Target Audience

The ALF Blog primarily targets academics, legal practitioners, policymakers, and students interested in international legal developments.  Content should balance legal precision with accessibility for a broad, informed audience. 

Principal Themes 

The principal themes of the ALF Blog are: 

• Law & Technology 
• Migration Law 
• Climate Change Law 

Blogs on other topics are welcome if they present a clear international legal perspective on the topic under discussion. 

Legal Content Requirements

• Topics must align with the blog's themes and focus on international or transnational law. 
• Content should engage with recent legislation, case law, scholarly works, scientific developments, or current events from an international legal standpoint. Make sure that a timely topic is chosen. 
• Ensure that your analysis directly engages with the blog's core themes, demonstrating how your topic contributes to ongoing international legal discussions. 
• All entries must provide legal analysis and explore the legal implications of the topic. 
• Each blog must be structured around a clear research question, where appropriate supported by sub-questions, which is addressed throughout the blog and answered in the conclusion.

Abstract

• Include an abstract of approximately 50–100 words. 
• Outline the purpose of the blog post and relevant research questions. 
• Detail your conclusion. 

Tone and Style

• Use clear, concise academic language. 
• Maintain a professional and objective tone. 
• Present arguments and opinions respectfully and constructively. 
• Use subheadings and signposting to enhance readability and guide readers through complex arguments. 
• Incorporate relevant case studies or examples to support legal analysis. 
• Mind the audience: The primary readers of ALF's blogs will be lawyers. Make sure your tone matches this audience. 

Formatting Guidelines

• Language: Use British English throughout. 
• File format: Submit articles in Microsoft Word format (doc or .docx). 
• Font: Times New Roman.  
• Text Size: 12. 
• Format: Justified. 
• Length: The recommended word count is 800–1200 words; maximum 2000 words. 
• Abbreviations: Common abbreviations (e.g., UN, EC, EU, US, NATO) need not be expanded. Spell out other terms on first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. 
• Bullets and lists: Use black dots for primary bullets and horizontal dashes for indented points. 
• Date format: Use the day–month–year format (e.g., 10 June 2023) in the header. 
• References: References are provided via hyperlinks wherever possible. In principle, therefore, no footnotes are required. If a footnote is nonetheless needed, follow the OSCOLA 4th edition for citations and referencing; <https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/migrated/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012.pdf> 
• Author information: Provide an academic and professional biography (maximum 50 words). 
• Images: Contributors are encouraged to include relevant images with copyright information. 
• Keywords: Include relevant keywords reflecting the entry's main themes and topics. 

 Editorial Review and Feedback (refer to the image under ‘Submission Process’) 

• All submissions undergo a review by the editorial team to ensure alignment with the blog’s standards. 
• Authors may be asked to revise their work based on feedback to ensure alignment with the blog’s standards. 
• The editorial team reserves the right to make minor edits for clarity, grammar, and style. 

Originality and Plagiarism Policy 

• Submissions must be original and unpublished. 
• Plagiarism, including unattributed copying, is strictly prohibited. 
• All external sources must be appropriately cited and referenced. 

Use of Artificial Intelligence

• The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT or Copilot) is permitted only for limited supporting tasks, namely checking spelling and grammar and, possibly, identifying relevant resources. Any resources identified using AI must be independently checked by the author.
• When AI is used for these purposes, its use must be disclosed in a short statement at the end of the blog. If AI has been used to identify literature or other resources, the statement must also include the prompts used.
• AI tools may not be used to write the content of the blog or to develop its analysis or argumentation. The content, analysis and argumentation must be the author's own work.
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy and originality of the content, as well as for the accuracy and proper use of all sources and references.

Blogs that do not comply with these rules will not be accepted as a completed assignment.