Submission Guidelines

Thank you for considering submission to the Journal of Law, Psychology, and Communication Studies (JLPCS). Please read the following guidelines carefully to ensure that your manuscript meets the journal’s standards.

1. Scope of Submissions

JLPCS welcomes high-quality original research articles, theoretical papers, case studies, and critical reviews. We encourage interdisciplinary studies that advance the understanding of legal systems, psychological processes, and communication practices. Manuscripts may be submitted in English or Chinese.

2. Manuscript Requirements

Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
Manuscripts must be written in clear, professional English or Chinese.
All citations must strictly follow the APA 7th Edition style. (See Taylor & Francis APA Style Guide).

• Main Document Specifications

(Using the same standard as Oxford University Press Journal of Communication)

The main document should be a maximum of 35 pages (including abstract, text, references, tables, figures, endnotes).

Page 1: Title (centered), Abstract (max 150 words), Keywords (at least 5).
Page 2: Title (centered) followed directly by main text. Title acts as the first-order heading. Subheadings begin with second-order subheading (bold flush left).
Typography: 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1.0 inch margins throughout.
Header: Running head and page numbers on top right corner of each page.
References: Double-spaced, start on a new page. 2nd and subsequent lines should have hanging indent of 0.5 inch.
Tables/Figures: Placed after references. Each on a separate page (simple ones may share a page, max 2). Standard 12-point Times New Roman.
Statistics: Supply effect sizes (e.g., Cohen’s d, Pearson’s r) where appropriate to aid meta-analytic synthesis.
File Format: Submit in Microsoft WORD (.docx). PDF files are NOT accepted.

• Supplemental Materials

Supplemental materials do not count against the page limit. Authors are strongly encouraged to include methodological instruments (questionnaires, codebooks, scripts) if the main text is not exhaustive.

Examples: Questionnaire items, experimental stimuli, descriptive statistics, syntax/code, codebooks, dictionaries, focus group protocols, or PRISMA checklists. Each new item should begin on a new page with appropriate headings.

• Ethical Requirements and AI Use

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) within the Methods or Acknowledgments section. AI may not be used to generate data or serve as an author. Peer reviewers must not upload manuscripts into AI tools. The integrity of the review process is paramount.

3. Plagiarism Screening

English Manuscripts: Screened via Turnitin. Similarity index must be less than 20%.
Chinese Manuscripts: Screened via CNKI. Similarity index must be less than 20%.

4. Peer Review Process

JLPCS operates a double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent experts. The typical review period is approximately 6–8 weeks.

5. Article Processing Charge