Author Guidelines
Before submitting an article for publication, please read the guidelines below.
By submitting an article you will be deemed to have understood these guidelines and accepted the terms of publication set out therein.
The aim, we hasten to add, is not to create legal obligations but merely to save time and possible misunderstandings by clarifying our modus operandi at the outset. We have kept it as simple as possible;
1. LDD is an accredited journal – that is, approved by the Department of Education for the publication of subsidised research output. This means that all articles are subject to “peer review” – that is, assessment by anonymous, independent and suitably qualified referees. This usually takes at least a few weeks. Input from the referees may then be sent to authors for incorporation in the article, together with input from the editors, before the article is published.
2. LDD is an open access electronic journal. This means that copyright in all published material remains vested in the author thereof, but the author grants permission for the material to be made available freely on LDD’s website. LDD may also make such material available for publication on other websites of a scholarly nature, including electronic repositories of research material. The material may be quoted, downloaded and/or copied, subject to the following conditions: a) the name(s), title(s) and institutional affiliation(s) of author(s), as well as a bibliographical reference to its original publication in LDD must be included, and b) the copyright of the author(s) – for example, the right to republish or amend the material – remains intact. The purpose is to give maximum access to published research output as a means of stimulating research and promoting higher education. The effect is that articles published in his format enjoy far greater currency nationally and internationally, and are more accessible to readers in developing countries especially, than those published commercially.
3. Because it is accredited and subsidised, LDD only publishes original research output. This means that we cannot consider articles which have already been published in or submitted to another journal. Authors should only submit articles which have not been published or are not being considered for publication elsewhere.
4. LDD appears online in annual volumes, with articles published in the sequence in which they are finalised. There are, in other words, no conventional issues appearing at set intervals. The advantage is that edited articles can be published immediately, without waiting for the due date of a forthcoming issue. However, the editors may also decide to combine articles in special issues (for example, conference proceedings or a series of articles dealing with a common theme). In this case the special issue will be identified and provided with its own table of contents.
5. In addition to peer-reviewed articles, LDD will continue to give space in its Forum section to reviews, reports, articles, letters, speeches and other contributions which have not necessarily been subject to or intended for the formal peer-review process, but are included because the editors consider them to be of interest to the themes which LDD is seeking to develop and deserving a wider readership. Of special importance are contributions by emerging (young) researchers, such as those published under the auspices of our African Languages and Academic Development (ALAD) programme, but the Forum section is not limited to this. Readers are encouraged to use it especially to express their views on articles that have been published or questions that have been raised in LDD.
6. All contributions to LDD should be uploaded on the website (“Submit Articles”). The procedure is very simple: after reading paragraph 7 below, you can register as an author (by clicking on Author Registration), then click on Upload an Article and follow the instructions. The purpose is to make sure that your details – and your article – are safely in our system and that the process described above will happen smoothly. In particular, it will ensure that speedy feedback can be provided at all times. Articles may also be sent by email to The Editors, Law Democracy and Development at info@ldd.org.za. 7.
Last but not least, all contributions should be submitted in the house style of the journal – that is, using the format of presentation and citation which is set out under House style. Revising an article to bring it in line with the rest of the journal can be a laborious task, and the editors’ primary role is to focus on the content of articles rather than their format. It is therefore both time-effective and conducive to quality if authors ensure that contributions are submitted in the house style (which is similar to that of other legal journals). Contributions that are not in the house style may be returned to authors for revision before being considered for publication.
