Editorial Policies

The Journal of Animal Rights Law is an open-access legal journal that operates independently. It employs a rigorous double-anonymous peer-review process and maintains editorial standards of the highest calibre, guided by a distinguished and diverse international editorial board.

Before submitting your manuscript to the Journal of Animal Rights Law, please familiarise yourself with the following editorial policies to ensure compliance with our standards and requirements.

Publication Criteria:

Submitted manuscripts must meet the following criteria for consideration:

• Originality: Manuscripts should present original research, analysis, or insights into the field of Animal Rights Law or related disciplines.
• Exclusiveness: The Journal will only consider manuscripts that have not been previously published and are not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• Quality: Submissions must demonstrate academic rigour, clarity of argument, and adherence to ethical standards in research and publication.
• Relevance: Manuscripts should address topics of significant relevance and interest to Animal Rights Law and contribute to advancing scholarly understanding in this area.

 

I. Authorship

1. Authorship:

Authorship attribution is crucial to acknowledge original contributions and ensure transparency in scholarly work. The authors listed on a manuscript must have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of the work. They should also have participated in drafting or revising the manuscript and agreed to its submission and subsequent revisions.

The Journal of Animal Rights Law welcomes submissions from both single and multiple authors. Our primary consideration is the quality and relevance of the research presented, regardless of the number of authors involved. Whether one individual or a team authors a paper, we prioritise contributions that advance scholarly understanding and promote ethical discourse in the field of Animal Rights Law. We encourage authors to collaborate when appropriate, fostering diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary insights. Ultimately, our goal is to publish rigorous and impactful research that contributes to advancing animal welfare and rights.

2. Affiliations:

Authors must provide a comprehensive list of all relevant affiliations in the case of work approved, supported, or conducted by an academic institution. For non-research manuscripts, authors should indicate their current institutional affiliation.

3. ORCID:

Authors are encouraged to identify themselves using their ORCID ID. ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique identifier offered free of charge to researchers. Authors can learn more about ORCID at: https://info.orcid.org/what-is-orcid.

4. Exclusiveness:

Upon submission, Authors confirm that their manuscripts have not been previously published and are not undergoing review by another publication.

5. Competing Interests:

Authors must disclose any competing interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. This includes financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationships with organisations or individuals that may be perceived as relevant to the manuscript. Whether financial or non-financial, competing interests must be transparently declared to maintain integrity and trust in the published work.

6. Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions:

In cases where corrections or retractions are necessary after publication, the Journal of Animal Rights Law will follow established guidelines to ensure transparency and integrity. To maintain the integrity of the records, changes to published articles will be accompanied by appropriate notices, such as corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions.

7. Research Ethics and Consent:

All research involving humans, animals, plants, or heritage sites must adhere to international and local ethical guidelines. Authors conducting research on human subjects must obtain informed consent and ethical approval from relevant institutional review boards. Similarly, studies involving animals, plants, or heritage sites require approval from appropriate ethics committees or regulatory bodies.

8. Plagiarism and Misconduct:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law takes allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, seriously. All forms of misconduct, such as affiliation misrepresentation, citation manipulation, and unethical research practices, are subject to investigation and appropriate action in accordance with established guidelines, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

9. Artificial Intelligence and Good Practices:

We advocate for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research. We expect authors to employ AI responsibly, ensuring transparency, fairness, and adherence to ethical guidelines in their studies. Our commitment includes fostering diverse perspectives and upholding standards that prioritise animal welfare and rights in all facets of research and discourse.

 

II. Review Process

1. Peer Review:

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Animal Rights Law undergo a minimum of two double-anonymised peer reviews by independent reviewers adhering to established guidelines endorsed by COPE. Editors assign submissions to experts in the field and consider their comments and recommendations when making publication decisions. Confidentiality and integrity in the peer review process are paramount; reviewers are expected to provide constructive feedback.

COPE Council. COPE Ethical guidelines for peer-reviewers — English. https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.9 

2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

Editors and reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that may compromise their impartiality in the peer review process.

 

III. Fees and Funding

1. Funding:

Authors are required to declare all sources of financial support that contributed to the research reported in their manuscript. This includes internal and external funding sources, grants, and other forms of financial assistance. Transparency in funding disclosures helps attribute credit to funders and enables readers to assess any potential influences on the research findings. Authors should provide detailed information about funding sources, including grant numbers and the role of funders in the research, to facilitate transparency and accountability.

2. Fees and pricing:

This Journal follows open-access standards, and no publication fee is required. At the same time, authors do not receive any financial compensation for publishing their manuscripts.

 

III. Editing and Publishing

1. Open Access Policy:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law is committed to open-access principles, making research freely available to the global community. Authors retain copyright for their work, and all articles are published under a 4.0 Creative Commons Licence that allows for the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of published material, provided the original work is properly cited.

2. Citations:

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Animal Rights Law are held to stringent standards regarding citation practices to uphold academic integrity and avoid plagiarism. Authors must cite relevant literature to substantiate their claims, adhering to ethical guidelines. Excessive self-citation and prearranged citation schemes among co-authors are discouraged, as they may be construed as misconduct, undermining the integrity of scholarly discourse. 

3. Standards of Reporting:

Authors are encouraged to adhere to reporting standards that promote transparency, reproducibility, and verification of research findings. Comprehensive descriptions of research rationale, methodology, and analysis facilitate accurate interpretation and evaluation of research outcomes. Authors are encouraged to consult discipline-specific reporting guidelines to enhance the quality and rigour of their manuscripts.

4. Images and Figures:

Authors are encouraged to use images and figures in their articles only if they contribute significantly to the scholarly content. Gratuitous or irrelevant visual content should be avoided. All images and figures should enhance the understanding and value of the research being reported.

5. Text Recycling:

Text recycling, or self-plagiarism, occurs when authors reuse portions of text from their previous publications without proper attribution. This differs from redundant or duplicate publication, which involves the repeated publication of larger text or data sections with at least one author in common. This Journal adheres to COPE guidelines on text recycling when evaluating its acceptability within a manuscript. Factors considered include the amount of recycled text, placement within the article, acknowledgement of the source, the article’s nature (research or non-research), potential copyright infringement, and cultural norms. Manuscripts found with unacceptable levels of text recycling may face rejection. At the same time, published articles may require post-publication changes as outlined in the Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern policy below.

For manuscripts based on a thesis, authors must rework the material to conform to the Journal’s style guide. When quoting or reusing figures from the thesis, authors should cite and reference any extracts appropriately to avoid self-plagiarism. If the thesis has been published by a publisher and is publicly accessible, authors may need permission from the thesis publisher before submission. It is essential to inform the editor if the manuscript draws on a thesis before submission.

6. Use of Third-Party Material:

Authors submitting articles to the Journal of Animal Rights Law must adhere to copyright regulations and obtain written permission for any third-party material, be it text, illustrations, tables, or data. This prerequisite safeguards the intellectual property rights of third-party creators and ensures compliance with copyright regulations. 

Authors are solely responsible for obtaining permission to use third-party materials. The Journal cannot assist authors in this process. Moreover, authors are solely responsible for disclosing the use of third-party materials. They are liable for any costs and damages of the Journal resulting from claims of infringement of third-party rights through publication of the author’s manuscript with third-party materials.

7. Plagiarism:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law follows Cambridge University’s definition of plagiarism, which encompasses using someone else’s ideas, words, data, or other materials without proper acknowledgement. Plagiarism can involve various sources and media, including text, illustrations, musical quotations, mathematical derivations, computer code, and materials obtained from websites, manuscripts, or other sources. It applies to both published and unpublished works, including lectures, presentations, and grey literature.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism in all our publications and reserve the right to use appropriate plagiarism-checking tools on all submissions. Manuscripts suspected of containing plagiarism, whether in whole or in part, will be rejected. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, we will follow our protocol in the Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern section. We encourage our readers, reviewers, and editors to promptly report any suspected cases of plagiarism to the editorial board or via email to our Publication Ethics Officer.

 

IV. Editorial Integrity and Ethical Standards

1. Editorial Code of Conduct:

The Editors of the Journal of Animal Rights Law are committed to upholding the highest editorial integrity and professional standards. They play a critical role in maintaining the quality of published work, supporting authors and reviewers, and enhancing the Journal's reputation. Our Editorial Code of Conduct outlines the minimum standards expected of editors to ensure the publication of credible and reliable research.

2. Editorial Independence:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law maintains editorial independence and integrity, ensuring that all editorial decisions are made solely on the scholarly merit of submissions and are not influenced by commercial interests, personal biases, or any other external factors.

3. Harassment:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law upholds a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment directed at its authors, editors, reviewers, or other staff members. We are committed to cultivating an environment of mutual respect, growth, support, and cooperation.

 4. Corrections and Retractions Policy:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law has a robust Corrections and Retractions Policy to safeguard the integrity of its published research. It is dedicated to promptly investigating any allegations of research misconduct or publication ethics violations. Retractions will be considered following COPE’s Retraction Guidelines. Normally, retractions are reserved for severely flawed articles that contain substantial plagiarism, feature life-endangering content, or report unethical research. Corrections, Retractions, or Expressions of Concern will be issued promptly in cases where errors or ethical breaches are identified in published articles.

5. Appeals and Complaints:

The Journal of Animal Rights Law adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines regarding appeals and complaints. Authors are welcome to submit genuine appeals regarding editorial decisions, accompanied by solid evidence or new data to support their case. Authors should contact the editorial office for complaints related to the Journal’s editorial process. All appeals and complaints will be addressed with transparency and fairness.