In the world of globalisation and rapid changes, we are getting accustomed to global challenges. A pandemic is, however, a challenge of an unprecedented scope and impact – influencing countless aspects of our current and future lives. As we can observe today, the problem is very real.
While the nature sciences are doing their best to research and eradicate the disease, it is not sufficient to understand the toll that Covid-19 is taking on an infected individual – we also need to analyse the strain it puts on our societies.
The legal dimension of this strenuous task is particularly important. Firstly, it can help contain the pandemic and mitigate the risk of similar occurrences through reasonable policies. Secondly, the lawmakers need to involve numerous factors, such as those examined by economics, sociology and psychology, in order to enact effective and widely acceptable laws. Thirdly, special measures often result in restrictions, which naturally suppress some of our rights and freedoms. Adequate balance, effectiveness and sustainability are key issues in this demanding situation.
The question is not only based on current actions – it is also a question of life after the pandemic. Those events will transform our reality – but the severity and direction of this transformation is not predestined.
Therefore, we would like to invite young scholars, in particular those with a background in social sciences, to contribute to the debate that shall benefit us all. We created a blog lawagainstpandemic.uj.edu.pl, where we will publish articles and commentaries on the interrelations between law and pandemic.
There is no character limit. We accept texts in English, French, German, Spanish, and Polish. All texts should undergo language corrections prior to submission. The differences between an article and a commentary are described in the guidelines. The authors of the published texts may be invited to participate in the verification process.
Our further actions can involve a joint publication, conferences, workshops, webinars and other actions aimed at creating sustainable, interdisciplinary solutions whilst integrating the international academic community.
More information can be found in the publishing guidelines (attached below) and on the website. We are open to suggestions and cooperation.
Publishing Guidelines
What should I do to publish my text?
Once the text is ready (written and proofread), please send it as a .doc/.docx file to lawagainstpandemic@uj.edu.pl. Please make sure you check your inbox regularly. Please indicate your academic affiliation; if you wish, you may provide us with a short bio.
What is the difference between an article and a commentary on our blog?
| Article | Commentary | |
| What is the nature and ambition of your text? | Broader theoretical analysis including in-depth scrutiny of legal sources | Opinion, prognosis, your stance in an ongoing debate |
| How will we check your contribution? | Double-blind review | Content verification |
| When will it be published? | Est.: after max. 14 days | Est.: after max. 3 days |
| How long should it be? | Up to 3500 words (circa) | Up to 1500 words (circa) |
| How should you send it? | Use [ARTICLE] in the subject of your submission. | Use [COMMENTARY] in the subject of your submission. |
| How will it be marked? | Article as a category | Commentary as a category |
Are there any formatting rules?
You can use any font you wish, but please bear in mind that we will format the text in accordance with the blog design. We use Montserrat Bold in the headlines and Montserrat Regular in the body of the text.
Please, do not use colours, underline or increased letter-spacing to highlight a part of your article. Bold and italics are fine. Headings are helpful for the readers. It is a good idea to insert them every few paragraphs. Please use only one level of headings and format them in bold.
We kindly ask you to submit your text single-spaced with a single line return between paragraphs. Do not use indentation, hard returns, non-breaking spaces and page breaks.
How do I cite sources?
When you are citing an online source, please use hyperlinks. In other cases, footnotes will suffice – do not use internal hyperlinks. Try to adhere to a uniform citation style. We recommend OSCOLA, but any other understandable style will be accepted.
Can I add pictures to my text?
Yes. You can paste the picture directly into the text or indicate where it should be (if you do so, please colour this piece of information red). Regardless of that, we will need the source file for the picture, so please attach it alongside your article. Please make sure that by posting the picture, we do not violate any copyrights. If we need to mention the author, please provide us will all necessary details. Moreover, please describe shortly the content of the picture, unless it is purely decorative – this description will be used to accommodate the needs of our visually impaired users. The pictures should be of decent quality – if the resolution is too low, we may not accept the picture, especially if it is non-essential.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us!