The Appellate Publishing Policies
The Appellate: Journal of Law and Policy follows the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Conflicts of Interest (COI)
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interests that would interfere with the integrity or efficiency of the journal. Any relationship that could affect an editor’s ability to work on a paper must also be disclosed. However, acquaintanceship does not automatically result in a professional bias. For additional guidelines on COI, are taken from COPE’s guidelines.
Complaints and Appeals
Allegations of misconduct: Any allegations of misconduct related to the research, writing, publication, or reviewing process should be brought to the journal's editorial board. The Appellate acknowledges all accusations equally and will continuously work to ensure the integrity of our journal. This may include:
Complaints about a paper’s editor or editorial board
Complaints about the publisher
Responsibilities of Authors and Contributors
All authors must guarantee the work they submit is solely theirs. Authors should follow the necessary requirements and policies according to our submission guidelines. Any paper submitted towards The Appellate should not be under consideration with other journals during the submission cycle. Authors must cite all sources in their work, including the acknowledgement of AI within their pieces and how it was used.
All authors and contributors must guarantee that any information appearing within our journal (or website) is factual and up-to-date, and that no content included is defamatory, harmful, obscene, or in violation of anyone’s rights.
Data and reproducibility. Policies around data availability and reproducibility are included on the submission guideline pages of individual journals where this is relevant. The Appellate reserves the right to practice discretion for accepting papers consisting of human participatory research, or datasets which require IRB review. This is to avoid complications of authorship and to mitigate ethical risks. For additional information, please contact at theappellate@gmail.com.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors and the editorial board are tasked with assembling and developing papers for publication. They are given the responsibility of applying the journal’s editorial policies and using their best judgement in the advancement of every issue. Editors also collaborate in our peer-review process and help oversee the work of fellow members. The journal’s editor(s) have final authority over what is published within each issue.
All editorial staff must guarantee that any information appearing within our journal (or website) is factual and up to date; that no content included is defamatory, harmful, obscene, or in violation of anyone’s rights.
Intellectual Oversight
The Appellate’s editor(s) and editorial board are responsible for the contents of this journal and reserve the right to publish at our discretion.
Post-publication discussions and corrections: The Appellate will make corrections, retractions, and clarifications as needed. If an error is discovered post-publication or research misconduct has been found, the journal’s editorial team will determine how to address the issue and continue as seen fit. In the chance an author becomes aware of any inaccuracies or significant oversights within their work, they should contact the paper’s editor.
Ethical Oversight
All authors should follow the ethical standards and comply with their discipline’s policies, guidelines, and protocols surrounding academic research and writing.
Peer Review Notice
Peer reviewers are expected to provide an unbiased, honest, and constructive critique of papers. Reviews should be direct, objective, and clear, while abiding by each of the ethical considerations of reviewers. All reviews should be completed in a timely manner, to ensure the prompt dissemination of any research findings or case opinions. Reviewers should respect the privacy and confidentiality of any submission they receive.
Please be aware that although we expect full adherence to the formatting guidelines provided for all publications, we are also understanding that the nature of specific pieces requires the inclusion of specific structural or literary elements. For all questions and concerns regarding guidelines for formatting, please be sure to contact us at our email; theappellate@gmail.com.
Additional
Donations: Please be advised that donations made to The Appellate through our GoFundMe are not tax deductible and are classified as gifts not charity.
Author Eligibility: The Appellate serves as a Journal dedicated to showcasing undergraduate research, authors must be undergraduate students or no more than two years removed from undergrad and not enrolled in post graduate degree programs at the time of submission.