About the Journal

About the Journal

The Yearbook of the Faculty of Law, Goce Delcev University – Stip is a blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 2009. It is published annually by the Faculty of Law and serves as a multidisciplinary forum for scholarly research and debate in the fields of law, political science, sociology, and media studies. The Yearbook is a bilingual publication, published in Macedonian and/or English, supporting academic exchange both locally and internationally.

The journal is part of the UGD Publishing Platform, using an open-access model to ensure free and global dissemination of knowledge. The Yearbook serves as a platform for legal scholars, researchers, and practitioners to engage with contemporary legal challenges, with a focus on issues relevant to North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and the broader European and international legal landscape.

The Yearbook welcomes original, high-quality, research-based articles, as well as critical essays, reviews, and case analyses. It encourages contributions that bridge theory and practice and offers space for both established and early-career scholars. The publication seeks to foster an open exchange of ideas, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue among academics, practitioners, policy-makers, and civil society actors.

The journal is committed to supporting academic excellence and ensuring the accessibility of its content to a broad audience, including readers from outside the contributors’ immediate fields of expertise.

ISSN: 1857-8713

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Scope of the Journal

The Yearbook of the Faculty of Law, Goce Delcev University – Stip is an academic journal that welcomes high-quality scholarly contributions from a wide range of legal, political, and interdisciplinary fields. The journal provides a platform for the exploration of contemporary issues, theoretical developments, and practical challenges across disciplines with a particular focus on relevance to North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and the broader European and international context.

We invite original research papers, case studies, and theoretical reflections in the following areas:

  • Public and Private Law
  • Civil Law and Civil Procedure
  • Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
  • Constitutional and Administrative Law
  • International Public Law
  • International Private Law
  • European Union Law and European Integration
  • Financial and Tax Law
  • Commercial and Trade Law
  • Tort Law
  • Labor and Social Security Law
  • Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
  • Legal Theory and Legal Philosophy
  • Legal History
  • Law and Society
  • Comparative Legal Studies
  • Political Science and Political Theory
  • International Relations and Diplomacy
  • Security Studies and Geopolitics
  • Sociology of Law and Society
  • Media Law, Media Studies, and Journalism
  • Environmental Law and Sustainable Development
  • Migration, Asylum, and Refugee Law
  • Cyber Law and Information Technology Law
  • Gender, Law, and Social Justice
  • Legal Education and Methodology
  • other

The Yearbook particularly encourages interdisciplinary approaches and contributions that analyze legal and political developments through a comparative or integrative lens. Submissions that address the harmonization of Macedonian legislation with European Union law, international legal standards, or analyze regional integration processes are highly welcomed.

The journal is committed to academic inclusivity and accessibility:
There are no fees for processing or publishing articles in the Yearbook.

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Language of Publication

The Yearbook of the Faculty of Law is a bilingual journal and publishes articles in either Macedonian or English.

  • If a paper is submitted in English, it is mandatory for the author(s) to provide proof of proofreading by a native English speaker before the manuscript enters the peer review process.
  • If a paper is submitted in Macedonian, it must include an English-language title, abstract, and keywords upon submission, to ensure international visibility and accessibility.

Submissions not meeting these language requirements may be returned to the authors for revision prior to peer review.

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Submission Registration and Tracking Process

To ensure transparency, efficiency, and proper recordkeeping, all manuscripts submitted to the Yearbook of the Faculty of Law, Goce Delcev University – Stip are formally registered upon receipt. This process supports the double-blind peer review system and allows the Editorial Board to track the status of each submission from entry to publication.

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Submission Registration

Each paper submitted through the official journal email or platform is registered with a unique submission ID (e.g., YFL-2025-001) and logged in the Yearbook’s Submission Register. The register is managed by the Editorial Office and includes the following information:

Field

Description

Submission ID

Unique identifier (e.g., YFL-2025-001)

Date of Submission

When the manuscript was received

Title of the Paper

Full title of the submitted manuscript

Author(s)

Names and affiliations of the authors

Language of Submission

Macedonian or English

Proof of Native English Language Review

Confirmation submitted (required for English-language papers)

Initial Editorial Decision

Accepted for review / Desk rejection

Reviewers Assigned

Two anonymous reviewers (double-blind)

Review Status

In review / Revisions required / Completed

Final Editorial Decision

Accepted / Rejected / Accepted with revisions

Date of Decision

When the editorial board issued the final decision

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Language Requirement

If the manuscript is submitted in English, authors must include proof that the paper has been professionally proofread by a native English speaker prior to submission. Submissions that do not meet this requirement may be returned to authors or rejected during the initial screening phase.

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Acknowledgment of Submission

Upon receiving a manuscript, the Editorial Office sends a formal confirmation email to the corresponding author, including:

  • The submission ID
  • Date of receipt
  • Overview of the review timeline
  • Reminder of the double-blind review process and editorial policy

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Archiving and Document Management

All submissions and related correspondence are stored in a structured digital archive (organized by submission ID). Each folder contains:

  • The original manuscript
  • The language proofreading confirmation (if applicable)
  • Review forms from both reviewers
  • Communication with the author
  • Final decision notice
  • Final version of the manuscript (post-revision)

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Journal’s Peer Review Policy

All manuscripts submitted to the Yearbook of the Faculty of Law, Goce Delcev University – Stip are subject to a double-blind peer review process. This means that both the identities of the authors and the reviewers are concealed throughout the review process, ensuring objectivity and impartiality in the evaluation of scholarly work.

The Yearbook is committed to maintaining high academic standards, ensuring that all accepted contributions are original, methodologically sound, clearly written, and aligned with the journal’s scope and ethical publishing principles.

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Review Procedure

All submissions received in response to the annual Call for Papers follow the process outlined below:

  1. Initial Editorial Screening

Each submitted manuscript is first reviewed by the Editorial Board to determine whether it meets the basic requirements for peer review. A submission may be desk-rejected at this stage for reasons such as:

  • Failing technical requirements (e.g., incomplete manuscript, improper formatting, unclear figures/tables, or suspected plagiarism)
  • Falling outside the aims and scope of the Yearbook
  • Inadequate methodology or flawed data analysis
  • Poor language quality or structural incoherence
  • Lack of engagement with relevant academic literature
  • Not conforming to the Author Guidelines
  • Exceeding the maximum number of co-authors (no more than three authors per paper)
  • Previous publication by the same author(s) in the last two consecutive issues (a two-year gap is encouraged to ensure broader author inclusion)
  1. Language Review

If the manuscript is submitted in English, authors are required to provide proof that the text has been professionally proofread by a native English speaker prior to the peer review process. Submissions that do not meet this requirement may be returned to the authors for language revision or rejected during the initial editorial screening.

  1. Double-Blind Peer Review

Papers that meet the language and technical criteria are submitted for double-blind peer review by independent reviewers who are experts in the subject area. Reviewers use a structured evaluation form that addresses:

  • Originality and scientific merit
  • Relevance to the Yearbook’s scope and audience
  • Theoretical and/or practical contribution to the field
  • Academic writing quality and structure
  • Suggestions for improvement

Reviewers provide one of the following recommendations: acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Based on the reviews received, the Editorial Board makes the final decision on the manuscript’s acceptance, revision, or rejection. The editorial decision is final and considers all aspects of the review process and journal policy.

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Annual Publication Timeline

  • Open Call for Papers: April 1
  • Deadline for Paper Submission: July 1
  • Notification of Acceptance and Reviewer Feedback: September 1
  • Final Revised Version Due: October 1
  • Online Publication of the Issue: December 1

The Yearbook of the Faculty of Law follows an open-access policy, ensuring free and global access to all published content.
There are no submission, processing, or publication fees.

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Editorial Aims

The Editorial Board of the Yearbook of the Faculty of Law, Goce Delcev University – Stip is fully committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and scholarly excellence. The editors aim to:

  • Ensure fair, objective, and unbiased editorial decisions, independent of commercial or institutional interests, and to maintain a rigorous double-blind peer review process for all submissions
  • Apply transparent editorial policies that promote clear, honest, and complete academic reporting
  • Safeguard the integrity of the academic record by issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary, and by actively addressing suspected cases of research or publication misconduct
  • Take appropriate measures in cases of editorial or reviewer misconduct, upholding the journal’s ethical standards throughout the publication process
  • Maintain and enforce policies to manage conflicts of interest within the editorial and peer review process.

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Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS)

The Yearbook of the Faculty of Law adheres to international standards and ethical principles in scholarly publishing. Our Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement (PEMS) outlines responsibilities and expectations for authors, editors, and reviewers.

A detailed version of the Yearbook’s PEMS is available upon request from the Editorial Office. An online version will be published on the journal’s official page.

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Call for Papers

The Yearbook publishes one issue annually. The Call for Papers is open from April 1 to July 1 each year.

For more information, submission instructions, and important dates, please consult the Call for Papers published on the Faculty website or contact the Editorial Office.