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 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 Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or RTF document file format.
  • URLs (web links) for references have been provided and checked for accuracy.
  • 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 Author Guidelines.

Author Guidelines

Guide for SCF Journal 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 publishes twice per year, with a call for Intern papers in August and March. We will accept submissions from SCF interns and personnel in both editions. 

The journal will present an OPEN call for papers from current and recent space law students, emphasizing participation from space law and policy students and young professionals. We will also welcome submissions from other space law experts and students in the open call.

The Journal covers the public, private, regulatory, environmental, and commercial aspects of space law and policy. The SCF Journal provides well-researched articles which discuss and clarify crucial legal and regulatory issues such as:

  • 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 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 militarization 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

Abstracts

An abstract of not more than 250 words should be submitted, which is then reviewed and approved by the Journal Committee with its edits and comments.

Submission of Manuscripts

Academic Manuscripts should be between 2,500 and 6,000 words in length, excluding footnotes and reference list.

Articles submitted for the ‘Special Articles’ section should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Book reviews and other media essays should be 1,000 to 1,500 words.

Strict maximums:

Academic Papers - max 6000 words

Special Articles - max 2500 words

Book Reviews - max 2000 words

 

Follow the template’s instructions for the manuscript, figures, tables, and references (font sizes, caption styles, placement).

 

The manuscript must be properly blinded. 

There should be nothing in the main document that would identify the author, including references to previous research or publications. Where reference is made to a submitting author’s previous work, footnote details should be blacked out with ‘XXXXX’. These can be filled in at a later time after 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 abstracts 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.

 

Style Guidelines for Submissions

Language: 

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

 

Structure: 

The manuscript should be logically structured, with sections (1, 2, 3) and subheadings (1.1, 1.2, 1.3), to clearly emphasize the main points of the narrative. Use the template provided via email once your abstract is accepted.

 

It should follow the academic style of writing. 

It should be written using the 3rd Form (UK/EU) or 3rd Person (US) voice. 

This means avoiding using “I” and “we” and favoring the past participle form.

 

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: Centered, single-spaced

Level 2 (Subsections): Times New Roman, 11 pt, italic, alignment: Centered, single-spaced

Margins: As defined by the template - do not change

 

Style and grammar

 

Manuscripts should follow the APA style and grammar guidelines (7th Ed.) 

 

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 italicized, unless they have been anglicized. 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 be also italicized.

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

 

General guidance

 

  • Be concise. Focus on one idea per paragraph.
  • Organize 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

 

Citations and Footnotes 

 

Citations should follow the APA 7th Ed. format

See: How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide & Generator 

 

In-text citations

In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words to avoid plagiarism. An APA 7th in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170).

 

Footnotes, not endnotes, are used. 

 

Footnotes should be used for both bibliographic and explanatory information and should be marked clearly in the text in numeric order after a point of punctuation and listed at the bottom of the relevant page.

 

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

 

Use superscript Arabic numerals (...,1,2 …) for footnotes. Ex: Ross posits that dinosaurs are of significant concern to scholars in this field.7


References follow the APA 7th Style

Examples of how to reference virtually any source can be found here. 

 

Avoid under- or over-referencing. The SCF SSLJ aims to be accessible to a range of audiences, including academics and practitioners. SCF Officers will guide interns to balance these interests. Adjustments may be made in the editorial process.

 

In cases where one source is being cited for several references within a paragraph, number the reference only once at the end of the paragraph.

 

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.

Ex:

20 Cilliers, supra note 17 at 65.

21 Ibid., 67.

 

Page numbers should only be given for journal articles and direct quote references, not references to ideas within the cited publication. Page numbers are not necessary for citing book chapters. The page numbers include all the numbers and are not abbreviated.

 

Abbreviations

 

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

Ex: F.W. de Klerk, P.D. James

 

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

Ex: PhD, MA, DPhil, BSc

 

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

Ex: 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.

Ex: MPs, PCBs, TCs

 

Possessive forms of acronyms require an apostrophe.

Ex: 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.

Ex: Many of the space agencies (e.g., ESA, CSA, and NASA) have 

Ex: 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.

Ex: ‘Women’s silence can be recognized as meaningful.’

 

Colons and semicolons sit outside quotation marks.

Ex: 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.

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

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 ~6000 words

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