Studia Prawnicze. Rozprawy i Materiały / Studies in Law: Research Papers

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Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors

This page summarises the journal’s submission, formatting, ethical, and technical requirements. Please read it carefully before uploading your files to the OJS platform.

All author-identifying information and formal declarations should be placed on the Title Page, while the Main Manuscript File must remain anonymised for double-blind peer review.

Before Submission ↑

To facilitate editorial screening and double-blind peer review, Authors should prepare the submission as a set of clearly separated files. In particular, please ensure that:

  • the Title Page contains all author-identifying information and all required declarations;
  • the Main Manuscript File is fully anonymised and does not identify the Authors directly or indirectly;
  • the abstract, keywords, references, tables, figures, and supplementary materials follow the requirements below;
  • the Declaration of Generative AI Use is included on the Title Page, regardless of whether AI tools were used or not;
  • the Acknowledgments section does not include the AI declaration, which must be provided separately on the Title Page.

Article Types ↑

The journal accepts the following types of manuscripts:

Original Research Articles ↑

Original Research Articles present the results of innovative theoretical, doctrinal (legal dogmatic), comparative, or empirical research in the field of legal scholarship. The manuscript must feature a clearly defined research objective and thesis, a rigorous and appropriate methodology, a critical analysis of legal sources, case law, and relevant scholarly literature, as well as original argumentation leading to well-substantiated theoretical conclusions or de lege ferenda proposals.

Recommended Structure:

  • Introduction

    • Outline of the background and relevance of the problem (its theoretical or practical significance).
    • Clearly formulated research objective, research question, or main thesis.
    • Specification of the methodology and source material (e.g., doctrinal legal method, comparative analysis, case law analysis).

  • Analytical and Substantive Body (divided into numbered thematic sections)

    • Legal Framework and Normative Context: Analysis of relevant statutory and regulatory provisions (domestic, EU, or international law).
    • Critical Review of Case Law and Doctrine: Overview and evaluation of existing judicial trends and academic debate.
    • Author's Analysis and Argumentation: Development of the author’s original position, identification of legal gaps or normative conflicts, and application of textual, teleological, and systemic interpretation.
    • Comparative / Contextual Perspective (if applicable): Comparative evaluation against solutions adopted in other legal systems (e.g., German, French, or Common Law jurisdictions).

  • Discussion and Implications

    • Confronting the findings with potential counterarguments.
    • Impact of the proposed interpretation on legal practice and legal transactions.

  • Conclusions

    • Direct answers to the research questions posed in the introduction.
    • Concise confirmation or refutation of the primary thesis.
    • Concrete de lege lata remarks (concerning interpretation and application) and de lege ferenda recommendations (legislative reform proposals).

  • References

Review Articles ↑

Review articles provide a comprehensive, critical, and in-depth synthesis of the current state of knowledge, existing scholarship, legal doctrine, and jurisprudence concerning a selected, significant legal issue. Rather than presenting novel empirical or primary research findings, their purpose is to systematize, evaluate, and critically appraise existing academic literature, identify research gaps, and outline future trajectories for legal scholarship and practice.

Suggested Manuscript Structure:

  • Introduction: Formulates the background, rationales, research objectives, and the scope of the review, specifying the criteria used for selecting relevant literature and legal authorities.

  • Theoretical Framework & State of the Art: Outlines the legal and scholarly background, contextualizing the historical evolution and current debate surrounding the topic.

  • Main Analytical Body (Thematic Subsections): Critically examines and compares scholarly views, judicial decisions, or comparative legal frameworks divided logically into structured thematic sections.

  • Conclusions & Future Directions: Synthesizes the core analytical insights, highlights unresolved legal questions, proposes de lege ferenda recommendations, and identifies emerging trends for future legal research and practice.

  • References: A complete, uniformly formatted bibliography of all cited academic sources, statutory materials, and case law.

Case Commentaries (Case Notes / Gloses) ↑

Case commentaries provide an in-depth, critical or approving analysis of a landmark judicial decision delivered by national, supranational, or international courts and tribunals (e.g., Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, CJEU, ECtHR). Their purpose is to evaluate the court’s legal interpretation and application of statutory provisions, examine the decision's consistency with existing case law and legal doctrine, and assess its broader theoretical and practical implications for the legal system. A commentary should not merely summarize the ruling, but must provide original doctrinal, analytical, or comparative legal insights.

Suggested Commentary Structure:

  • Case Details & Headnote: Full citation of the ruling (court, date of decision, case number/docket reference, official reporter), accompanied by the relevant headnote (ratio decidendi), indicating whether the note is approving, critical, or partially critical.

  • Factual & Procedural Background: A concise summary of the essential material facts and procedural history leading to the adjudication.

  • Legal Reasoning of the Court: An overview of the primary legal grounds, statutory interpretations, and core arguments adopted in the court’s ratio.

  • Critical Legal Appraisal (Main Body): The substantive core of the commentary—a rigorous doctrinal analysis evaluating the court's reasoning, assessing conformity with established precedents and scholarly opinion, and examining systemic and practical repercussions.

  • Conclusions: A synthesis of the overall assessment, articulating the prospective significance of the ruling for future jurisprudence and proposing any warranted de lege ferenda recommendations.

  • References: A complete, uniformly formatted list of all academic literature, statutory instruments, and judicial authorities cited.

Reviews, Reports, Varia ↑

This section publishes shorter, non-research contributions that document and evaluate current developments in legal scholarship and practice. It includes critical reviews of books and other scholarly publications, reports on academic conferences, seminars, and research projects, as well as commentaries on legislative and judicial developments, interviews, jubilee and commemorative notes, and other texts of informational or scholarly interest to the legal community. Contributions in this section do not present original research results. They must nevertheless be accurate, well-substantiated, and written in a scholarly manner. They undergo editorial review and, where appropriate, external review.

Types of Contributions:

  1. Reviews
    Critical evaluations of monographs, edited volumes, commentaries, textbooks, or significant journal issues, published as a rule within the last three years, that are relevant to legal scholarship.

    Recommended structure:

    • Bibliographic details of the reviewed work (author, title, publisher, place and year of publication, number of pages, ISBN or DOI).
    • Presentation of the author(s), the subject matter, and the aim of the reviewed work.
    • Description of the structure and main theses of the work.
    • Critical assessment: originality, methodology, quality of argumentation, use of legal sources, case law, and literature, and contribution to the field.
    • Final evaluation: strengths, limitations, and the target readership.

    The review should be analytical and balanced, not a mere summary of the content.

  2. Reports
    Reports on academic conferences, symposia, seminars, workshops, and research projects of international or national significance, particularly those relevant to the journal's scope.

    Recommended structure:

    • Basic information on the event (title, organizer, date, place, format).
    • Aim, scope, and main thematic areas of the event.
    • Synthesis of the key presentations and discussions, with particular emphasis on the legal problems addressed and the conclusions reached.
    • Assessment of the significance of the event for legal scholarship or practice, and possible directions for further research.

    The report should not be a chronological list of speakers. It should highlight the most important issues and the results of the debate.

  3. Varia
    Texts of a scholarly, documentary, or commemorative nature that do not fit the above categories. They include, for example:

    • commentaries on new legislation, landmark judgments, or other legal developments (short glosses, notes, comments);
    • interviews with distinguished scholars and practitioners;
    • jubilee articles, obituaries, and biographical notes;
    • bibliographic surveys and information on scientific societies, projects, and academic initiatives;
    • polemical texts and responses to previously published articles.

    Varia contributions should be concise and clearly formulated. They must state their purpose and context, and must be properly supported by references to sources where applicable.

General Requirements:

  • Contributions in this section are shorter than original research articles. As a rule, they should not exceed the length indicated in the journal's guidelines for authors.
  • Authors must maintain scholarly objectivity, professional ethics, and respect for the reviewed authors, participants, and persons concerned. Polemical texts should address arguments, not persons.
  • All factual information, quotations, and references to legal acts, judgments, and literature must be accurate and verifiable. Footnotes and a short list of cited works should follow the journal's citation style.
  • Materials containing personal data, private correspondence, or unpublished statements require the consent of the persons concerned.
  • Where applicable, contributions should include the author's name, affiliation, and ORCID number, as in other sections of the journal.

General Requirements ↑

Manuscripts submitted to Studia Prawnicze. Rozprawy i Materiały / Studies in Law: Research Papers should meet the following general requirements:

  • the manuscript must be academic in nature;
  • the topic must align with the aims and scope of the journal;
  • the manuscript must present original content and must not constitute unjustified repetition, compilation, duplication, or recycling of previous works, including the Author’s own publications;
  • the manuscript must not have been previously published;
  • the manuscript must not be under consideration by another journal or publisher;
  • the title should accurately reflect the content of the article;
  • the objectives, research problem, and methodology should be clearly defined;
  • conclusions should be logical, original, and supported by the material presented in the manuscript;
  • the language should be clear, precise, and suitable for academic publication;
  • the cited literature should reflect the current state of knowledge in the relevant field;
  • the manuscript should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s formatting and referencing requirements.

Manuscript Length and File Format ↑

The recommended maximum length of original research articles and case commentaries is up to 40,000 characters, including spaces. Review articles are not subject to a fixed character limit; however, their length should be proportionate to the scope of the review and justified by the topic, methodology, and breadth of the literature.

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format:

  • .doc
  • .docx

The text should be prepared in Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1.5 line spacing.

Foreign terms and expressions (including Latin maxims), as well as titles of articles, books, and other works, should be written in italics. Authors should avoid using bold or underlined text for emphasis.

Abbreviations should be used consistently throughout the manuscript. When an abbreviation is used for the first time, it should be explained in full.

Files Required at Submission ↑

Authors are required to submit the following files:

1. Title Page ↑

All declarations and specific statements must be placed on the Title Page to ensure the main manuscript remains fully anonymized for the double-blind peer review process. The title page should include:

  • full name and surname of each Author;
  • affiliation of each Author, including the name of the university, research institute, public institution, law firm, organisation, or other entity with which the Author is affiliated;
  • country of affiliation;
  • ORCID iD of each Author, where available;
  • e-mail address of each Author;
  • Supplementary Materials description (if applicable);
  • Author Contributions statement (using the CRediT taxonomy);
  • Funding statement;
  • Ethics Approval Statement (where applicable to empirical studies);
  • Informed Consent Statement (where applicable to empirical studies involving human participants);
  • Data Availability Statement;
  • Declaration of Generative AI Use;
  • Acknowledgments (if applicable);
  • Conflicts of Interest statement.

Detailed instructions for each of these statements can be found in the specific sections below.

2. Main Manuscript File ↑

The main manuscript file should be fully anonymised and must not contain information that directly or indirectly identifies the Authors.

The manuscript file should include:

  • title of the article in English;
  • abstract in English (150–250 words);
  • 3–5 keywords in English;
  • main text of the article;
  • references, categorised where appropriate into scholarly literature, statutory materials, and case law;
  • tables, figures, charts, and illustrations placed close to their first mention in the text.

Abstracts and Keywords ↑

Each manuscript should include an abstract and keywords.

Abstract
Length: 150–250 words.
The abstract should include:

  • a brief statement of the research problem;
  • the aim of the paper;
  • the research methodology applied;
  • the main findings and conclusions of the analysis; de lege ferenda postulates.

Authors should provide 3–5 keywords. Keywords should be specific, searchable, and relevant to the manuscript. They should not merely repeat words used in the title.

For manuscripts submitted in Polish, Authors should provide the title, abstract, and keywords in both Polish and English. For manuscripts submitted in English, Polish metadata is not required.

References and Citations ↑

For scholarly literature, the journal follows a reference style based on APA 7th edition (both in in-text citations and in the bibliography). For statutory instruments and case law, traditional legal footnotes should be used.

Scholarly Literature (books, journal articles, commentaries, edited volumes, online publications)
– Alphabetical order by author/editor surname; multiple works by the same author should be ordered chronologically (add letters a, b, c for works published in the same year).
– Provide active DOI identifiers for all references where available.
– Do not use Latin abbreviations such as ibidem, idem, or op. cit. in parenthetical citations.

Books
Foucault M. (1993). Nadzorować i karać. Narodziny więzienia. Aletheia.

Edited Books
Stanek J., Partyk A. (Eds.) (2024). Emocje. Rozważania na styku prawa i psychologii. Oficyna Wydawnicza AFM.

Book Chapters
Marciniec K., Szczypińska Z. (2024). Celowe wywoływanie stresu u świadka jako strategia procesowa. In: J. Stanek, A. Partyk (Eds.), Emocje. Rozważania na styku prawa i psychologii (pp. 61–71). Oficyna Wydawnicza AFM.

Journal Articles
Czachor R. (2026). Treaty Relations Between Poland and Georgia: A Comparative Analysis in the Regional Context. Studia Prawnicze. Rozprawy i Materiały, 38, 1–25, https://doi.org/10.31749/2451-0807-sp-2026-05.

Online Sources
Kuzio T. (2023). Putin’s plan for a new Russian Empire includes both Ukraine and Belarus. The Atlantic Council, www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putins-planfor-a-new-russian-empire-includes-both-ukraine-and-belarus [accessed: 30.03.2023].

Statutory Instruments
Act of 23 April 1964 – Civil Code, consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2026, item 795.
Directive 2014/41/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 regarding the European Investigation Order in criminal matters, OJ L 130, 1.5.2014.

Case Law
Supreme Court judgment of 8 August 1980, III CRN 144/80, Legalis.

In-text Parenthetical Citations
– Provide author's surname and publication year in parentheses: (Kowalski 2020) or as stated by Kowalski (2020).
– Two authors: cite both names (Kowalski, Nowak 2020) or Kowalski and Nowak (2020).
– Three or more authors: cite the first author followed by et al.: (Kowalski et al. 2020).
– Works without an identified author: cite the title in italics and year: (Social aspects... 2024).
– Multiple citations within the same parentheses are separated by semicolons: (Kowalski 2020; Nowak 1998, 2010).

Citing Statutes and Case Law
[main text]
This provision is defined in the Polish Civil Code1 in Art. 1002.
[footnotes]
1 Act of 23 April 1964 – Civil Code, consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2026, item 795, hereinafter: CC.
[case law in footnotes]
2 Supreme Court Judgment of 8 August 1980, III CRN 144/80, Legalis.

Tables, Figures, Charts, and Illustrations ↑

Tables, figures, charts, photographs, and illustrations should be numbered separately and consecutively. Each table, figure, chart, or illustration must have a clear title or caption and must be referred to in the main text. Figures and photographs should be inserted into the manuscript close to the place where they are discussed. They should also be provided as separate graphic files with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, preferably in one of the following formats: .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff.

Charts should be clear, readable, and preferably prepared in greyscale. Three-dimensional charts should be avoided, as they reduce readability. Where applicable, charts should also be provided as separate editable files, for example in Microsoft Excel format.

Each table and chart must include a source note (e.g., “own work” or “own work based on Statistics Poland data”). Notes to tables should be placed directly below the table. Tables should preferably be formatted without vertical dividing lines.

Ethical Requirements ↑

Authors are expected to comply with the journal’s ethical standards and with internationally recognised principles of research and publication ethics established by COPE.

By submitting a manuscript, Authors confirm that:

  • the manuscript is original;
  • the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere;
  • all Authors have approved the submitted version of the manuscript;
  • all persons who made a significant scholarly contribution are listed as Authors (no ghostwriting or guest authorship);
  • the manuscript does not infringe copyright, personal rights, or other rights of third parties;
  • all sources, statutory instruments, and judicial authorities have been properly cited;
  • all necessary permissions have been obtained for third-party material;
  • any conflicts of interest and funding sources have been disclosed;
  • ethics approval and informed consent have been obtained where required (for empirical studies involving human participants).

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools and Generative AI Declaration ↑

Authors must transparently disclose the use or non-use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of the manuscript.

Generative artificial intelligence tools must not be listed as Authors or co-Authors. Authorship is limited to persons who are able to take responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, originality, and scientific content of the manuscript.

The use of AI tools to generate the entire manuscript, substantial parts of the manuscript, fabricated empirical data, fictional case law, or non-existent citations is strictly prohibited.

If AI-assisted tools were used for language editing, technical formatting, data analysis, coding, or literature screening, this use must be described clearly and specifically in the Declaration of Generative AI Use on the Title Page.

Declaration of Generative AI Use

This declaration must be included on the Title Page. Authors must include one of the following statements:

Where no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used:

The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Where generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used:

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of tool, version] for [specific purpose, e.g. language and grammar editing]. The authors subsequently reviewed and edited the content and take full responsibility for the final version of the manuscript.

Supplementary Materials ↑

This information must be included on the Title Page.

Please describe any additional materials published online alongside the manuscript, such as survey questionnaires, raw dataset tables, extended statistical appendixes, or case compilations. Each supplementary file should be clearly identified in the main text (e.g., Table S1, Appendix S1).

Author Contributions ↑

This statement must be included on the Title Page.

For multi-authored papers, please provide a short paragraph detailing individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy (e.g., "Conceptualization, X.X. and Y.Y.; Methodology, X.X.; Doctrinal Analysis, X.X., Y.Y.; Writing – Original Draft Preparation, X.X.; Writing – Review & Editing, Y.Y.").

Funding ↑

This statement must be included on the Title Page.

Authors are required to disclose all financial support received for the research. Please name the funding agency and grant number (e.g., "This research was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant number [XXX]."). If the study was self-funded, state: "This research received no external funding."

Ethics Approval Statement ↑

This statement must be included on the Title Page.

For empirical legal studies involving human participants (e.g., surveys, in-depth interviews), authors must provide details of institutional ethics review and approval (committee name, resolution/protocol code, and date). For purely theoretical, doctrinal, or statutory/case-law analyses, please state: "Not applicable."

Data Availability Statement ↑

This statement must be included on the Title Page.

Authors should clarify whether and how the research data supporting their findings can be accessed. If no empirical datasets were created and the work is based on public legal sources, state: "Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new empirical datasets were created or analyzed (doctrinal legal analysis)."

Read our Data Sharing and Reproducibility Policy.

Acknowledgments ↑

This section must be included on the Title Page, where applicable.

Use this section to recognize individuals, institutions, or organizations that provided administrative, technical, linguistic, or research support but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

The Acknowledgments section must not include the Declaration of Generative AI Use, which must be provided in its dedicated section on the Title Page.

Conflicts of Interest ↑

This statement must be included on the Title Page.

Authors must declare any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as a conflict of interest (e.g., acting as legal counsel in the reported judicial proceedings). If no conflict exists, state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Publication Charges ↑

The journal does not charge any fees for manuscript submission, editorial processing, peer review, or publication (no APCs). The costs of editorial management, publishing, and archiving are fully covered by the Publisher, AFM Publishing House of Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University.

Open Access and Licence ↑

All articles published in Studia Prawnicze. Rozprawy i Materiały / Studies in Law: Research Papers are made available in Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

Users are free to copy and redistribute the published material in any medium or format, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and original publication, no commercial use is made of the work, and no adaptations or derivative works are distributed.

No. 38 (2026)
Published: 2026-09-25

ISSN: 1689-8052
eISSN: 2451-0807
Publisher
Oficyna Wydawnicza AFM Uniwersytetu Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w Krakowie
Licence CC

Licencja CC BY-NC-ND

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