Formatting Guidelines

1. General Principles

Law, Technology & Society is an academic journal open to interdisciplinary work spanning the classical fields of law and the intersections of law with technology and society. The rules below rest on the principles of simplifying the submission process for authors, ensuring a sound peer review and applying a consistent academic format to all accepted articles.

2. Submission Process and Format

The journal adopts an author-friendly publication process. Full compliance with the strict formatting rules is not required at initial submission; these rules apply only to accepted articles. This practice aims to prevent the author from having to reformat the same work for different journals and to keep the review process focused on content.

2.1 Minimum Requirements at First Submission

• File format: .docx (main text) and .docx (Title Page); two separate files.
• Page layout: A4, 1.5 line spacing, a readable typeface, justified alignment.
• Citation style: Chicago NB is recommended; at first submission any consistent citation system is accepted.
• Title, abstract and keywords in Turkish and English for every manuscript (see § 5).
• ORCID identifier for all authors.
• Ethics committee approval document for research that requires it.
• For blind review, author information must not appear in the main text file; this information is placed only in the Title Page.
• Explicit declaration if AI tools have been used (see § 11).

2.2 Full Format After Acceptance

Once your work is accepted, the author is required to fully comply with the page format set out in § 3, the Chicago NB citation style defined in § 7 and the legal-source footnote format set out in § 8. At this stage the journal templates are sent to the author.

3. Page and Document Format

• Page size: A4 (210 × 297 mm)
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides
• Typeface: Times New Roman 12 pt
• Line spacing: 1.5
• Paragraph indent: 1.25 cm first line
• Alignment: Justified
• Footnotes: Times New Roman 10 pt, single spacing (for explanatory footnotes only, see § 7.4)
• Page numbers: Bottom-centre

4. Article Types and Length

Word counts include abstract, main text, footnotes and references. Tables and figures are not included.

5. Title, Author Information, Abstract and Keywords

Author information (name, affiliation, ORCID, email, correspondence address) appears only on the Title Page; the main text file must be stripped of author information for blind review.

• Title: Up to 15 words; a subtitle may follow a colon.
• Abstract: 150–250 words, a single paragraph, no subheadings. A structured abstract is preferred: context, aim, method, findings and contribution in that order.
• Keywords: 5–7 terms, lowercase, separated by commas.
• Bilingual presentation: Each manuscript must contain title, abstract and keywords in both Turkish and English.

6. Text Structure and Heading Hierarchy

The structure of the manuscript depends on the type of work but at a minimum includes introduction, body sections (with subheadings), conclusion and references. Empirical work follows the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) structure. The heading hierarchy goes no deeper than three levels (I, A, 1); deeper hierarchies are avoided.

• Level 1: 14 pt, bold, left-aligned, numbered (I. Introduction)
• Level 2: 12 pt, bold, left-aligned, numbered (A. Conceptual Framework)
• Level 3: 12 pt, bold italic, left-aligned, numbered (1. Related Debates)

7. Citation Style — Chicago Notes–Bibliography (18th Edition)

The journal follows the Notes and Bibliography style of The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition (2024). All citations are given in footnotes; parenthetical in-text citations are not used. Every cited source must also appear in the alphabetical Bibliography at the end of the article.

7.1 Footnote Citations — Basic Examples

Book (single author, first citation):
Wael B. Hallaq, The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament (New York: Columbia University Press, 2013), 37.

Book (two or three authors):
Talal Asad and Saba Mahmood, Is Critique Secular? (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009), 45.

Book (four or more authors):
Boaventura de Sousa Santos et al., Epistemologies of the South (Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2014), 12.

Chapter in an edited volume:
Ramón Grosfoguel, “The Structure of Knowledge in Westernized Universities,” in Postcolonial Thought, ed. Gurminder K. Bhambra (London: Routledge, 2015), 73–90.

Peer-reviewed journal article:
Aníbal Quijano, “Coloniality of Power and Eurocentrism in Latin America,” International Sociology 15, no. 2 (2000): 215–232, https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580900015002005.

Thesis or dissertation:
First Last, “Thesis Title” (Master’s thesis / PhD diss., University, Year), XX.

Web source (mutable content):
First Last, “Article Title,” Site Name, publication date, accessed March 15, 2026, https://www.sitename.com/article.

Web source (stable — DOI-bearing article or book): Access date is optional; the DOI or a stable permalink is sufficient.

7.2 Subsequent Citations — Short Form

Chicago NB, 18th edition, favors the short form for consecutive and subsequent citations. The short form consists of the author’s last name, a shortened title of the work, and the page reference.

Short-form template:

Last Name, Shortened Title, page.

Example footnote sequence:

1. Wael B. Hallaq, The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament (New York: Columbia University Press, 2013), 37.
2. Hallaq, Impossible State, 42.
3. Talal Asad and Saba Mahmood, Is Critique Secular? (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009), 45.
4. Hallaq, Impossible State, 89.

7.3 Direct and Block Quotations

• Short quotations (under 40 words): enclosed in double quotation marks within the running text; the footnote number is placed at the end of the quotation.
• Block quotations (40 words or more): set off without quotation marks; indented 1.27 cm from the left margin; 10-point font; single line spacing. The footnote number is placed at the end of the block.
• Page numbers are mandatory in the footnote for all direct quotations.

7.4 Secondary Sources (“Quoted in”)

When the primary source is inaccessible, cite the secondary source as follows:

Aníbal Quijano, Coloniality of Power, 215, quoted in Ramón Grosfoguel, “The Structure of Knowledge in Westernized Universities,” in Postcolonial Thought (London: Routledge, 2015), 78.

Only the work actually consulted (Grosfoguel) appears in the Bibliography. Secondary citations should be used only when the primary source cannot be obtained.

7.5 Substantive (Discursive) Footnotes

Under Chicago NB, footnotes may contain not only citations but also brief supplementary discussion, historical background, or conceptual clarification that would otherwise interrupt the main text. Substantive and citation footnotes share the same numbering sequence; sources may be cited at the end of the substantive note where relevant.

7.6 Attributing AI-Generated Content

Chicago NB, 18th edition, introduces specific guidance for citing content produced with the assistance of AI tools. Whenever an AI tool has been used for text generation, source summarization, language editing, data analysis, code generation, or any comparable task, this must be disclosed in a footnote using the format below.

Basic format:

Tool Name (Version), Developer, date of use. Accuracy of the output was verified by the author.

Example footnotes:

• ChatGPT (GPT-4, October 2024 version), OpenAI, accessed March 15, 2026. Accuracy of the output was verified by the author.
• Claude (Sonnet 4.5), Anthropic, accessed February 20, 2026. Accuracy of the output was verified by the author.
• DeepL Translator, DeepL SE, accessed January 10, 2026 (translation review only).

8. Footnote Format for Legal Sources

Legal sources (court decisions, statutes, treaties and so on) are cited in line with both the established footnote practice of Turkish legal scholarship and the conventions of Chicago NB.

8.1 Turkish High Court Decisions

• Constitutional Court (annulment/objection):
  Constitutional Court (AYM), E. 2018/74, K. 2019/12, 15 March 2019, Official Gazette, 30 April 2019, no. 30760.
• Constitutional Court (individual application):
  AYM, Application of Ahmet Yılmaz, App. No. 2018/12345, 10 May 2020, § 42.
• Court of Cassation (General Assembly):
  Court of Cassation General Assembly (Yarg. HGK), E. 2020/11-2345, K. 2021/789, 10 May 2021.
• Court of Cassation (Chamber):
  Court of Cassation 11th Civil Chamber (Yarg. 11. HD), E. 2020/2345, K. 2021/1789, 10 May 2021.
• Council of State (Plenary):
  Council of State Plenary (Dan. DDK), E. 2019/123, K. 2020/456, 22 September 2020.
• Council of State (Chamber):
  Council of State 8th Chamber (Dan. 8. D.), E. 2018/5678, K. 2020/3421, 22 September 2020.

8.2 Statutes, Decree-Laws and Regulations

• Statute (first citation):
  Turkish Civil Code, Law No. 4721, adopted 22 November 2001, Official Gazette, 8 December 2001, no. 24607, Art. 24.
• Statute (subsequent citation):
  Turkish Civil Code, Art. 24/1.
• Subdivision (paragraph and sub-paragraph):
  Turkish Code of Obligations, Art. 49/II, sub-para. 2.
• Regulation:
  Regulation on Personal Health Data, Official Gazette, 21 June 2019, no. 30808.
• Presidential Decree:
  Presidential Decree No. 4, Official Gazette, 15 July 2018, no. 30479.

8.3 European Court of Human Rights

• Grand Chamber judgment:
  ECtHR, Hirst v. United Kingdom [GC], App. No. 74025/01, 6 October 2005, § 82.
• Chamber judgment:
  ECtHR, Ahmet Yıldırım v. Türkiye, App. No. 3111/10, 18 December 2012, §§ 51–56.
• Inadmissibility decision:
  ECtHR, X v. Türkiye (admissibility decision), App. No. 11111/15, 10 February 2018.

8.4 EU Legislation and CJEU Decisions

• EU Regulation:
  General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, 27 April 2016, Official Journal of the European Union, L 119, p. 1, Art. 6.
• EU Directive:
  Services Directive 2006/123/EC, 12 December 2006, Official Journal of the European Union, L 376, p. 36.
• CJEU judgment (preliminary ruling):
  CJEU, Case C-311/18, Data Protection Commissioner v. Facebook Ireland and Maximillian Schrems (Schrems II), 16 July 2020, ECLI:EU:C:2020:559, § 184.
• General Court:
  General Court, Case T-128/19, Vaccine Producer v. Commission, 5 May 2021, ECLI:EU:T:2021:230.

8.5 International Treaties and Documents

• Treaty:
  European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Rome, 4 November 1950, Art. 8.
• UN treaty:
  International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), New York, 16 December 1966, UN Treaty Series, vol. 999, p. 171, Art. 17.
• UN resolution:
  UN General Assembly Resolution 73/179, UN Doc. A/RES/73/179, 17 December 2018.

8.6 Online Databases and Access Note

Where a decision or statute is consulted through an online database such as Lexpera, Kazancı, Hukuk Türk, HUDOC or EUR-Lex, the database name and date of access are added at the end of the footnote:

AYM, E. 2018/74, K. 2019/12, 15 March 2019, Kazancı Database, accessed 15 March 2026.

ECtHR, Hirst v. United Kingdom [GC], App. No. 74025/01, 6 October 2005, HUDOC, https://hudoc.echr.coe.int.

9. Bibliography — Chicago NB (18th Edition)

The Bibliography at the end of the article lists all sources cited, arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. Multiple works by the same author are ordered chronologically; when several works appear in the same year, the letters a, b, c are appended to the year (e.g., 2020a, 2020b).

Formatting requirements:

• Indentation: hanging indent, 1.27 cm
• Line spacing: single
• Author name format: Last Name, First Name — in normal case (all-caps surnames are not used)
• Book and journal titles in italics
• Article and chapter titles in double quotation marks
• Page ranges are required for journal articles and book chapters

9.1 Common Source Types

Book (single author):
Hallaq, Wael B. The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.

Book (two authors):
Asad, Talal, and Saba Mahmood. Is Critique Secular? Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.

Book (three or more authors):
Santos, Boaventura de Sousa, João Arriscado Nunes, and Maria Paula Meneses. Epistemologies of the South. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2014.

Edited book:
Bhambra, Gurminder K., ed. Postcolonial Thought. London: Routledge, 2015.

Chapter in an edited volume:
Grosfoguel, Ramón. “The Structure of Knowledge in Westernized Universities.” In Postcolonial Thought, edited by Gurminder K. Bhambra, 73–90. London: Routledge, 2015.

Peer-reviewed journal article:
Quijano, Aníbal. “Coloniality of Power and Eurocentrism in Latin America.” International Sociology 15, no. 2 (2000): 215–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580900015002005.

International-publisher article (place omitted):
Mignolo, Walter D. “Coloniality: The Darker Side of Western Modernity.” Cultural Studies 21, no. 2 (2007): 449–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380601162647.

Thesis or dissertation:
Last, First. “Thesis Title.” Master’s thesis / PhD diss., University, Year.

Web source (mutable):
Last, First. “Article Title.” Site Name. Publication date. Accessed March 15, 2026. https://www.sitename.com/article.

Web source (stable — DOI-bearing): Access date is optional; the DOI or a stable permalink suffices.

Statute or regulation:
Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698, Turkish Official Gazette, No. 29677, April 7, 2016.

Judicial decision:
Turkish Constitutional Court, Case No. 2020/44 E., Decision No. 2021/78 K., decided October 25, 2021, Official Gazette, No. 31673, December 30, 2021.

AI tool output:
ChatGPT (GPT-4, October 2024 version). OpenAI. Accessed March 15, 2026.

10. Tables, Figures and Images

• Tables and figures are placed immediately after the point in the text where they are first mentioned.
• Each table and figure is numbered: Table 1, Table 2 / Figure 1, Figure 2.
• The table number appears above the table in bold; the title in italics below the number. Following academic table standards, no vertical lines are used; horizontal lines appear at the top, beneath the header row and at the bottom.
• If a table or figure is taken from another source, attribution is given under it as a “Source.” note; where necessary, copyright permission must have been obtained.
• Images are uploaded at high resolution (minimum 300 dpi).

11. AI Use Declaration

If artificial intelligence tools have been used in the preparation of the work, the name and version of the tool used and the scope of its use (e.g., text generation, source summarisation, language editing, data analysis, code generation) are disclosed under a separate “Artificial Intelligence Use Declaration” heading. This statement appears before the reference list.

Tools used solely for grammar checking or text formatting are exempt from this declaration. For detailed rules see Ethical Principles and Publication Policy § 6.

12. Submission Files

The following files are uploaded separately at submission:

• Main text (.docx): Manuscript stripped of author information, prepared for blind review.
• Title Page (.docx): Author names, affiliations, ORCID, email, conflict of interest, funding, ethics committee approval, AI use declaration, copyright/license declaration and author signatures.
• Ethics committee approval document (where applicable): Committee name, decision number and date for research involving humans or animals.
• Third-party permissions (where applicable): Written permissions for any third-party images, tables or extended quotations.
• Table and figure files (where applicable): Separate high-resolution files.

13. Submission Templates

You may prepare your submission by downloading the template and sample documents below. Templates are updated as the journal template is revised.

• Title Page: Turkish (.docx · PDF) · English (.docx · PDF)
• Main Text Template: Turkish (.docx · PDF) · English (.docx · PDF)
• Reviewer Evaluation Form: Turkish (.docx · PDF) · English (.docx · PDF)

The Title Page contains author identifying information and is uploaded as a separate file; the Main Text file must be anonymized for double-blind review.