Authors Guidelines
Authors Handbook
Welcome to your next academic milestone. Whether you’re a law student, researcher, policymaker, or professional in any discipline, Virtual Times International Multidisciplinary Law Journal (VTIMLJ) invites your voice to shape tomorrow’s legal scholarship.
We believe every submission is a story of your perspective, your research, and your voice. Here’s your roadmap to becoming a published author with us:
Instructions to Authors
Step 01: Choose the Type of Submission
The first step is to decide on the type of submission that suits your research and writing style. Whether you are writing a long article for an in-depth legal analysis, a short article for contemporary commentary, a book review, case comment, interview, or a submission on pending legislation—each format has its own purpose, structure, and word limit. Choose the format that best aligns with your content.
Step 02: Select a Topic of Interest
Choose a topic that aligns with your interests or academic goals. You can explore areas in law, governance, policy, or an interdisciplinary subject. Topics may also be based on current issues, legislative developments, or societal challenges.
Need assistance choosing a topic? Contact our editorial team via WhatsApp for support. Click here (https://wa.me/+919901556504)
Step 03: Frame a Suitable Title
Framing a strong and relevant title is crucial. It should be crisp, clear, and accurately reflect the scope and purpose of your submission. Avoid using vague, misleading, or overly technical titles that may confuse the reader. The title should convey your main argument or theme while maintaining professional tone and academic clarity.
Step 04: Research Design
Depending on your topic and objectives, define the research design—whether it is theoretical (doctrinal) or empirical in nature. If you’re conducting an empirical study, you may prepare a questionnaire using Google Forms and circulate it digitally to gather responses. Ensure your questions are clear, unbiased, and ethically framed. Do not collect sensitive personal information unless explicitly required and justified. A disclaimer should be included at the beginning or end of your Google Form.
Step 05: Conduct Research Using Reliable Sources
It is essential to use credible and verifiable sources for your research. Rely on platforms such as Google Scholar, government websites, legal databases, official court portals, and academic journals. Avoid referencing Wikipedia, blogs without citations, or unreliable websites. Make sure to verify all statistics, case laws, and legislative references before incorporating them into your article
Step 06: Create a Writing Blueprint
Before you start drafting, prepare a writing structure or outline. Break your content into sections like Introduction, Problem Statement, Discussion, and Conclusion. This helps maintain clarity and flow in your argument. Identify the main points you want to address and the sources you’ll be citing. Keep your writing objective, evidence-based, and original. Avoid plagiarism by citing all facts and quotations properly using the Bluebook 21st Edition format for footnotes.
Step 07: Writing and Drafting Best Practices
When writing your draft, maintain a formal academic tone and avoid using personal pronouns. Keep your language concise, avoid redundancy, and back your arguments with authoritative references such as case laws, statutes, or policy papers. Avoid sensational or vague claims. Proper footnoting is essential for every fact, case, or law mentioned. Ensure that the content is original, legally sound, and respectful in tone. Plagiarism or the use of discriminatory language will result in rejection.
Step 08: Format the Manuscript
Ensure the document adheres to the following standards:
- File format: Microsoft Word (.docx)
- Font: Times New Roman, size 12
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Footnotes: Bluebook (21st Edition) citation style
- Include: Title, Author Name(s), Abstract (150–200 words), 3–5 Keywords, and Bibliography (if any)
Step 09: Submit for Peer Review
Submit your manuscript here after going through the checklist. Before submitting your manuscript, check your submission for the following:
- Submission Documents
- Manuscript in Docx. (Microsoft word) and is editable without content control.
- If the file is password protected, share password via email.
- Cover Letter, Author Bio and executed Self Declaration is attached along with manuscript.
- Supporting Information (SI) – for Publication or for Review Only, if any, are uploaded as separate files and not placed directly in the manuscript.
- Author
- All co-authors are listed and correct e-mail addresses are provided.
- All co-authors have been notified that the manuscript is being submitted.
- Formatting
- Follow the journal/publisher’s formatting guidelines (font, spacing, margins, referencing style, etc.).
- All changes noted in “track revisions” and “redlines” have been accepted.
- Content Accuracy
- Ensure correct title, abstract and keywords details.
- Title should be very specific. Uncommon acronyms and words like “First” and “Novel” are avoided.
- Abbreviations and acronyms, if any, are defined upon first usage.
- References are complete, including titles, and adhere to correct journal style, with journal abbreviation according to BLUEBOOK 21st Edition, proper punctuation and arrangement, etc.
- Figures and tables have captions. Figure insets, if any, are described in the caption. They should be mentioned in the text appropriately.
- Graphs ought to have clearly labelled axes, legends, and data points.
- Obtain necessary permissions for copyrighted materials.
- Grammar & Clarity
- Proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
- Ensure clarity and coherence in language and sentence structure.
- Verify facts, data, citations, and references
- Properly cite all sources and avoid self-plagiarism.
- Include all required sections (e.g., introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion).
Step 10: Respond to Reviewer Feedback
Once your article is reviewed, you may receive suggestions or comments for improvement. This is a standard part of the peer-review process. Respond to the reviewer’s feedback in a constructive manner, make the suggested changes or explain your stance with reasoning. Be respectful and open to editorial input. The aim is to improve the quality and impact of your work before it reaches publication.
Step 11: Publication and Post-Publication Visibility
Upon acceptance, your article will be published in the journal’s upcoming edition. You are encouraged to promote your work by sharing the published article on your social media, LinkedIn profile, institutional website, or resume.
Would you like to Submit Manuscript?
We invite scholars and researchers to submit their manuscripts and contribute to advancing knowledge through high-impact, peer-reviewed publication.