic, alignment: left-aligned, single-spaced

Margins: As defined by the template - do not change

Referencing and Footnotes Style 

Manuscripts should follow the APA style and grammar guidelines (7th Ed.). See: How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide & Generator.

All sources and references must be cited exclusively in footnotes, using APA 7th edition formatting. In-text citations must not be used under any circumstances, and a full reference list is not required. 

Footnotes should provide full and accurate bibliographic details in accordance with APA 7th edition standards, including author, year, title, and publication information where applicable.

Footnote indicators should be placed at the end of a sentence, immediately after the punctuation mark or closing quotation (with no space). 

Authors are responsible for ensuring the correctness and consistency of all references. Manuscripts that do not comply with the required citation and referencing style may be returned for correction or rejected prior to review.

All sources must be cited using numbered footnotes in sequential order (1, 2, 3, etc.) placed within the text (See the Template). Each footnote should contain the full reference formatted in accordance with APA 7th edition guidelines.

Use ibid for reference to the previous footnote. For subsequent references to the same publication (not immediately following one another), use: ‘Author surname, supra note X at Y’. The X represents the footnote number, and the Y represents the page number.

Example:

  • 20 Cilliers, supra note 17 at 65.
  • 21 Ibid., 67.

Avoid under- or over-referencing. The SCF SSLJ aims to be accessible to a range of audiences, including academics and practitioners. Under-referencing refers to failing to provide sufficient citations to support claims, while over-referencing refers to excessive or unnecessary citation of sources where they do not add substantive value.

Abbreviations

Close up initials in personal names and separate each letter with a period.

  • Example: F.W. de Klerk, P.D. James

Do not use periods in professional degrees, which should have no space between letters.

  • Example: PhD, MA, DPhil, BSc

Spell out all acronyms on the first reference and thereafter use large caps and no periods.

  • Example: European Space Agency (ESA).

Do not spell out USA, UK and UN on the first reference.

Do not use apostrophes in the plural form of acronyms.

  • Example: MPs, PCBs, TCs

Possessive forms of acronyms require an apostrophe.

  • Example: The UN’s data confirms that intervention is needed.

Use i.e. and e.g. punctuated with periods and followed by commas within parentheses, but use ‘for example,’ in the text.

  • Example: Many of the space agencies (e.g., ESA, CSA, and NASA)
  • Example: For example, ESA, CSA, and NASA all have websites

Quotations

Quotations over 30 words in length should be indented from both margins. 

Quotation marks should not be used for indented quotes.

In all cases, the original spelling and punctuation of the quotation should be reproduced exactly.

Periods and commas sit inside quotation marks.

  • Example: ‘Women’s silence can be recognised as meaningful.’

Colons and semicolons sit outside quotation marks.

  • Example: Williams described the experiment as ‘a definitive step forward’; other scientists disagreed.

Question and exclamation marks should sit outside quotation marks, unless they are part of the quotation.

  • Example: She asked, ‘Why are you so upset?’ OR Why was Farragut trembling when he said, ‘I’m here to open an inquiry’?

General guidance

  • Be concise. Focus on one idea per paragraph.
  • Organise ideas logically. Make them easy to follow.
  • Avoid repeating the same information in your introduction and conclusion.
  • Do not introduce new information in the conclusion.
  • Explain the broader context of your topic.
  • Develop explanations. Do not mention points without explanation.
  • Be direct and specific rather than being overly academic or "poetic."
  • Avoid grammatical contractions.
  • Name and explain your methodology (especially if it is anything but
  • Ensure your article brings something new to the discussion, rather than simply
    repeating existing information

Use a serial comma (also called an Oxford comma) between elements in a series of three or more items.

Latin or other non-English slogans and other phrases that are not names should be italicised, unless they have been anglicised. For example: opinio iuris, coup, travaux préparatoires, alkali, ad hoc.

When mentioning a document for the first time in the text, the full name should also be italicised.

Ex: "In the report Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Wind Farm, it is noted that..."

Academic Articles

The Journal welcomes original contributions on international, regional and national dimensions of space law and policy, including but not limited to:​

  • Comparative analysis of national space legislation and regulatory frameworks
  • Advancing the rule of law in space governance
  • Protection of earth and outer space environments from space activities
  • Legal and regulatory protection of dark and quiet skies for science
  • Legal and regulatory issues in space sustainability
  • Insight into emerging national space law, policy, and regulation
  • Satellite radio frequency spectrum allocation and management
  • Interpreting legal definitions in space law
  • Space Traffic Management (STM)
  • Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and collision avoidance strategies
  • Emerging issues in space sustainability
  • Cybersecurity and the militarisation of space
  • Legal and ethical considerations in automated decision making in space

Academic Papers - max ~8000 words

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