Author guidelines

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be original or unpublished and the authors undertake not to submit them to other publications at the same time. The whole process of submission, review and publication will be effected through the OJS platform of Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science. It is understood that the author who submits the manuscript or uploads it to the Journal’s platform assumes the role of corresponding author and will be responsible for contact throughout the whole editorial process. The manuscripts submitted must not include author information in the body of the text. This information must be submitted on a separate page and should include the following: author’s full name; academic degrees; professional title; affiliation to an institution; e-mail address and persons or institutions who are thanked/acknowledged, if any.

Manuscripts must be submitted in Spanish, English or Portuguese, in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, font Times New Roman, size 12 with line spacing of 1.5. If the work includes images or tables, they must be submitted in separate files, and the point where each is to be inserted must be indicated in the manuscript.

Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science accepts the following types of manuscript:

RESEARCH ARTICLES: Articles resulting from scientific research or innovation in Law and Political Science. A footnote must be included giving the names of the funding body and the project, and the completion date of the research. The article’s structure must include at least the following elements: 1) Title: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 2) Abstract: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 3) Keywords: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 4) Introduction: presenting the objects, scope and originality of the text; a broader theoretical development may be included if appropriate to the subject; 5) Methodology: presentation of epistemological and methodological aspects and the ethical issues taken into consideration in the investigation; 6) Development: description of the results, linking of the analysis to discussion of current theory, including principal findings and differences; 7) Conclusions: summary of results and contribution to knowledge, and achievement of the objects; 8) References: 50% of the references must date from the last five years. These manuscripts will be subjected to peer review and must be between 8,000 and 12,000 words long.

REVIEW ARTICLES: Articles resulting from a systematization of the literature and which present the state of the art on a specific topic. These articles are characterised by a rigorous process of bibliographic review. The article’s structure must include the following elements: 1) Title: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 2) Abstract: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 3) Keywords: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 4) Introduction: presenting the objects, scope and originality of the text, and defining the scope and type of review performed; 5) Review Methodology: presentation of epistemological and methodological aspects and the ethical issues taken into consideration; 6) Presentation of Results: description of the principal findings of the review; 7) Conclusions: summary of results and contribution to knowledge, and achievement of the objects; 8) References: in view of the characteristics of this type of article, at least 50 references are required. 80% of the references must date from the last five years. Review articles present the results of a completed investigation giving an up-to-date panorama of an important field of study in Law and Political Science, to identify developments in the area and major theoretical and methodological trends. Manuscripts will be subjected to peer review and must be between 8,000 and 12,000 words long.

REFLECTION ARTICLES: Articles adopting a critical, analytical or interpretive approach, and resulting from research based principally on original sources. The article’s structure must include the following elements: 1) Title: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 2) Abstract: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 3) Keywords: in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language; 4) Introduction: presenting the objects, scope and originality of the text; 5) Discussion: presenting the nub of the theoretical discussion proposed; 6) Conclusions: summary of results and contribution to knowledge of the manuscript; 7) References: at least 25 bibliographical sources. Reflection articles on specific topics of Law and Political Science, with the object of presenting the results of a completed investigation from an analytical, interpretative or critical perspective. Manuscripts will be subjected to peer review and must be between 3,000 and 6,000 words long.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEWS: Documents of a reflective nature that evaluate and analyse the contributions of new publications in the fields of Law and Political Science. Reviews of works which offer commentaries on recent publications, i.e. no more than five years old, which are relevant for Law and Political Science. The structure used for the reviews is free. The reviews will be submitted to the Editorial Team, who will decide whether they will be published. They must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words long.

 

Proces Pre-review and Peer review

  • Pre-review: Authors start the process by submitting the article through the OJS platform of Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science. At this stage the Editor, in collaboration with the Editorial Team, will carry out a preliminary review of the manuscript, considering: 1) Relevance to the editorial line; 2) Compliance with submission requirements; 3) Initial plagiarism review. In the first two cases, the authors will be informed of any non-compliance and given a chance to make corrections. If plagiarism is detected, depending on the complexity of the case, the Editorial Team will inform the author(s) either that the manuscript is rejected, or that they may make corrections. If the manuscript complies with all the criteria, it will be sent for peer review.
  • Peer Review: The Editor, in collaboration with the Editorial Team, will invite the assistance of peer reviewers, considering the following criteria: 1) The peer has academic training, a research record and publications in the area of knowledge involved; 2) There is no conflict of interest that might affect the review process.

The reviewers will carry out their review using an online form or a word document; they are also recommended to include qualitative comments or a copy of the manuscript with anonymized comments.

The review result options are: 1) Rejected: the manuscript does not meet the criteria of relevance, originality and quality; 2) Accepted with major modifications: the article may be accepted after a second peer review; 3) Accepted with minor modifications: the Editorial Team requests the authors to make changes, and if they can be shown to have been incorporated, the article is accepted; 4) Accepted: the article can be published as is. If the Committee deems it necessary, a third reviewer may be called in, and a decision will be based on his/her judgement. The final decision on publication depends on the Editorial Team and requires a style review and an established antiplagiarism process.

Authors whose articles are approved with modifications, or approved for publication, undertake to carry out corrections of content, form and style within a maximum of 5 working days from when they are requested.

As a member of the Forum of Scientific Editors of Chile, Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science adheres to the ten commandments of the Best Practices for Peer Review of the Association of American University Presses.

 

Style Rules

Manuscripts presented to Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science must comply with the following style requirements:

  • Title: The title must have a capital letter for the first word only, and a maximum length of 15 words. The title must describe the topic and proposed objects. All manuscripts must contain the title in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language.
  • Authorship: The authors’ first and surnames must be given in the order previously established between them. All the authors must indicate their affiliation, e-mail address and ORCID code, as per the criteria previously established in the Authorship Policies.

The version provided by the authors for review must be completely anonymized; it should not contain names, institutions or locations which would allow the author(s) to be identified. Authorship metadata must also be eliminated from the digital files submitted.

  • Abstract: The Abstract must not be more than 250 words long, written in a single paragraph with no indentations. Depending on the type of manuscript presented (research article, review article or essay), the abstract must summarise the key sections of the text, indicating its principal contributions. All manuscripts must contain the abstract in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language.
  • Keywords: Five keywords must be included to assist cataloguing of the article by its topic. The keywords must be ordered alphabetically and separated by semi-colons (;). All manuscripts must contain their keywords in the original language, English, and Spanish if not the original language.
  • Graphs, Tables and Illustrations: Graphs, figures, tables, illustrations and photographs must be included in their original format (preferably in Excel, PowerPoint or high resolution image format). All graphic components and tables must comply with the criteria established in Standard NCh 1143 Of. 1999 and its equivalent ISO 690, and NCh 1143/2 Of. 2003 and its equivalent ISO 690-2, and must be included with the manuscript in high resolution images. During the style correction and layout stages, an editable file may be requested.
  • Funding: The funding source behind investigation must be indicated by a footnote to the title of the article. The note must indicate the project title and the funding body and country.
  • Acknowledgements: At the end of the manuscript, the authors may include a note of thanks to people or institutions who, without being authors, contributed to the work in the form of economic, technical or operational resources.
  • Standards and references: Manuscripts must be adapted for use in the Journal in accordance with the Standards NCh 1143 Of. 1999 and its equivalent ISO 690, and NCh 1143/2 Of. 2003 and its equivalent ISO 690-2, as explained below.

Explanatory notes

  1. Footnotes (abbreviated bibliographical references)

All footnotes must be numbered in superscript with Arabic numerals. The footnotes must include the abbreviated details of works, standards and jurisprudence referred to or cited. Exceptionally, discursive text will be allowed.

The author's first surname only must be indicated in Versailles font with the year (in parentheses) and the exact page number(s) where the cited reference appears.

Examples:

  1. Works with one author: CORREA (2007) p. 52.
  2. Works with two authors: ALESSANDRI and SOMARRIVA (1974) p. 392.
  3. Works with more than two authors: Follow the above format indicating the surname of the first author, followed by “et al”: VERDUGO et al (2002) p. 189.
  4. Chilean or foreign legislation (Constitution, laws, decrees, et cetera): The number and year of the law must be given: Law 20,667, 2013.
  5. Jurisprudence: Indicate the names of the parties in italics and the year in round parentheses: Club Naval Marinero Ugarte vs. Armada de Chile (2012). In the case of foreign or international sentences which use a different format, that used in the home legislation should be followed.
  6. If two or more sources are cited in a single footnote: Follow the rules established for each of the sources, separating them by a semi-colon (;).
  7. If several works exist by the same author in the same year: The year in the abbreviated reference should be followed by a letter within the parenthesis: a, b, c, etc., corresponding to the chronological order of publication by the author; the same rule must be applied in the complete bibliographical references at the end of the text.
  8. At the end of the work (complete bibliographical references)

The author must draw up a list containing only the works actually cited or referred to in the text.

The list of bibliographical references must be in alphabetical order by the first surname of the author of each work. If there are several works by the same author, they must be ordered by year of publication. If more than one work was published in any given year, the year in the reference should be followed by a letter within the parenthesis: a, b, c, etc., corresponding to the chronological order of publication by the author.

For articles in journals or book chapters, the start and finish page numbers must be included.

Surnames must be written in Versailles font, and given names in Roundhand font.

If there is only one edition of the work, it should not be indicated. Later editions must be indicated (second edition, third edition, etc.). If the work has more than one volume, the volume number consulted must be indicated in round parentheses after the year.

Examples:

  1. Works with one author: RAMOS, René (2010): Sucesión por causa de muerte (Santiago de Chile, Editorial Jurídica de Chile).
  2. Works with two or more authors: Follow the same format indicated for works with one author but including the names of all the authors. Example: HORVITZ, María Inés and LÓPEZ, Julián (2002): Derecho Procesal Penal Chileno (Santiago de Chile, Editorial Jurídica de Chile, Vol I).
  3. Works with an editor or coordinator: The abbreviation “ed.” or “coord.” as appropriate should be included in parentheses. Example: CONTESSE, Jorge (ed.) (2012): El Convenio 169 de la OIT y el Derecho chileno (Santiago de Chile, Universidad Diego Portales).
  4. Translated works with one author: Indicate the first surname and given name of the translator, in parentheses, after the title of the work. Example: ALEXY, Robert (2001): Teoría de los derechos fundamentales (Translated by GARZÓN, Ernesto), (Madrid, Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales).
  5. Translated works with two or more authors: Follow the format indicated above, identifying the authors as indicated above in the rules for works with two or more than two authors.
  6. Book chapter or section with one author: Example: SABA, Roberto (2008): “Igualdad, clases y clasificaciones: ¿Qué es lo sospechoso de las categorías sospechosas?”. In GARGARELLA, Roberto. Teoría y crítica del Derecho Constitucional (Buenos Aires, Abeledo Perrot, Vol. II), pp. 695-742.
  7. Book chapter or section with two or more authors: Follow the format indicated above, identifying the authors as indicated above in the rules for works with two or more than two authors.
  8. Journal article with only one author: Example: VARELA, Jorge (2011): “Consideraciones sobre los desafíos que el Derecho Ambiental impone a la recepción del Derecho Internacional en el Derecho Interno”. In Actualidad Jurídica, Universidad del Desarrollo, year XII, N° 24, July 2011, pp. 355-370.
  9. Journal article with two or more authors: Follow the format indicated above, identifying the authors as indicated above in the rules for works with two or more than two authors.
  10. Journal article with only one author, in electronic format: Follow the format established for journal articles with only one author, adding the web link to the text and the date on which it was consulted between square brackets. Example: COMANDUCCI, Paolo (1999): “Igualdad liberal”. In Revista Jurídica, Universidad de Palermo, Argentina, Year 3, N° 2, pp. 81-90. Available at: <www.palermo.edu/derecho/publicaciones/pdfs/revista_juridica/n3N2Octubre1998/032Juridica03.pdf>. [Date consulted: 7 February 2009].
  11. Journal article with two or more authors in electronic format: Follow the format indicated above, identifying the authors as indicated above in the rules for works with two or more than two authors.
  12. Other documents in electronic format: Example: BRAVO, Pablo. “La Polar y quiebra del consumidor”. Available at: <http://elpost.cl/content/la-polar-y-quiebra-del-consumidor>. [Date consulted: 21 March 2012].
  13. Jurisprudence: A list should be included at the end of the work containing all the references to jurisprudence, under the title “Jurisprudence cited”. This list should contain only the sentences actually cited or referred to in the work.

If appropriate, two separate sections may be necessary: a) one for sentences handed down by Chilean courts; b) one for foreign or international courts.

13.1. Sentences by Chilean courts: must be ordered chronologically and alphabetically by the names of the parties.

The sentences must be indicated as follows in the list:

  1. a) The names of the parties in italics and the year of the sentence (in roundhand and between parentheses), followed by a colon (:);
  2. b) The reference of the court which handed down the sentence: Supreme Court; Appeals Court of (…); Local Court of (…); Constitutional Tribunal; Court for the Defence of Free Competition, etc.;
  3. c) The serial number of the case corresponding to the sentence cited.
  4. d) The date of the sentence, with the day and year in Arabic numerals and the month in lower case letters.
  5. e) The type of action, recourse or proceeding and the serial number of the case in which the sentence was handed down with the year, separated by a dash, between parentheses. The Rol Único de Causas (RUC) should not be indicated;
  6. f) If two or more sentences from the same case are cited, the details of the sentences cited should be indicated consecutively at the end of the reference (letter e), without repeating the parties (letter a), but indicating the year of the additional sentences.
  7. g) Identification of the seat of the publishers which published the sentences, with complete or abbreviated title, indicating the volume, year, sections and page number.

If the information is taken from an online database, indicate the web link to the text and the date on which it was consulted between square brackets.

Example: Pereira vs. Ilustre Municipalidad de San Esteban (2012): Supreme Court, 21 December 2012 (recourse for unification of jurisprudence rol 2658-2012). Available at: <http://suprema.poderjudicial.cl/SITSUPPORWEB/InicioAplicacion.do>. [Date consulted: 10 June 2013].

13.2. Sentences of foreign or international courts which do not use this format: must be listed in chronological and alphabetical order by names of the parties wherever possible; the reference must include at least the parties and the year as described in letter a) of paragraph 13.1; in all cases the seat of the publishers which published the sentences must be added as described in letter g) of paragraph 13.1 above. Otherwise, the format applied in the home seat shall be applied.

Publication of manuscripts

In principle, manuscripts will be published in order of acceptance, on a continuous basis, and subject to the evaluation of the External Peer Reviewers.

The authors authorise publication of their contributions in the webpage of the Journal, and in the Chilean or international databases to which this publication subscribes, under the terms indicated in the agreed publication rules.

By submitting their manuscripts, the authors agree to abide by the following rules:

The authors cede to Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science the right to publish and distribute the articles submitted voluntarily by them to the editorial process by the various graphic and/or digital means currently available or which may become available in the future, in particular its webpage and the various databases in which it is indexed.

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be original or unpublished and the authors undertake not to submit them to other publications at the same time. Likewise, the authors undertake to abide by the rules given in the various sections of this webpage, such as: section policy, guidelines for authors and for assessment by peer reviewers, open access policy; conflict of interest and plagiarism policies; copyright and confidentiality declaration.

The authors must make the corrections requested by the external reviewers and the Editorial Team.

The authors may not publish for their own account, or authorise any third party to publish, in any medium, any work published in the Journal except with the express permission of the latter in the person of the Director. In any case, the copyright is conserved by the authors, who are exclusively responsible for the contents of their work.

Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science undertakes to provide authors, completely free of charge, with unlimited access to the Journal's webpage or to any page which may be established as the Journal's official website in future.

Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science may at its sole discretion define the technical characteristics of the publication, the design of the covers and the works published, and the modes of distribution, advertising and dissemination.

In view of its eminently academic nature, Chilean Journal of Law and Political Science is a not-for-profit publication, and therefore will not charge authors for processing and publication of their work nor will it pay them for the right to publish their articles.