Author Guidelines

1 Document Setup & Typography

To maintain a standardised, elegant, and highly readable layout, all manuscripts must strictly use our template and conform to the following specifications:

• Paper Size: A4 standard (210 × 297 mm).
• Margins: Normal (2.54 cm / 1 inch on all sides).
• Page Numbering: Bottom of page, centred, in dash format (– 1 –, – 2 –, …), starting from the title page.
• Font Type: Times New Roman throughout the entire manuscript, including headings, tables, and footnotes.
• Title: 14pt, Bold, ALL CAPS, Centred.
• Author Name & Affiliation: 12pt, Bold for the name; Italic for institution and email, Centred.
• Section Headings (e.g. “1. Introduction”): 13pt, Bold.
• Sub-headings (e.g. “1.1 Background”): 12pt, Bold Italic.
• Abstract: 10pt, Italic, Justified, Single Spacing. Maximum 250 words.
• Body Text: 12pt, Justified, 1.5 Line Spacing, with a first-line indent of 1.27 cm (0.5 inch) on every paragraph.
• Language: British English spelling and conventions throughout (e.g. organisation, characterise, analyse, not their American equivalents).
• Footnotes: 10pt, Superscript, Justified, Single Spacing.

2 Referencing: The OSCOLA Standard

INKRAH Journal operates purely on the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA). This is non-negotiable.

• Footnotes Only: We strictly prohibit bodynotes or in-text citations (e.g., APA/Harvard style). All references must be placed in footnotes.
• Reference Management (Mendeley): Authors are highly encouraged to use Mendeley. Please install the official OSCOLA style plugin within Mendeley to ensure precision and save time during the editorial process.
• Punctuation: OSCOLA uses minimal punctuation. Do not use full stops in abbreviations (e.g., use UKHL, not U.K.H.L.). Close every footnote with a single full stop.

3 Image & Chart Optimisation (Max 1MB Rule)

Our bespoke submission system enforces a strict 1MB maximum file size for PDF uploads. This ensures lightening-fast loading times for our readers globally. If your manuscript contains images or charts:

• Compress Before Inserting: Minimise the file size of your images (JPEG/PNG) using online compressors before inserting them into your Word document.
• Grayscale Preferred: Unless colour is absolutely critical to the legal analysis, please convert images to grayscale to save space.
• DPI Limits: Do not use images exceeding 150 DPI. Keep charts simple, flat, and vector-based where possible.

4 Plagiarism & Turnitin Declaration

Originality is the cornerstone of INKRAH Journal. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 15% will be immediately desk-rejected.