Editorial and Publication Policy

Editorial and Publication Process

Acceptance for publication is discretionary upon the Editorial Board, which enjoys full editorial independence from the College of Law. Submissions are generally evaluated based on relevance of the topic, substance of arguments, quality of research, and originality of the work.

Every submission is first reviewed by the Editorial Board, which evaluates all submissions blindly, without knowledge of authors’ identities during the initial deliberation and voting process. Submissions may result in any of the following decisions: (1) Accepted for Publication, (2) Rejected, or (3) Conditionally Accepted subject to specified revisions and subsequent re-deliberation. Authors of accepted submissions are extended an offer of publication, which they must accept within a specified period. All Decisions are final and are not subject to appeal by authors.

Submissions designated as articles undergo a double-blind (anonymous) reviewing procedure to assess their scholarly merit prior to acceptance. Reviewers provide feedback and recommend: (1) Outright Publication, (2) Publication with Revisions, or (3) Rejection. A manuscript receiving two (2) Outright Publication recommendations shall ordinarily be offered publication, while those requiring revisions shall undergo a second-round Editorial Board deliberation after revisions. Reviewer recommendations are considered, but the Editorial Board retains final authority over all publication decisions. For the full Peer Review Procedure, refer to the [PLJ Peer Review Policy]. All submissions and reviewer reports are treated as confidential.

All works accepted for publication undergo further substantive and technical editing. An assigned Article Editor works directly with the author throughout the editorial process, while a Supervising Editor and the Issue Editor oversee all proposed changes. Citations must follow the PLJ Maroon Manual or the Bluebook and may be revised by the Editorial Board for consistency. Authors may be consulted at any stage regarding clarifications, issues, or proposed revisions. All changes must be implemented using the “Track Changes” function to ensure transparency and facilitate review, noting any disagreements in the comment box. The author must confirm the final manuscript prior to publication.

The Board reserves the right to withdraw or refuse publication of any submission found to contain plagiarism, unethical research practices, prior publication in another journal, or use of artificial intelligence (AI) in violation of the PLJ AI policy, at any stage of the editing and publication process.

The Journal does not accept resubmissions of rejected manuscripts within the same Volume.

The Journal, as a matter of policy, does not publish works generated by AI or through AI tools. See the [AI Policy of the Journal].

PLJ Policy On Use of AI And AI Tools

In recognition of the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its potential implications on legal scholarship, the Philippine Law Journal adopts this policy on the use of AI and AI tools, covering all works submitted to and solicited for publication, effective March 1, 2025:

1. Non-Acceptance of AI-Generated Works

The Philippine Law Journal publishes only originally-drafted works and will not accept any work that includes content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) or through any AI tool.

2. Permitted Uses of AI

The Journal recognizes only the following as permitted uses of AI and AI tools:

  1. Use of AI ancillary to the research methodology employed in the work, such as through software for automation, data collection, transcription, data processing, or data analysis;
  2. Use of AI and AI tools to enhance academic writing techniques, for tasks such as summarizing, footnoting, plagiarism detection, or proofreading;
  3. Use of AI and AI tools for demonstrating their technology, in furtherance of the thesis or substance of the work; and
  4. Other uses of AI and AI tools analogous to these, provided they are reasonable in extent and do not impair the originality of the work.

3. Warranty of Non-Use of AI-Generated Works

By submitting to the Journal, authors warrant the originality of their work, their non-use of AI-generated works, and their adherence to this Policy. They may declare any permitted use of AI and the scope and extent of such use in the cover letter or email of their submission or in the accompanying preemption memorandum, if any.

Likewise, authors understand that a finding of AI use that violates this Policy shall merit non-publication, without prejudice to further action that may be taken under law and the academic policies enforced by the University and the College of Law.

Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Philippine Law Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. It adheres to the standards prescribed by the University of the Philippines (UP), including the UP Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and aligns its practices with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The Journal implements a rigorous editorial and peer review process to ensure the integrity, quality, and independence of the publication.

Editorial Board Responsibilities

The Editorial Board is responsible for the administration, editing, and production of each issue of the Journal. All editorial and publication decisions are made solely on the basis of scholarly merit and in accordance with the standards and policies of the Journal.

The Board is guided by the Board of Advisors and the Peer Reviewers in assessing the scholarly value of each submission and is responsible for the selection and appointment of qualified reviewers. Final decisions on publication remain exclusively vested in the Editorial Board.

Author Responsibilities

By submitting their works to the Journal, authors warrant that their works are original and unpublished in any other academic journal, law review, or publication, whether print or online, and whether in the Philippines or in any foreign jurisdiction.

Author Malpractice

Authors should also understand that any finding of plagiarism of any form and to any extent shall merit non-publication and blacklisting, without prejudice to further action that may be taken under law and the academic policies enforced by the University and the College of Law.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to conduct peer review objectively, professionally, and in a timely manner, with due regard to research ethics. All submissions and reviewer reports are treated as confidential throughout the review process. Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and decline peer review assignments where such conflicts exist. Reviewers shall notify the Editorial Board of any ethical concerns, in accordance with the Journal’s process for investigation of research misconduct.

Process for Investigation of Research Misconduct:

The Journal shall investigate all allegations of research and publication misconduct in accordance with this procedure and consistent with the COPE’s guidelines.

  1. Reporting. Any allegation of plagiarism, data fabrication, unethical research practices, undisclosed conflict of interest, improper AI use, or breach of peer-review confidentiality may be reported to the Chair at [email protected]. All reports are treated with strict confidentiality.
  2. Preliminary Assessment. The Editorial Board will conduct an initial investigation to determine whether the allegation is credible and warrants further review. The Board may designate a Reviewing Editor to review evidence, conduct plagiarism checks, review source materials, and verify citations as necessary.
  3. Notification to the Author. The author concerned shall be informed of the allegation and afforded an opportunity to respond to  the notice.
  4. Decision. The Editorial Board shall determine the appropriate action from receipt of the author’s response. The Board may dismiss the allegation, require corrections, reject or withdraw the manuscript, retract a published article, or impose sanctions such as blacklisting an author or notifying the author’s institution. The Board reserves the right to pursue actions involving academic dishonesty against the author with the University and/or the College of Law.
  5. Confidentiality. All proceedings are confidential. Only decisions, corrections, or retractions may be made public.
  6. Expressions of Concern, Correction, and Retraction. The Journal may issue expressions of concerns, corrections, or retractions when appropriate.
    1. Expression of Concern – when there are major issues about the reliability of a manuscript which do not meet the criteria for a retraction, or there is insufficient credible evidence and there is an ongoing investigation on the allegation. It may also be an interim notice before a correction or a retraction is made. For more information, refer to COPE’s Expressions of Concern Guidelines.
    2. Correction – when upon investigation, the Editorial Board finds that the errors or omissions were not intentional and allows the author to revise or fix the oversight. Corrections will be published both in print and digital formats.
    3. Retraction – when the work contains serious flaws due to error, fraud, unethical research practices, compromised peer review, or research or publication misconduct. For more information, refer to COPE’s Retraction Guidelines.

Copyright and Licensing

By accepting its Offer of Publication, authors grant the Journal a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and archive their work in print or digital formats, including institutional repositories and indexing services, without financial obligation, and warrant that the manuscript or any portion thereof:

  1. has not been previously published in any other academic periodical;
  2. will not be subsequently published in other periodicals without due credit to earlier publication in the Journal; and
  3. will not be subsequently submitted to paper prize or scholarship competitions.

Authors may republish, reuse, or adapt their work in subsequent publications, provided that proper attribution is given to the Philippine Law Journal as the original publisher and that such reuse does not conflict with the licensing rights granted to the Journal.

Author Fees

The Journal does not charge authors any fees for submission, review, or publication of articles. However, authors may be charged fees by third-party submissions platforms (such as Scholastica) pursuant to their respective terms of service.

Access and Archives

Articles published in the Journal are available for download on the Philippine Law Journal website (www.philippinelawjournal.org) without subscription or access fees.

The archive may also be accessible on HeinOnline. Printed copies are available for purchase at the University of the Philippines Law Center Book Room.

Revenue and Advertising

The Philippine Law Journal is published quarterly under the auspices of the College of Law. All proceeds from publication are allocated to the U.P. Law Center’s PLJ Trust Fund, which supports the Journal’s activities following Philippine government procurement and does not accrue to the Journal’s editors, staff, contributors, or reviewers.

Annual print subscriptions are available for PHP 1,000 (Local Subscription) or USD 120 (Foreign Subscription, excluding shipping costs).

The Journal does not engage in advertising or direct marketing activities but may enter into sponsorship agreements in relation to academic or institutional events such as the annual Legal Academic Writing Seminar (LAWS) and the PLJ Public Lecture, which do not influence editorial decisions.