Pandecta Research Law Journal is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in legal scholarship. We recognize that legal research encompasses both normative (doctrinal) analysis and empirical (socio-legal) studies. Authors must ensure that their research is conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical principles, particularly when it involves human participants, sensitive legal data, or vulnerable groups.
1. Ethical Approval for Empirical Legal Research
For research involving human participants (e.g., interviews with judges, lawyers, litigants, or policymakers) or human data, authors must confirm that the study has been approved by an appropriate institutional ethics review board (or equivalent). If no formal ethics committee is available, the research must be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The name of the approving ethics committee and the approval number must be provided in the manuscript.
2. Exemption for Doctrinal/Normative Research
Purely normative or doctrinal legal research (e.g., analyzing statutes, court decisions, or legal principles using publicly available documents) is generally exempt from requiring formal ethics board approval. Authors conducting such research should state in their manuscript that ethical approval was not required due to the nature of the research.
3. Informed Consent
For empirical research, authors must obtain informed consent from all participants prior to their involvement. The consent process, including how participants were briefed on the purpose of the research and their right to withdraw, must be clearly described.
4. Consent for Publication and Anonymity
For articles containing personally identifiable data (e.g., detailed case studies, specific legal disputes involving individuals, or direct quotes from interviews), authors must obtain explicit consent for publication. Where confidentiality is required (e.g., protecting client identity under attorney-client privilege or protecting vulnerable litigants), authors must anonymize all personal data and state clearly in the manuscript that identifying details have been changed or omitted.
5. Data Protection in Legal Research
Authors must ensure the secure storage and protection of sensitive legal data, including confidential case files, client information, and unpublished court documents.
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