FAQs

Congratulations on being one step closer to publication!

Our Journal is very excited to work with you on publishing your article. Now that you’ve signed your publication agreement, you may be wondering what’s next: the editing process. We want this process to be as rewarding for you as it will be for us. We understand that not everyone is familiar with the editing process. Thus, we decided to compile a few common questions and answers that come up during the editing process. This is not an exhaustive list, but it should answer more than a few of your questions.

How soon will the editors start editing my article?

If you article is scheduled to be published in the December issue, then editors normally start editing your article in September or October of the same year. If your article is scheduled to be published in the May issue, editors normally start editing your article in January or February of the same year. In any case, the Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor will contact each author individually to give them an exact date of when the editors begin the editing process.  

When will my article be published?

If we edit your article during the fall semester, we normally publish it in December of the same year. For example, an author whose article is edited in the fall of 2017 will have his or her article published in December 2017. Articles reviewed during the spring semester are normally published in May of the same year. When the Managing Editor has a definite date of publication, he or she will contact the authors.

Can I add more content to my article after the editors have started editing my article?

Generally, yes. We want your article to be as current as possible. However, you may not add a substantial amount of footnotes or pages to the article because that may interfere with the publication schedule. If sudden political, legal, or social changes occur during the editing process that will substantially affect your article, then please contact us.  

If I don’t agree with the editors’ edits, what should I do?

Depending on what type of edit you disagree with, we may or may not accept your request to change it. If the edit you disagree with is a clear grammatical error on your part, then we may not accept your request to change it. The Journal conforms to the Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed. 2010). Similarly, if you prefer another system of citation that is not in accordance with The Bluebook, then we may not accept your request to change it. Apart from clear grammatical errors and violations of The Bluebook rules, you may disagree with any of our edits, and we will generally comply with your request.

When I receive an email to verify the edits that have been done to my article, how soon should I respond to the email?

As soon as possible. Preferably, we expect authors to respond within two (2) business days, excluding weekends and national holidays. To be clear, your initial response does not have to contain all of your replies to the edits. But, your initial reply should clearly give us an estimated time of return of your edits.

After my article is published where can I find the official publication?

The issue archive is on our website. Your article will also be published on Westlaw, Lexis, and HeinOnline.

Who should I contact to get updates about my article?

Please direct all questions and concerns to journal@kentlaw.iit.edu. You can also review the editors’ deadlines by visiting our website to get a better understanding of the status of your article.

What are the editors editing?

Our editors are editing a number of things in your article. First, they edit for proper grammar. Second, they find your citations and verify that they support the statement they are referencing. Third, they save PDF documents of your sources. Fourth, they verify that the citations comply with The Bluebook rules. Lastly, they edit any citations that do not comply with The Bluebook® rules.

Can I get a print version of the issue my article is published in?

Yes, but there is a fee. Please contact us for more information.

For any further questions, please feel free to email us.