Publishing Schedule

Issue 1: January–JuneIssue 2: July–December

Societas Law Review is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal published twice a year, with two regular issues per volume: Issue 1 (January–June) and Issue 2 (July–December). The journal is dedicated to advancing scholarship on law as it works in society, through doctrinal, socio-legal, empirical, and comparative approaches. This twice-yearly schedule allows for a consistent and predictable release of articles to the readership while preserving sufficient time for the rigorous, substantive peer review that legal scholarship requires. Accepted and fully copyedited articles are published online progressively within the period of the corresponding issue, and the issue is closed at the end of that period. Each article receives its final bibliographic details (volume, issue, year, page range, and DOI) upon assignment to the issue of record.

Articles in Press

Articles in press are peer-reviewed, accepted articles that will be published in this journal. When the final article is assigned to a volume and issue, the article-in-press version is removed and the final version appears in the corresponding published volume and issue. The date on which an article was first made available online is carried over.

Please note that, although articles in press do not yet have all bibliographic details, they can already be cited using the year of online publication and the DOI, as follows: author(s), article title, Journal (year), DOI.

Please consult the journal's reference style in the Author Guidelines for the exact appearance of these elements, the abbreviation of journal names, and the use of punctuation.

There are three types of articles in press:

1Journal pre-proofs

Versions of an article that have undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata and formatting for readability, but are not yet definitive versions of record. These versions will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting, and review before being published in final form, but are provided to give early visibility of the article. Please note that errors may be discovered during the production process which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

2Uncorrected proofs

Articles that have been copyedited and formatted but not yet finalized. They still need to be proofread and corrected by the authors, and the text may still change before final publication.

3Corrected proofs

Articles that contain the authors' corrections. Final citation details, such as volume and/or issue number, publication year, and page numbers, still need to be added, and the text may change before final publication.

In Progress Articles

Societas Law Review adopts an “In Progress” policy for certain issues that are still under development. Although in progress, these issues contain articles that have reached the final stage and are fully citable, with the full list of authors, article title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, and DOI.

Manuscript Security and Confidentiality

Societas Law Review is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of submitted manuscripts. The journal operates a double-blind peer review process; the identities of authors and reviewers are not disclosed to one another at any stage.

Editors and reviewers involved in the review process are required to adhere to the ethical guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Submitted manuscripts are treated as privileged communications and must not be shown to, discussed with, or used by any party outside the editorial process without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Any breach of confidentiality or misconduct will be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly.

Particular care is exercised where manuscripts contain sensitive empirical material, including case files, interview or field data, or information concerning identifiable individuals and communities. Authors are expected to have anonymised such material and to have secured any institutional or ethical clearance required before submission.

Timeliness of Publication

Societas Law Review is dedicated to ensuring the timely publication of accepted articles. The editorial team will make every effort to adhere to the predetermined publication schedule. Authors can expect their articles to be published within a reasonable timeframe after acceptance, enabling timely dissemination of their research findings.

As an indicative guide, the editorial workflow proceeds as follows:

Stage	Indicative duration
Initial editorial and similarity screening	7–14 days from submission
Double-blind peer review	4–8 weeks
Author revision	2–4 weeks
Final decision and acceptance	1–2 weeks after revision
Copyediting, layout, and online publication	2–4 weeks after acceptance

These durations are indicative rather than contractual, and may vary with the availability of qualified reviewers and the complexity of the manuscript. Authors are notified through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform at each stage of the process.

Author Awareness and Consent

Authors submitting articles to Societas Law Review are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the journal's publishing policies, including the Articles in Press and In Progress Article formats. By submitting their work, authors acknowledge and accept the publication practices outlined in this policy.

Policy Review

This publishing schedule policy will be reviewed periodically by the Societas Law Review Editorial Board to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with evolving best practices in scholarly publishing. Any necessary updates will be made to maintain the journal's commitment to integrity and quality.

Note: This policy has been tailored specifically for Societas Law Review.