Style
1) The Journal particularly welcomes contributions from data protection and privacy professionals, including best practice papers; case studies; new approaches and techniques; legal and regulatory updates; or other material of relevance to data compliance professionals and their advisers. They can be more descriptive (and less analytical) of current business practice and need not display in-depth knowledge of previous academic work in the field. The Journal will also publish traditionally styled academic papers, which will be expected, at a minimum, to display a sound knowledge of previous work in the area and some original research content. All papers must have clear implications for business practice.
2) Papers can be anywhere from 2,500 to 6,000 words.
3) Authors should not seek to use the Journal as a vehicle for marketing any specific product or service.
4) Papers must be supported by references to examples and case studies, and wherever possible industry surveys and existing literature.
5) References should be in the Vancouver system, ie referred to by number in the text with superscripted numbers (like so¹) and set out in full in a consecutive numerical list at the end of the paper. When referring to the same book or journal more than once, authors should revert to the original number and not insert a different consecutive number.
6) Submissions should be written in the third person and authors should avoid the use of personal pronouns, slang and any other language which is not in keeping with the professional and academic style of the Journal.
7) All papers should be accompanied by a short abstract of up to 300 words summarising the paper. Please note the abstract should not provide a general introduction to the paper but rather should describe the purpose or problems addressed; what was done; any findings or trends identified; and the conclusions and any wider implications.
8) All papers should be accompanied by 4–6 keywords that summarise the key themes of the paper.
9) Papers should be accompanied by a short (up to 200 words) description of the author(s) and, if appropriate, the organisation of which he or she is a member.
10) All acronyms such as titles of organisations etc should be written out first in full and followed by the acronym in brackets, and thereafter in their initial form.
11) With appropriate exceptions, e.g., pints and gallons, measurements should be in metric units.
12) Photographs and illustrations supporting papers should be submitted where appropriate. Photographs should be submitted electronically with figures saved as TIF, EPS/PDF with all fonts embedded or JPEG (high resolution) files at a minimum 300dpi. Further guidance on the submission of graphics is available on request from the Publisher, Daryn Moody, at daryn@hspublications.co.uk.
13) All other graphics should be supplied in an editable format wherever possible (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, vector files, or original source data). Screengrabs should only be used where no other option is available (e.g. showing an on screen operating system). If a graphic contains only text (e.g. tables, lists, word clouds), please provide a version with editable text rather than as an image. Please do not supply AI-generated graphics, as these are uneditable and frequently contain errors.
Accessibility requirements (figures and manuscripts)
Do not rely on colour, shape, or position alone to convey meaning. Provide labels, patterns or text so that readers are not dependent on visual cues.
Avoid spatial cues such as ‘above’ or ‘below’. Refer to the exact section, figure or table. Example: instead of ‘see the table below’, write ‘see Table 2’.
Ensure figures meet accessibility contrast standards: meaningful visual elements (e.g. lines, markers, bars, shapes) must achieve at least a 3:1 contrast ratio against adjacent colours.
General
14) Papers should be submitted via e-mail in Microsoft Word format to the Ardi Kolah, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Data Protection & Privacy at ardi@kolah.com and copied to Daryn Moody, Publisher, Journal of Data Protection & Privacy at daryn@hspublications.co.uk.
15) We do not charge authors to submit articles.
16) Authors must ensure that references to named people and/or organisations are accurate, not racist or sexist and without libellous implications.
17) All contributions sent to the Publisher, whether invited or not, will be submitted to the Journal’s Editors and Editorial Board for anonymous peer-review. Any such contribution must bear the author’s full name and address, even if this is not for publication, although this is removed for the duration of the peer-review process. Contributions, whether published pseudonymously or not, are accepted on the strict understanding that the author is responsible for the accuracy of all opinion, technical comment, factual report, data, figures, illustrations, and photographs. Publication does not necessarily imply that these are the opinions of the Editorial Board, Editors, or the Publisher, nor do the Board, Editors or Publishers accept any liability for the accuracy of such comment, report and other technical and factual information. The Publisher will, however, strive to ensure that all opinion, comments, reports, data, figures, illustrations, and photographs are accurate, insofar as it is within its abilities to do so. The Publisher reserves the right to edit, abridge or omit material submitted for publication.
18) Authors should be aware that papers submitted to the Journal should not be simultaneously submitted for review to any other publications.
19) The author bears the responsibility for checking whether material submitted is subject to copyright or ownership rights, eg photographs, illustrations, trade literature and data. Where use is so restricted, the Publisher must be informed with the submission of the material.
20) No contribution will be accepted which has been published elsewhere unless it is expressly invited or agreed by the Publisher.
21) Papers and contributions published become the copyright of the Publisher, unless otherwise agreed.
22) All reasonable efforts are made to ensure accurate reproduction of text, photographs, and illustrations. The Publisher does not accept responsibility for mistakes, be they editorial or typographical, nor for consequences resulting from them.
Tables, figures and AI‑generated content
23) Originality and authorship: Tables, figures and other visuals included in a manuscript must be the authors’ original work or used with written permission from the copyright holder. If a third‑party table/figure is essential, authors must obtain permission prior to submission and provide proof on request. As a default, authors should re‑create analysis in their own words/layout and attribute any underlying data or insights in a footnote.
24) Third‑party content: Do not embed screenshots or copies of tables/figures taken from third‑party publications, websites or reports unless reuse is expressly permitted by licence or written permission. When re‑creating a table based on a third‑party source, clearly footnote the source of the data/insight and ensure the text is substantively your own analysis.
25) AI tools: AI systems may be used as writing/layout aids (e.g., to draft structure or formatting ideas) but must not be treated as evidentiary sources. Every data point, quote and legal proposition must be traceable to authoritative sources (legislation, official guidance, case law, or reputable academic/professional commentary) cited in Vancouver style. Do not cite AI systems as sources (e.g., “ChatGPT output”). Authors remain fully responsible for verifying accuracy and eliminating hallucinations.
26) AI‑generated visuals: Do not submit AI‑generated charts or graphics as evidence. If AI was used to create a visual design, the underlying data must be author‑compiled and fully referenced. AI‑generated images purporting to depict real persons, places or documents (e.g., photorealistic ‘examples’) are not permitted.
27) Data files and reproducibility: For all tables/graphs, include the original editable files (Word/Excel) with underlying data where applicable, consistent with point (7). Authors should retain analysis workbooks and make them available to the Editors on request to support reproducibility.
28) Accessibility and quality: Avoid PowerPoint slides and screengrabs. Submit figures at minimum 300 dpi as TIF or EPS/PDF (fonts embedded) or high‑resolution JPEG, consistent with point (12).
29) Plagiarism and copyright: Incorporation of third‑party content without permission or proper attribution will be treated as a breach of this Guidance. Authors must ensure compliance with copyright and database right; where in doubt, seek permission or re‑express the analysis in original terms with citation of sources.
30) Disclosure: If AI tools had a material role in drafting tables/figures (layout assistance only), add a brief acknowledgement in an author note (e.g., “AI‑assisted formatting; all data and analysis verified by the authors”). No AI tool should be credited as an author or source.