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Submission Criteria 

Welcome to the submission criteria section of Writ of Certiorari. Here, we outline the guidelines and requirements for authors wishing to contribute their work to our esteemed journal. Submissions should adhere to the highest standards of academic rigour, originality, and relevance to the field of law. We welcome research articles that address pressing legal issues, advance theoretical understanding, or propose innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. Manuscripts should be well-written, logically organized, and supported by sound methodology and evidence. Additionally, authors are encouraged to consider the global implications of their work and its potential impact on legal practice, policy, and social justice. Submissions undergo a rigorous peer-review process by editors to ensure the quality and integrity of published content. We invite scholars, practitioners, and activists from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to contribute their insights and expertise to Writ of Certiorari, as we strive to foster a vibrant community of legal scholarship and engagement. 

Submission Guidelines

The submission process requires that prospective contributors comply with all of the following terms presented as part of section IV, as well as those presented throughout the rest of the editorial guidelines. Submissions may be returned to contributors who do not adhere to the guidelines. N.B. There are no fees associated with submitting a piece for consideration nor for the publication of that piece. 

 

  1. In submitting to the Journal, contributors confirm that their submission(s) is their original work. 

  2. In submitting to the Journal, contributors confirm that their submission(s) has not already been published elsewhere, nor is under consideration for publication elsewhere. Work already published elsewhere, or that is under consideration elsewhere, will not be considered for publication. Contributers must confirm that submission(s) are either expanded course essays or newly written work.

  3. The Journal aims to publish high-calibre, accurate, social science-oriented content. Contributors, however, do not have to have a social-science academic background/affiliation. 

  4. Social science-oriented content includes, but may not be limited to, work that corresponds to York University’s Department of Social Science Undergraduate programs. 

  5. Each submission to the Journal must have an accompanying abstract (maximum 150 words) that summarizes the piece and includes any relevant information that may pertain to the piece’s significance, methodology, themes, etc. 

  6. Submissions should be between 1000-6000 words in length, and appropriately submitted through the submission form on the Journal’s website. An appropriate submission entails, but is not limited to (please see other relevant sections of the editorial guidelines), partial anonymity. In order to maintain the integrity of the submission review process, yet ensure that submissions are only solicited from the York University community, contributors must provide their first name, last name, email address, and their York University student number (if you are a member of the York community, but are not a current student, please contact the editorial team). All content submitted should be free of identifying information (i.e. name, course instructors, course names, etc.). Submissions that are not free of identifying information may be returned to the contributor.  Contributors will be notified of a successful submission, and informed upon the steps that may follow.

  7. Submission(s) will be accepted on a rolling basis from each academic year. The submission deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year is March 15, 2025. 

Academic Integrity

  1. The Journal’s policy regarding academic integrity is founded upon the principles set in York University’s Senate Policy on Academic Dishonesty. Please refer to, and understand, this document before making a submission to the Journal. The Journal takes the notion of academic honesty very seriously, and treats any infractions thereof, accordingly. 

  2. All submissions to the Journal must properly adhere to an appropriate citation style. Appropriate citation styles for the Journal include the most recent editions of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Chicago manuals style. Please consult the style guide of choice in full, and abide by its prescriptions. Text that is not the contributor’s own, but is included in their submission, must be cited accordingly. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and any instance of these matters will result in a submission’s definite disqualification. 

  3. If instances of plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty are found post-publication, the Journal may correct the impugned submission(s), remove it from the publication, withdraw the publication, or any combination thereof. The Journal may also contact the plagiarizing/dishonest author’s affiliated academic institution, and inform it upon the situation of concern.

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 Policy on AI Technologies 

  1. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has posed novel challenges for the maintenance of academic honesty. AI technologies (including ChatGPT, GPT-3, and DALL-E) are problematic as they allow students to generate content that was not devised by the students themselves. Hence, the use of AI technologies to generate content that is attributed to a student’s own work, in accordance with York University’s Academic Integrity and Generative Artificial Intelligence Technology guideline, constitutes academic misconduct. 

  2. The Journal will not, under any circumstances, accept content that has been AI-generated. All content submitted to the Journal must have been formulated solely by the contributor(s), without assistance from AI technologies. Owing to the precarious nature of AI technologies, even those technologies that are not typically associated with artificial generation, including the likes of ‘Grammarly’, are prohibited from being used to produce/aid any content that is to be submitted to the Journal. 

  3. Use of AI technologies with Journal submissions will constitute a breach of academic honesty. Students that are found to have used AI technologies in a submission(s) may have their submission(s) disqualified, be barred from making any future submissions to the Journal, and/or have their academic institution notified of the breach. 

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