Guidelines for Authors
Please note that the submission deadline for the next Health Law Journal is June 30, 2009.
Aim and Scope
The Health Law Institute publishes two scholarly publications, theHealth Law Journaland the Health Law Review. The Health Law Reviewwas first published in 1991 as a continuation of a newsletter previously published by the Institute. Shortly thereafter, the first issue of the Health Law Journalwas published in 1993. Our two publications have different scopes, but share the aim of publishing high-quality interdisciplinary papers that stimulate and advance discussion of health law. It is the intent that the content of both publications will be representative of the various disciplines involved in the health law arena.
The Health Law Journal is committed to publishing outstanding papers that explore innovative and original issues in the interdisciplinary area of health law. The Journalis published once a year and all submissions to the Journal are peer-reviewed.
The Health Law Review is published three times per year and features shorter articles. Special editions are often created focusing on a specific topic. For example, in 2008, two special editions have been published on the cutting-edge topics of nutrigenomics and stem-cell research. The Health Law Review has a diverse audience of legal professionals, policymakers and health care professionals.
The Health Law Review and the Health Law Journal are co-edited by Tracey M. Bailey, Executive Director of the Institute, and Professor Timothy Caulfield, Research Director of the Institute.
Tracey Bailey, BA, LLB, is the Executive Director of the Health Law Institute, an adjunct professor with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta. Tracey graduated from that Faculty of Law in 1991 and went on to practice for a number of years with the firm now known as Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP in the area of health law. Tracey’s research and teaching focus on: legal issues in health care; privacy and health information; and other related topics. Other activities include research, both contract and grant funded, to assist agencies, government and other bodies in policy making. She is an editor of and contributor to Public Health Law and Policy in Canada, the first Canadian text on public health and the law, and has authored numerous other articles and reports. Tracey is currently a member of numerous ethics and policy related committees. She is the former Chair of the National Canadian Bar Association Health Law section.
Professor Timothy Caulfield was appointed Research Director of the Institute in 1993. He is Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, Professor in the Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, University of Alberta, and Senior Health Scholar with the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Professor Caulfield was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2007. Professor Caulfield is the author of over 125 academic articles and book chapters. His research focuses on the areas of biotechnology, ethics and the law, and the legal implications of health care reform in Canada. Professor Caulfield has been the recipient of many research grants and is Principal Investigator on a Genome Canada project on the regulation of genomic technologies; the theme leader for a Stem Cell Network grant (National Centres of Excellence); Principal Investigator on a European Union/CIHR grant entitled “Engaging the Discourse on Comparative Ethical & Social Aspects of Neuroscientific Research” and co-Principal Investigator for a CIHR grant exploring the legal issues associated with the control of obesity “epidemic.”
Submissions
Evaluation
Articles submitted to the Health Law Journalor the Health Law Revieware initially reviewed by an Assistant Editor and only those submissions that pass the internal evaluation will be considered for publication. Following successful completion of the internal evaluation process, all Health Law Journal submissions and some Health Law Review submissions are peer-reviewed. The peer-review process is anonymous and papers are sent to the reviewers without the names of the authors. After internal evaluation or peer review, authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts either for content or concurrence with formatting requirements.
Manuscript Submission Requirements
Manuscripts may be submitted either in English or French by e-mail to the Editors at <hli@law.ualberta.ca>. Manuscripts that are already under consideration by another publisher should not be submitted.
1. Word Length
Submissions to the Health Law Review should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words (excluding endnotes). Health Law Journal submissions should be between 5,000 and 10,000 words (excluding footnotes).
2. Abstracts
Papers submitted in French must be accompanied by an abstract in English of approximately 250 words to facilitate the evaluation process.
3. Format
Papers must be submitted in MS-Word and should be double-spaced. With the exception of footnotes, please do not “format” your paper. As a general rule, the text of an article should be clear of complex formatting in order to simplify the production and printing process. Graphs and complex tables should be included at the end of an article whenever possible. Please note the information below regarding headings and numbering.
4. Headings and Numbering
Authors may use any scheme of headings and subheadings they wish. Please ensure, however, that the scheme is used consistently and that it is clear which are main headings, headings, subheadings, etc.
Do not use automatic paragraph or heading numbers generated by your word processing program. This information may be lost or corrupted as the text is converted from one file format to another, making it impossible for the editor to see which headings were supposed to have which numbers or letters. This applies also to section numbers for legislation, paragraph numbers, etc. Please manually insert all of these numbers and letters.
5. Language and Spelling
We are a Canadian publisher and Canadian spelling is required. Please refer to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd ed. (2004) or the Dictionnaire le Petit Robert.
6. Citations
All citations must follow the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, 6th ed. (2006). Authors are responsible for ensuring that all citations are complete, accurate and up-to-date. The Guide provides comprehensive instructions for citing a wide range of sources and must be followed for all sources. It also contains guidelines regarding quotations and general rules for footnotes. Please follow these as well as the citation guide. This publication is available in Law Libraries and all University bookstores.
Please note that in accordance with the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, we require one parallel citation for case law when available. In addition, the name of any periodical or yearbook not given an abbreviation in the appendix should be spelled out in full. Clearly, this rule will apply to all non-legal periodicals.
Manuscripts with inaccurate or improperly formatted citations will be returned to the author for correction. This applies to all papers, including those which have passed peer review. Submissions which do not comply with our citation requirements will not be published or publication will be delayed.
Footnotes are used in the Health Law Journal and endnotes are required for the Health Law Review.
General Form Examples:
Legislation:
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c.C-46, s. 745.
Children’s Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.C-12.
Retirement Plan Beneficiaries Act, S.M. 1992, c.31, C.C.S.M. c. R138, s. 14.
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11.
Cases:
R. v. Latimer, 2001 SCC 1, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 3 at para. 10.
Coldmatic Refrigeration of Canada Ltd. v. Leveltek Processing LLC (2005), 70 O.R. (3d) 758, 47 C.P.C. (5th) 139 (C.A.).
R. v. Leimanis, [1992] B.C.J. No. 2280 (Prov. Ct.) (QL).
Please note: One parallel citation is required. Information on which source to cite from is found in the Guide under Jurisprudence, s. 3.1.
Secondary Materials:
Timothy Caulfield, et al., "Stem Cell Research Ethics: Consensus Statement on Emerging Issues" (2007) 29 Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada 843 at 848.
Tracey M. Bailey & Steven Penney, “Healing not Squealing: Recent Amendments to Alberta’s Health Information Act” (2007) 15:2 Health L. Rev. 3.
Tracey M. Bailey, Timothy Caulfield & Nola M. Ries, eds., Public Health Law and Policy in Canada (Toronto: LexisNexis Canada, 2005).
Please note: author names must be cited exactly as they appear on the first page of the original source. This is one of the most common errors found in manuscripts.
When citing to legal journals, please abbreviate the journal name in accordance with Appendix H in the Guide. If the journal is a non-legal journal or is not contained in the Guide, please spell out the journal name in full.
Internet Sites
New Zealand, Health & Disability Commissioner, Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (1994), online: Health & Disability Commissioner <http://www.hdc.org.nz>.
Please note: internet sites may be unreliable and judgment must be exercised before citing to these sources. Online sources should only be cited to if the site archives material for a reasonable length of time, i.e., several years.
7. Cover Letter
Submissions should be accompanied by a cover letter which provides contact information for the authors, a statement that the paper has not been submitted for publication or previously published elsewhere, and a declaration of any conflict of interest which might be construed as influencing the interpretation presented by the paper.
Editorial Review Process:
The editors approach the task of editing papers with respect for the writing style of authors. Minor editorial changes may be made to correct grammar and spelling. Authors will be contacted at an early stage in the editorial process if content needs reorganization or clarification. Authors are given the opportunity to review the final proofs of the manuscript at which time no substantial changes can be made.
Citations will be audited for accuracy and conformity with the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, 6th ed. (2006). Accuracy of footnotes and endnotes is crucial to the maintenance of the high quality of our publications. In this regard, authors are asked to submit their manuscripts with complete and accurate footnotes in the correct format. If the editor is unable to obtain a source, the author may be asked to provide a copy. If an audit indicates a concern in this regard, a paper previously accepted for publication may be rejected or publication may be delayed to a subsequent volume until corrections have been made by the author(s).
Acceptance for Publication
Once a paper has been accepted for publication, the author grants to the Health Law Journal and the Health Law Review the worldwide nonexclusive right:
- to produce, reproduce, publish, distribute, communicate to the public by telecommunication, translate, adapt and use the article in the Health Law Journal/Health Law Review in any form whatever (including print or electronic media), and by any technology now known or hereafter developed, either separately or as part of a collective work,
- to authorize third parties to reproduce, transmit and distribute the article for the purposes of assisting with the publication of the article in the Health Law Journal/Health Law Review
- to authorize third parties to exercise those rights necessary to prepare and include the article in research and document delivery services such as those offered by Westlaw, Lexis, Quicklaw (LexisNexis Canada), and Thomson Gale or their successors,
- to authorize third parties to duplicate the article for educational use, provided that (a) copies are distributed at or below cost, (b) the author and the Health Law Journal/Health Law Review are identified and a full correct citation is included, (c) proper notice of copyright is affixed to each copy, and (d) the Health Law Institute is advised of the use by email at hli@law.ualberta.ca
Other Information
The Health Law Journal and the Health Law Review are also published electronically by Lexis Nexis, ProQuest and Gale and are indexed in the Index to Canadian Legal Literature (ICLL), the Index to Canadian Legal Periodical Literature, Sociological Abstracts, and in the Index to Legal Periodicals.
